Brief Description: Grommet and cushion clamp installation (31B-02)
Well after looking at the next set of instructions (wing installation) I decided that I need to have the tail cone installed, so I skipped that section and proceeded to section 31B. The first thing it asks is to enlarge the hole on the grommet prior to installation. So I did as instructed with the vice and a 1/2" socket and it worked great. I'm not sure why Vans doesn't order the right size, but this technique worked just fine and the ID hold is smooth, not jagged as I would have expected. For the cushion clamp I have the FT-60 flow meter, so I didn't need the extension, but I did need to final size the 1/4" hole in the cushion clamp. There is a hole on each side of the clamp and I held it in my hand (don't do this) and drilled out the one side, which worked great. I proceeded to drill out the other hole using the same hand held technique...bad idea. When the drill bit grabbed it twisted the clamp into a ball and tried to take my finger with it. Luckily I walked away with only a scratch and another tick on the wall for stupid mistakes. I know better. Anyway, clamping it in a vice works much better and now I'll add that to the list of things I need to get more of on my next Vans order. Family is in town this week so not much progress on the plane.
