Brief Description: Fitting the elevator push-pull tube PVC bushings
The torque tube has an aluminum push-pull tube that controls the elevators. The tube rides on PVC bushing that are inserted into the front and rear end of the rear half of the torque tube. The PVC bushing seemed to fit nicely allowing easy and free travel of the push pull tube righ up until we pressed them into the torque tube. The first problem is that the torque tube is not round once the welding process is complete. The welded linkage tubes create indentations along the tube wall. The indentations push in on the PVC bushing creating friction and a bind point. We could not even insert the push pull tube at first.
Next, the PVC bushings appear to be not so slightly larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the torque tube. Inserting them constricted the opening, again causing a lot of friction. We removed material from outside diameter of the PVC bushing until it only fit snugly into the torque tube. The center hole was still too tight for the push pull tube (it is supposed to move freely with little to no drag or friction). We then had to slowly remove material from the inner surface of the PVC bearing until the push pull tube fit nicely with not free play, but also with little friction.
If I were to do this again I would look into the cost of a 1" reamer to use once the PVC bushing was in place.
