Extending CH Yoke...

[AK Mongo]

I just finished extending the shaft on my CH yoke, and am pretty proud of the results. Took less that 20 USD in parts, and is infinitely better for my MIP, as it allows me to set the yoke farther back from the panel without scraping my knuckles on the instrument bezels!

All it took was:


a 12" piece of 3/4" plumbing pipe (Length will depend on your need)
a 3/4" to 1/2" reducer
a 4" x 1/2" pipe nipple
2 Cat 5 jacks
a cat 5 cable of appropriate length


I have some pics and description of how I did it at my blog. (too lazy to retype it right now)
http://juneaucessnasim.blogspot.com/
Voiding your warranty and cutting stuff is a big step, with something like your yoke. I was very cautious about doing it, but am very happy with the end result!

Reid

[Ronson2k9]

Yosemite Sam - "By gar the critter went and did it". Pretty cool pics. The only kind of plumbers pipe I could find has black paint on it so I was thinking of using chromoly. Remember the steel superstore I talked about earlier..

Cheers
Ron

[AK Mongo]

I could have use galvanized, too, but I though the beatup black would look better with my "well worn" TPM contols, and other surplus a/c parts I am using.

I wasn't that brave...other than clipping all the !@#$ wires in half, everything else was reversible.

[Tom_G_2010]

VERY NICE!

I was pondering the same thing for my desktop pit where I have a CH Yoke, but wasn't sure what to use for pipe. As always, someone else's experience (and materials list :D ) is often the best teacher.

[Hennie]

AK Mongo

Brilliant idea!!!!!

Just a question. Are you supporting the extention with a bearing or something similar? The weight might be too much for the plastic bearings/bushes in the yoke housing to support it properly. Maybe a piece of aluminium pipe might be a better solution. I am asking this, because I might have to do the same in the near future.

Thanks in advance.

[Ronson2k9]

Look to the electrical conduit section of the hardware store. Specifically a Conduit Flange. You could also try a Pipe Flange (plumbing). They are often times threaded. So you could add a plastic insert so the yoke tubing has a smoother ride. I would use UHMW plastic it's self lubricating so you never have a squeak or stoppage. UHMW plastic can be found where ever wood working tools are sold. It's a plastic in high demand for router table, table saws etc.

In my project I plan to mill a flange out of UHMW plastic as it's quite strong but can be milled like wood. If you don't have the tools to mill with then the parts are available at the hardware store..

Hope that helps
Ron

[AK Mongo]

I essentially have a bushing where it passes through the mip. It is well supported at that end. Will be upgrading with something like UHMW when I can source what I want though.

Reid

[AK Mongo]

Just spent a while in Home Depot sliding pieces of 3/4" pipe into anything tubular I could find. Came up with a cheap solution for the front end bushing. 1 1/2" pvc pipe (HD 9786)

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202078120/h_d2/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&keyword=hd9786&jspStoreDir=hdus&Nu=P_PARENT_ID&navFlow=3&catalogId=10053&langId=-1&ddkey=Search

Works well and interfaces beautifully with my used Cessna bushing. (Which had too large an opening in original form.)

http://i885.photobucket.com/albums/ac52/akmongo/d29e4bfe.jpg

Cost was a whopping 1.25 usd with tax.

Reid

[Hennie]

Thanks Reid!!!

I just saw the light, and I do hope it is not a train coming my way.