Fixing a "limp" Bonanza cabin door stop-rod:
Do this inside a hangar or when there is no
chance a gust of wind is going grab your door while you work.
1. Open cabin door
2. Use mirror to look at underside of door. You
will see that the stop-rod rides in a slot. There is a wide opening (a hole) in
that slot.
3. Open (or close) door far enough that the door
end of the stop-rod at the hole in the slot.
4. Pull down on the stop-rod. You will have to
jiggle the door a little, but the stop-rod will come out of the door. Your door
will swing freely, with nothing to stop it from going WAY past fully open. Open
it far enough to get it out your way, but not all the way. Just short of
parallel with the wing leading edge. Stuff a rolled up towel between the wing
and the underside of the door to secure it.
5. The stop-rod will pull straight up and out of
the door sill. It's deteriorated rubber bushing *should* come out with the
chrome stop-rod. If it doesn't:
6. Use a needle nose pliers (or whatever it
takes) to remove the bushing from the hole in the door sill. If the bushing is
in pieces in the hole, dig or vacuum it out. I do not know the correct
dimensions for the new bushing, but it's a piece of rubber hose. Fuel line or
vacuum line. Figure it out thusly:
a. Using a micrometer, measure the diameter of
the part of the stop-rod that sticks into the bushing and door sill. This is the
inside diameter of the hose you want.
b. Also using a micrometer, measure the diameter
of the hole in the door sill. This is the outside diameter of the hose.
c. The length of the part of the stop-rod that
sticks into the door sill is the length to cut the hose. I think it's about 4",
maybe longer.
7. Test fit the new bushing in the door sill. You
might have to trim it a little in length for the door to open & close without
interference. To reinstall, reverse the removal instructions.
a. Slip the bushing on the part of the rod that
goes in the sill. A dab of DC4 on the rod is the perfect lubricant for this.
b. Stick the "assembly" into the sill.
c. Using the mirror, fit the door end of the rod
into the opening in the slot in the underside of the door.
d. Open & close the door a few times to make sure
nothing binds or rubs, etc.
Yer dun.
IA & Bonanza owner Bob B.
adds:
"The original rubber insert has a thin metal sleeve. REUSE it or the fix will
be questionable in short time. Also -4 303 hose. It will be tight. I taper it
slightly to insert. The later rods are threaded for 1/4" nut. This works much
better than the early rods with nothing to keep them from sliding up at the jam
and down in the door."
When you open the door, the "springiness" of the
rubber bushing will "push up" on the rod and it will "click" into place when the
door is fully open. Gently step or push down on the rod to get it out of the
"door open" detent to allow closing of the door.
Fixing
a Limp Beechcraft Door Stop Rod
