Installation Of Pilot Door; Weatherstrip Installation And Sealing Instructions Of Pilot Door - Piper Navajo Chieftain PA-31-350 Service Manual

NAVAJO CHIEFTAIN SERVICE MANUAL
4-87. INSTALLATION OF PILOT DOOR. (Refer to Figure 4-15.)
a. Carefully position the hinges onto the door hinge brackets and insert the hinge pins.
b.
Prior to connecting the door support assembly, operate the door latching mechanism to
determine if there is a flush fit between the outer skin of the pilot door and the fuselage.
NOTE
If the fit is not flush, it will be necessary to remove the door and
rotate the serrated door hinge bushing or bushings to obtain hinge
center line location that will provide proper door fit.
c. Attach the support assembly to the door.
4-88.
WEATHERSTRIP
INSTALLATION
AND SEALING INSTRUCTIONS OF PILOT DOOR.
To obtain an acceptable seal on the pilot door, the seal must apply equal pressure all the way around the
striker. This is accomplished in the following manner.
a. Apply EC 1300L cement to seal and mitered joints.
b. Install one piece of seal 87.00 in. from the forward corner up around to the aft lower corner of the
door and a piece 38.5 in. along the lower surface of the door.
c. If necessary, use shims behind the seal to obtain equal pressure and adequate sealing (Neoprene
0.125 thick Piper P N 187-361).
d. The striker and water path must be free of any sealant and foreign matter.
e.
Install two pieces of clear plastic tubing 1/8 in. OD., 5 in. long covered with a film of seal glyde or Dow
Corning lubricant.
f.
Insert tube approximately 3 in. into the sealing bead of the striker prior to the sealing operation.
g.
Remove all sharp edges from striker joints.
h. Fill in all irregular surfaces contacting the door seal with sealant.
i. Check to see that the latch plate on aft side of door frame extends only to center line of striker bead
and all edges are smooth to prevent tearing of seal.
j. Fill the empty space behind the forward and aft lower corner fillets of the door frame with sealant to
prevent water passing behind these plates to the aircraft interior.
k. Seal the area between the scuff plate, bulkheads, outer skin and bulkheads with PRC 1221B-2 or
MIL S-7505C and smooth with a non-metallic tool.
1. Remove the two pieces of tubing prior to checking for leaks.
m. To check for open water path, funnel small amounts of water into the gap between the pilot door and
aircraft skin.
NOTE
The water should flow freely from the water path at forward and aft
corners of door.
n. Gradually increase the volume of water until water flows from the gap it is being funneled into.
o. A person inside the aircraft can ascertain the sealing of the door.
NOTE
It is not a recommended check to place large volumes of water over
the aircraft exterior when specifically checking for door seal leaks,
as a window leak could appear as if the door seal was leaking.
Revised: 9/24/81
STRUCTURES
1G8