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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on June 7, 2019 at 7:28pm

I can't give you numbers but I remember one guy used shift lever boots from a Jeep. He just poked around in parts supplies at some dealer or collector and found some that were about the right dimensions. The rubber boots will stop fumes and heat when things are running normally and that is good - keep that stuff out of the cockpit. However, they will not do much if you need your firewall to stop a fire - the fire will eliminate the rubber boots pretty quickly and then you'll have a passage from the engine room to your passenger room for the fire to intrude.

Others have used a sliding metal plate arrangement that would do a much better job of stopping fire. You should be able to find some posts on that if you poke around here.

I am building a taildragger so I have no steering rod holes in the firewall to worry about so I did not make any notes of the part numbers of the various solutions. Sorry.

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Permalink Reply by William D. Phillips on June 8, 2019 at 12:47am

Thanks Bob for the reply. How is your xl build coming along? I finished a 601 xl in 2006 updated to a B model a few years later with a Jab 3000. Fine airplane, Sold it when I finished my RV8-a I fly now. Building the 801 so my sweet wife can fly with me again as she can’t get in and out of the 8 anymore. If I can help in any way let me know. Bill 

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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on June 8, 2019 at 7:49pm

To be honest, Bill, my XL build is stagnant. I have not accomplished anything since getting the kit an embarrassing amount of years ago. I have many excuses/reasons - some of them valid, some just excuses. Initially I was still flying/traveling for a living (now retired), I was President of my Airpark which had me mayor of a village and manager of an airport (now not an officer but still active in helping run the place), I have a 1947 Stinson to keep maintaining and flying (and recently bought a fully restored 1948 Stinson so now I need to sell the 47), I'm partners in a 1958 Cessna Skylark that still demands some of my time, I renovated our house, and I have a ton of kids and grandkids and a wonderful wife who I like to spend time with. Life is good. The XL has waited its turn patiently. I like to think I'll actually get going on it soon. Hope, hope.

I did, over the years, accumulate parts and ideas for the build in addition to the kit. I also splurged and bought a set of already upgraded B model spars and center section so I won't have to take apart and reassemble the ones that came with my kit. Only recently I bought a 650 canopy upgrade kit from the factory to incorporate into my build. Soon, I keep telling myself. But meanwhile, life is good and I am happy.

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Permalink Reply by Don Morrisey on June 8, 2019 at 8:31am

I ordered the jeep rubber boots some time ago...didn't use them for exactly the reason Bob posted, plus the holes that the rods pass through are much bigger than the rods so they would not have stopped any fumes from coming in the cockpit.  I ended up getting these from Skytek: https://store.skytekaircraft.ca/store/p35/Steering_Rod_Swivels_Asse...

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Permalink Reply by Jared G Brown on June 10, 2019 at 1:31pm

Take a Look at these, not boots but very smooth. 

https://store.skytekaircraft.ca/store/p35/Steering_Rod_Swivels_Asse...

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