Tygon Tubing Attached To AOA Port Rivet

Yesterday, the heater was run to bring up the temps in the shop so work could continue on the angle of attack sensor plumbing. In the previous post, a photo was included showing the method that would be employed to attach the Tygon tubing onto the flush rivet being used for the AOA port.

I thought it best to run the tubing with a loop to prevent water buildup in the tube … so the Tygon tube will be attached to the side of an adjacent rib using a wire tie. The Tygon tube will then run almost up to the W-1203-L skin and then back down onto the rivet being used as the AOA port.

The Tygon tube fits very snugly into a 1/8” ID vinyl interface tube which fits very snugly over the shop head of a rivet (with the mandrel removed) being used as the AOA port. Non-reactive gasket making silicone sealant (sensor rated) was placed around the base of the rivet/tube to affix the tube onto the rivet and on the seam where the Tygon slides into the larger tube.

                             The Tygon tubing and interface Vinyl tube slid in place over the shop head of the
                             pop rivet being used as the AOA port and sealed in place with non-reactive silicone.

The silicone gasket material was spread around the rivet/tube using the wooden end of a cotton swab. Unfortunately, for fear of knocking the tube off the rivet, a finger was not used to smooth the silicone onto the tubing. The silicone is very stringy, so it’s really hard to get a smooth looking joint. Once the silicone fully cures, I’ll put a second coat on the tubes and hopefully will be able to make a thicker and smoother seal using my finger.