Rearrange instruments, pilot-side

[mikerocosm]

I recently bought a replacement panel for the pilot side of my '66 "E" that has nine nicely arranged 3+" holes, the idea being that I'd like to replace my original haphazard instrument layout with a more orderly arrangement. There are currently seven 3+" instruments on the pilot side, and I figure I'll move the odd-man-over-there second VOR/glideslope indicator from the other side, and have a spare hole for something (later?).

 

My question is this: How likely is it that I won't have to cut and reinstall a lot of wire when I do this? Might I reasonably expect to just move stuff around, or am I likely to have to restring copious amounts of wire in order to get this done?

 

I figure I'll find out eventually what it's going to take, but since I'm sort of iced in right now and just thinking about it, I'd sort of like to know what I might expect, and figure I'm not the first guy on this forum to do something like this, and that I might benefit from your collective experience . . . 

 

Whaddya think?

 

Mike

[N601RX]

The 1st thing to determine is if the instrument mounting angle is going to change. You will also have to determine what you are going to do about lighting the new panel.

[mikerocosm]

RE: "The 1st thing to determine is if the instrument mounting angle is going to change. You will also have to determine what you are going to do about lighting the new panel." . . .

 

Panel is bent across the middle exactly like the one currently installed (so no change), and I'm thinking Nulites.

 

mws out

[N601RX]

Nulites work great, just check to make sure you have enough spacing between the instruments for them. They are slightly larger than some of the instruments.

[yvesg]

If you move stuff around, you might not be able to move things in the exact hole you want to (such as standard "T" configuration). On my panel, I just added a new CDI to go with my new 430W. We planned to move the DG one spot left to allow both CDIs to be above one another however the avionics guy realized that the length of the DG would prevent full motion of the yoke. The end bracket would bang on the DG which is not good. The solution was to leave the DG where it is put the new CDI near the yoke. (One solution to this problem, for me, will be to find a shorter DG to replace the current one and then move st uff around the way I prefer.

Hope this helps.

Yves