Elevator alignment

[toto]

So my plane came out of annual with some hangar rash on the left elevator. The shop owned the issue and repaired it - but the repair required removing the left elevator from the plane and replacing the end cap piece. 

When it was all done, the repaired elevator looks mostly like it did before. But I noticed that the left elevator is a little bit out of alignment with the horizontal stabilizer. The right elevator is perfect. 

The plane flies straight and trims correctly with no obvious problems. Is this something that needs to be addressed, or is it fine for the two sides to be a bit different?

I’ve read the other (oldish) threads on the alignment issue, but I’m not sure how to evaluate this. I’m also not 100% sure whether this is a new issue or whether it’s been this way since long before the repair. I haven’t paid that much attention to it before this work was done. 

(Right side - untouched)

 

(Left side - repaired)

[IvanP]

I believe that both sides should align to the same position with respect to the stab. You may need the travel boards to check the alignment. Hard to eyeball.

[Fritz1]

I would ask the shop, taking the left elevator out does not require changing anything in the linkage, so first thing to ask is whether anything was adjusted in the left elevator linkage, if yes, set the elevators equal and see how that feels, overall I would think that the elevators should be equal, compensating for a roll imbalance by offsetting the elevators would cause excessive drag 

[MB65E]

As a tech, they would not have messed with the rigging. I’m confident it was like that prior to the ding. 
Mine are not exactly straight either. I think it does help the roll .

Aviat MFG, on the Pitts and Huskys, some are over an inch off between sides in the balance horns. 

I wouldn’t worry about it. It would be difficult to put the horn on crooked. 
-Matt

[1980Mooney]

 

1 hour ago, MB65E said:

As a tech, they would not have messed with the rigging. I’m confident it was like that prior to the ding. 
Mine are not exactly straight either. I think it does help the roll .

Aviat MFG, on the Pitts and Huskys, some are over an inch off between sides in the balance horns. 

I wouldn’t worry about it. It would be difficult to put the horn on crooked. 
-Matt

 

5 hours ago, toto said:

The plane flies straight and trims correctly with no obvious problems. Is this something that needs to be addressed, or is it fine for the two sides to be a bit different?

Isn't that the "acid test"?  If you don't notice any difference in handling, trim, balance or performance then nothing has "materially" changed.  These planes are handmade and yours is 36 years old. 

This is like having a flaw in the paintjob that you never noticed, but once someone draws your attention to it, you continually notice it and worry about how it looks all the time.  I am with Matt on this....

[toto]

7 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

 

 

Isn't that the "acid test"?  If you don't notice any difference in handling, trim, balance or performance then nothing has "materially" changed.  These planes are handmade and yours is 36 years old. 

This is like having a flaw in the paintjob that you never noticed, but once someone draws your attention to it, you continually notice it and worry about how it looks all the time.  I am with Matt on this....

Right, that’s what I’m after - I don’t really care about the small alignment mismatch unless it’s a safety-of-flight issue. 

[Fritz1]

Check for slop in the elevator bellcrank by moving the elevator halves relative to each other, elevator pushrod drives elevator bellcrank, two short links drive elevators, the bellcrank is riveted together and the rivets may have worked themselves loose