Making a heater valve bracket

Hours: 1.5

Time to turn my cardboard prototype into a permanent bracket for the heater valve.

Since this bracket will sit freely, I decided to use 0.05in thick aluminum to give it some strength.

Just like the standard bracket that would usually hold the bowden cable, I designed the bracket to mount into the heater valve unit. So I added the size of the screw mount portion of the original bracket to my cardboard bracket part.

Outlining the bracket to cut
rough outline of the bracket and adding some indicators for the 90 degree bend

With the outline made, I got out the aviation snips and started cutting out the bracket.

Bottom part of the bracket cut
Bracket cut and 90 degree bend location marked

Next step, releasing some tension. To make the bend, I mounted the bracket along the bend line in my bench vise. And then gave it some gentle (read strong) taps with the rubber mallet to form the bend.

Bracket mounted in my bench vise with some wood to bend it along
Whacking the bracket to form the 90 degree bend (very satisfying)

And here it is, a nicely formed 90 degree bend.

Bracket with the bend completed
New bracket along with the original bracket to check the bend is aligned

Next I deburred all the edges and rounded out the corners.

Deburred and corners rounded

And then I match-drilled the holes to mount the bracket to the heater valve using the original bracket.

Match-drilling the bracket holes using the original bracket as a template
Bracket mounted on the heater valve

Finally, time to mount the servo to the new bracket. Quick test fitting with a clamp to get the travel distance right.

Final test fitting of the servo

And then I drilled and mounted it to the bracket.

Servo mounted.

And here it is in action:

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