Starting the SB - for real

Tonight I started to seriously work on the landing gear Service Bulletin. Finally!
The trick to fool myself is real simple. All I have to do is to convince myself that I go out in the shop and vow to complete one single step. The single step I had avoided for so long was to drain the brake fluid.

That's really all it took.
I drained both calipers at the same time and helped it by pumping the brakes manually (meaning: with my hands, not sitting in the sawhorse-supported fuselage).
The system cannot drain completely without blowing air into it from the reservoir level but I think Van's did not mean the 'drain system completely' instruction literally.

So, after I had completed this little step, I felt like I couldn't just walk away after so little time put in - and now that I'm here, why not do the next step, and the next, and the next. That's how it worked for me, until it really was too dark to continue and the next step being a bit too much for a short evening.

I disconnected the outer brake lines in preparation of removing the gear legs and measured and marked the drill spots on the belly skin to allow for easier access to the outboard landing gear bolts.

I punched and pre-drilled the four holes and opened up the holes with the step drill to 3/8" diameter and deburred the inside of the holes.

As the cockpit area is currently covered with a tarp I decided to delay the removal of the outboard cushion clamps until I have access to the U-section anyway. The following step was to remove the gear legs and that was a bit too much for a short evening. At least, I got to see a beautiful sunset before closing up shop.