Gas turbine engine components and method of assembly

1. A method of assembling gas turbine engine components, comprising the steps of:

situating at least one synchronizing ring about a generally cylindrical case such that an inner surface of the synchronizing ring faces an outer surface of the case;

positioning a first number of shims collectively corresponding to an initial shim thickness at each of a plurality of shim locations, respectively, to establish the initial shim thickness between the inner surface of the synchronizing ring and the outer surface of the case at each of the shim locations;

determining a measurement shim thickness for all of the shim locations based on the initial shim thicknesses, the measurement shim thickness being the same for all of the shim locations;

positioning a second number of shims collectively corresponding to the measurement shim thickness at each of the shim locations, respectively, wherein the second number of shims is the same as the first number of shims at any of the shim locations where the initial shim thickness is the same as the measurement shim thickness, wherein the second number of shims is different than the first number of shims at any of the shim locations where the initial shim thickness is different than the measurement shim thickness, and wherein positioning the second number of shims at each of the shim locations establishes the measurement shim thickness at each of the shim locations;

determining, for each shim location, a distance between an outer surface of the synchronizing ring and at least one reference location associated with the case with the second number of shims at each shim location;

determining an assembled shim thickness for each of the shim locations from the determined distances, respectively, for establishing a substantially equal spacing between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and the at least one reference location; and

situating a third number of shims collectively corresponding to the determined assembled shim thickness at each of the shim locations, respectively, wherein the third number of shims is different than the second number of shims at any of the shim locations where the assembled shim thickness is different than the measurement shim thickness, wherein the third number of shims is the same as the second number of shims at any of the shim locations where the measurement shim thickness is the same as the assembled shim thickness, and wherein situating the third number of shims at each of the shim locations establishes the determined assembled shim thickness at each of the shim locations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

determining the distance between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and the at least one reference location comprises

determining two distances between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and the at least one reference location near each of the shim locations; and

determining an average of the two distances for each shim location; and

determining the assembled shim thickness for each of the shim locations comprises using the determined average for each shim location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the distance between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and the at least one reference location near each shim location comprises at least one or both of

determining a distance between an outer surface on the synchronizing ring and the outer surface of the case near each shim location, and

determining a distance between the outer surface on the synchronizing ring and the inner surface on the synchronizing ring near each shim location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein

situating the third number of shims at each of the shim locations, respectively, establishes a distance between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and a center of the case that is approximately equal at each of the shim locations.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein situating the third number of shims at each of the shim locations, respectively, establishes a distance between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and a center of the case that is approximately equal around an entire circumference of the synchronizing ring.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assembled shim thickness at a first one of the shim locations is different than the assembled shim thickness at a second one of the shim locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein situating the third number of shims at any of the shim locations where the assembled shim thickness is different than the measurement shim thickness includes removing the second number of shims and replacing the removed second number of shims with the third number of shims.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the second number of shims at any of the shim locations where the measurement shim thickness is different than the initial shim thickness includes removing the first number of shims and replacing the removed first number of shims with the second number of shims.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising

using a device that includes an interface configured to allow a user to enter information regarding the measured distance between the outer surface of the synchronizing ring and the at least one reference location for each of the shim locations; and

using the device for automatically determining the assembled shim thickness for each of the shim locations, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising

using the device to guide the user through performing the method including requiring the user to enter information for each of the shim thicknesses and the distances for each of the shim locations prior to providing further information to the user regarding a subsequent portion of the method.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising

using the device to allow a user to enter information regarding the initial shim thickness at each of the shim locations; and

using the device for automatically determining the measurement shim thickness.