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B&C alternator installation...
The time to install the backup alternator finally arrived this afternoon and, as expected, starting and torquing three of the four nuts was easy. Getting the fourth one started was a bear, but was eventually accomplished with a suggestion from Vic Syracuse (thanks!!) and some creative work by my wife with monofilament (don't ask).
The question is how to properly torque that tough nut. This is the nut on the lower left, of course. What's the secret? I have the pictured wrench, but am not having any success with it. Is there another tool more suited to this particular situation? ![]() |
I'm not sure if the issue you have is because of other items in the area that cause access issues, but I just did installs of 2 of these alternators over the last 2 weeks. One on an RV-10 and one on a 14. I didn't need any special tools. Both have standard horizontal oil filter mounts and had a filter installed when I did the alternator install. One seemed a little harder than the other to get the nut started. I was able to use a telescoping magnet to send in the washers and nuts. I then used a skinny long screwdriver to help nudge the nut around that was being held by my fingertip against the stud. I even used the screwdriver to start spinning the nut a tiny bit to get the threads moving. It took some hand contortioning, but it really only took 10-15 minutes of playing around on the first plane (the -14) to get that nut in place. Once it was on there, it was easily spun in by fingertip and I had good access on both planes with a standard open-ended gear wrench to get it tightened up. I considered buying some specialty wrench, but didn't need it. I did at first try an offset box end, and an S-shaped box end wrench to do the job, and the offset I think was the one that also worked. I can't remember for sure, because when it actually came time to tighten it down, the standard straight gear wrench worked fine. I was far more satisfied with how it went than I had stayed awake dreaming it would be when mentally preparing for the task. :D
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I've gotten the nut started and spun down the stud against the washers, but despite being able to get a standard gear-wrench on the nut, it won't turn. Either I don't have enough swing for the wrench shaft to click the gear (and it only needs 5-degrees) or the nut isn't sufficiently tight to provide the necessary resistance for the gear-wrench to start clicking.
Either way, I can't afford to pull out any more hair, so I think I'll have to beg Vic's indulgence when he arrives for the inspection and let him show me the magic technique for this particular nut. |
A 7/16" combo ignition wrench with the open end cut off (cut length of the box wrench remaining about 3") works great on that pesky nut.
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One other trick for getting the nut to the point it can ratchet the wrench: Take a smaller sized flat blade screwdriver and hold it on the nut just on the flat near the peak so that when you whack it, it turns the night tighter. I know exactly what you mean about not being tight enough to ratchet the wrench, but if you can get it snugged up by rotating it with a screwdriver a couple flats, you may be able to use the wrench.
One other thing I've done over the years is go buy a couple sets of cheap harbor freight wrenches so I can cut them or bend them as necessary to reach tricky fasteners. You shouldn't have to do that, but, as was suggested in the last post, it may be worth sacrificing a wrench to get it to fit. |
"Sacrificing a wrench"??
Nah, that's not a sacrifice - that's building a special-purpose tool that will serve your entire life, and likely be borrowed frequently by friends facing the same mechanical challenges. I have several of these custom-fabricated tools. They're not sacrifices at all, they're pure gold! :-) (If you ever want to see tools like this, go visit your friendly helicopter mechanic. That's where I learned to use a torch to make a wrench fit my purpose. Just that little skill set is a nice feather to have in one's cap!) |
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I sacrificed a cheap wrench and a socket to make a custom bolt-torqueing device for my prop bolts, works great and I'll keep it as long as I have the airplane. |
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Frustrated doesn't come close. I?m about at my wit?s end with the silly thing. To be honest, if my panel and wiring design weren?t predicated on the presence of that backup alternator, I?d have already removed it and moved on. If anybody with a proven tool/technique/touch is willing to come rescue me and my project from abject failure on this point, I'd be incredibly grateful. |
I've sent you an e-mail Ken
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Snap-on makes a special crows foot, used with a wobble extension works very well.
https://shop.snapon.com/product/Airc...Wrench/AVPW716 |
Thanks, all, for the excellent suggestions. I'll get this thing licked, no doubt.
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