Help with Skybolt Fastner Ring Removal

I'm in the process of fitting the cowl and installed the snap ring retainers on the Skybolt grommet. Due to a wandering unibit, I now realize I need to remove one add new fiberglass and redrill. Looks like I'll need to buy a pick set to help with the process. Any advice/techniques to help reduce the frustration level?

Also, has anyone tried substituting a standard snap ring with the holes at the ends of the ring so standard snap ring removal pliers could be used?

Thanks,

Chris

Chris Engler said:

I'm in the process of fitting the cowl and installed the snap ring retainers on the Skybolt grommet. Due to a wandering unibit, I now realize I need to remove one add new fiberglass and redrill. Looks like I'll need to buy a pick set to help with the process. Any advice/techniques to help reduce the frustration level?

Also, has anyone tried substituting a standard snap ring with the holes at the ends of the ring so standard snap ring removal pliers could be used?

Thanks,

Chris

Click to expand...

I have not tried snap rings (it sounds like a good idea), but I did install SB fasteners. To drill the holes to fit precisely here is my post on that. Probably too late for you. http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=894624&postcount=2

Regarding the ring removal, they are a b*** uhhh bear. I tried the flick method recommended by SB, but finally took two razor cutter blades, made a pivot with a short piece of welding rod, then wrapped it with a rubber band (dulled cutting edges). Wedging the points in the snap ring, and expanding, lift the back with a 90 deg pick and they come right off.

Good luck, I think we will have to take them all off a couple of times.

SB Fastners

I picked up some small o-rings and used them until i had the cowl painted and them install the SB clips.
Hope this helps
Gerry RV-7A

Chris Engler said:

Also, has anyone tried substituting a standard snap ring with the holes at the ends of the ring so standard snap ring removal pliers could be used?

Click to expand...

Yes. That's what I've been using until I get around to finish painting the cowl. Has worked well on my Milspec camlocs. Just get the smallest size possible so that (1) they stay on and (2) don't interfere with the barrel of the camloc. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the suggestions! Bill - I'll give your template idea a try on the horizontal seam fastners. My trouble was with the bottom cowl verticals. The top came out fine but I had to remove more of the fiberglass for flange clearance on the bottom cowl so the fiberglass was thinner and the unibit wandered in a couple of locations. Should be a relatively easy fix with several layers of new fiberglass and carefully redrilling the holes.

I'm going to grab a pick set tomorrow at Harbor Freight and see if I can get the snap rings off. If I have any useful revelations, I'll post here for future reference.

Picks work great to get them started.

I like the snap ring idea... I have a couple of grommets that come out of the hole too easily. I think the snap rings would stop that. Skybolt should make over sized retainer clips. Easier than fiberglass touch up.

Don

The removal the method I use in house is as follows: Take a small flat blade screwdriver and grind the blade as thin as possible. The retaining ring is split so, place the screwdriver blade under one side of the split and hold the ring at 180* with your finger so it does not rotate / slip. Pry up with the screw driver blade with a bit of rotating motion. The ring will roll up over the lip of the grommet and is easily removed.

As for larger area retainers, you can try part number MSR4T which is the same style of retainer just made from a thicker wire gauge. This will accommodate slightly oversized holes. If it?s bigger than 9/16? you can use part number MS4002-LWS2 which is a very large area retainer that looks like an internal tooth lock washer. But, honestly I would probably fill the hole and re-drill at that point.

Gerry?s O-ring idea seems to work well for lots of folks prior to painting and final install. Or like Steve said standard eyelet type retaining rings if you can find small ones.

Jeremy
MilSpec Products, Inc.

o-rings

The o-ring method works great. I don't put the snap rings on till very last thing after painting. Ron

OK....so rings are off the lower cowl. It wasn't pleasant but I was getting better as I got more practice. In the end, I (we) removed 10 in less than an hour. Here's the method I used:

1. Went to Lowes and bought a "pick and hook" set of tools for $5-$6.

2. Bought a standard 7/16 diameter retainer clip (also Lowes).

3. Put a slight "twist" in the Lowes clip and slipped it under the SB retainer clip so there was a tendency for the clip from Lowes push the SB clip off once it was spread using the pic tools.

4. The best production rate was when I pulled the SB clip apart and my wife reached under the SB ring with a third pic and lifted the SB ring off the SB grommet.

Thanks honey (I think she was glad when this job was over)!

Now on to the easy part of adding a few layers of glass to the cowl flange so I can re-drill the holes (without wondering this time)!

Regarding using a standard c-clip that you can easily remove with c-clip pliers, not sure it that will work but it might depending on the thickness of your cowl flange. The clip may recess partly into the SB receiver again depending on the thickness of the cowl flange. Trust me, I'll try to make it work. If Skybolt could address this issue it would be a homerun. Love all other aspects of their product.