In the photo it looks riveted upside down also?
Oh, I guess it was removed!!!
It goes with this bolt.
You can tap it, but it wont be locking then. I have tapped them and put fastener in with locktite. Be sure they are correct starting hole size for the tap. I'm pretty sure they are rolled threads from MFG, then "crushed" for the locking feature.
I've never found one that was not threaded. If I did, I would catch it during my install process because I use a short screw with a jam nut on it as kind of a holder, assures that it is centered in the (tight) clearance hole.
I position the plate nut with a cleco, then put the short screw in by hand until it gets tight at the locking squeeze. Then I spin the jam nut down on to the skin to keep the plate nut pulled up tight. Then the second attach hole is ready to rivet.
Aside from insuring that the plate nut lines up with the clearance hole, this process would immediately detect one that didn't get threaded.
Used this method since I found out on my very first nutplate install that the threads don't necessarily align with the clearance hole if one of the rivets gets squozen more than few mrad off plumb.
I was wondering how common this problem is. My -14A empennage kit was delivered in late Sept 2020. Perhaps Van's got a bad batch?
Used this method since I found out on my very first nutplate install that the threads don't necessarily align with the clearance hole if one of the rivets gets squozen more than few mrad off plumb.