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Elevator attachment - How do I get the nuts on?

kens_cockpit

kens_cockpit

Well Known Member
I'm attaching the elevators to the horizontal stab. There just isn't enough room to put my fingers in to attach the nut. There is enough room to hold the nut with some long nose pliers but not enough room to turn the bolt with a spanner. Clearly I'm a pretty poor problem solver but I haven't come up with a way of getting the nut on in the small space available. I'm sure there is wisdom already on these forums but I haven't found it. Neither have I found it in the RVator or Bingelis books. I'm stumped. What is the trick here?
 
Have you tried the piece of tape on the end of a stick yet? The scotch tape will hold in place enough to get it started. At least I've seen that trick on the EAA a few times.
 
nut install

I'm sure there are a number of ways. I used said needle nose pliers to put into place, reached down with my pinkie finger to hold pressure on the end of the nut and then used a nose picker to spin the nut on. Good luck.
Don
 
Hemostats to start, open end wrenches to finish... You'll find that this project will require some outside the box thinking. Double sided tape on a stick, safety wire looped around the nut, etc. Custom made/modified tools are required in quite a few steps.

Just wait until you get to the gear tower!!
 
Sometimes a nut driver can be used where a socket wrench won't work to start a nut. The nut drivers are normally quite shallow so the nut doesn't get swallowed up like it would with a socket.
Like they said, lots of different ways to try.
 
Finger trouble

I have just done this on my 4 ( see the blog).

The first thing you require is lots of patience. I used just enough double sided tape to hold the nut on my finger to line it up then slowly span them on with the other index finger.

Dont forget to do the correct tightening sequence. Tighten/torque the nuts on the outer two bearings on each elevator first, then check if a spacer is required each side of the centre carry through bearing. Make spacers as appropriate..... could be washers... tube... then put in the centre bolt.

You will only be able to tighten one flat at a time so its a slow process, but don't try to rush you will juts mess up your paintwork.
 
kens_cockpit said:
I'm attaching the elevators to the horizontal stab. There just isn't enough room to put my fingers in to attach the nut. There is enough room to hold the nut with some long nose pliers but not enough room to turn the bolt with a spanner. Clearly I'm a pretty poor problem solver but I haven't come up with a way of getting the nut on in the small space available. I'm sure there is wisdom already on these forums but I haven't found it. Neither have I found it in the RVator or Bingelis books. I'm stumped. What is the trick here?
Click to expand...

I made this tool a few years back. I can't remember where I got the idea, but it is a very handy tool for installing the control surfaces. Just hold the nut and washer with the tool and spin the bolt until it starts threading. Once it starts you can just pull the tool to slide it off

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