Van's Air Force
Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.
Rivet Nut Tool Recommendation
- Thread starter Roy25101
- Start date
I did the same thing redoing gear root fairings. I bought rivnuts from ACS but got the installer from Harbor Freight. Worked good. I prefer quality tools and normally avoid Hazard Frought, but I didn’t see myself using this tool much if at all again.
Last edited:
[email protected]
Well Known Member
Riv-nut tool
I for one will never use Riv-nuts. As after they are used a couple times they have a tendency to spin in the base material.
I chucked my whole kit and Riv-nuts in the garbage can many years ago.
I have Bought built RV-6A and have fought with spinning nuts on exactly the fairings you are trying to assemble.
If you can find anyway to do the job with plate nuts or what ever do it. As you will regret the failed, spinning Riv-Nuts.
Here is my final answer. If you gave me the whole kit for free, I would throw it away in the trash. I worked in the RV industry where we used them in thick "steel' and they seemed to work OK. But not for things that have to be removed every year.
Your luck may vary Art
I for one will never use Riv-nuts. As after they are used a couple times they have a tendency to spin in the base material.
I chucked my whole kit and Riv-nuts in the garbage can many years ago.
I have Bought built RV-6A and have fought with spinning nuts on exactly the fairings you are trying to assemble.
If you can find anyway to do the job with plate nuts or what ever do it. As you will regret the failed, spinning Riv-Nuts.
Here is my final answer. If you gave me the whole kit for free, I would throw it away in the trash. I worked in the RV industry where we used them in thick "steel' and they seemed to work OK. But not for things that have to be removed every year.
Your luck may vary Art
Last edited:
My luck did not. My RV-6 has Rivnuts in the floorboards and gear leg fairings, and they are a perennial headache.
Better revnuts
These from pegasus auto racing perform better than the regular ones regarding spinning in the hole. Now granted my experience with them is on heavy equipment which have a lot of these little SOB’s in their cabs and after a few years of living in the crud and dust just about every one you need to take out spins in it’s mounting hole. Without wench access from behind the easiest production manufacturing option is the revnut. (they work great when new and clean) I wish back then I’d known about nutplats when I was running and working with the heavy equipment I would have used nut plates instead of replacing them with the Pegasus anti-rotation style because they will also spin in their mounting holes after the exposed threads get rusted and cruddy.
These from pegasus auto racing perform better than the regular ones regarding spinning in the hole. Now granted my experience with them is on heavy equipment which have a lot of these little SOB’s in their cabs and after a few years of living in the crud and dust just about every one you need to take out spins in it’s mounting hole. Without wench access from behind the easiest production manufacturing option is the revnut. (they work great when new and clean) I wish back then I’d known about nutplats when I was running and working with the heavy equipment I would have used nut plates instead of replacing them with the Pegasus anti-rotation style because they will also spin in their mounting holes after the exposed threads get rusted and cruddy.
Attachments
Scott Hersha
Well Known Member
I’ve used riv-nuts in a few cases, but would not ever use them in a place that you might need to remove and reinstall them more than once. And if you do use them on a final install location, use some blue locktite, and don’t over torque them. If you torque too much, you will stretch the aluminum threads and when you try to remove the screw, it will probably spin.
Majorpayne317641
Well Known Member
I wish riv nuts were never invented! I had multiple riv nits spin, that's always fun trying to get the screws off them in a blind hole.
I did use the harbor freight tool to salvage my spinning riv nuts. They were #6, I ended up bending the thread on the die used in the tool. It did the job, at least until the next annual comes along.
I did use the harbor freight tool to salvage my spinning riv nuts. They were #6, I ended up bending the thread on the die used in the tool. It did the job, at least until the next annual comes along.
BillL
Well Known Member
The proper aviation riv-nuts have the key, but off-brand (HF) have serrations and are more prone to slippage. I tested them for some structural needs, but I confess to having used a couple on the interior installation where there was no access at all. Did you know that a #6 stainless rod in a nut-plate does not fail until 50 in-lbs?
Blind installation of nut-plates are an exercise in trickery. Actually easy once you get the tricks. I use CS 3/32" hanson pull rivets to install, and safety wires to handle the inaccessible cavities. Only 1/4" hole is needed to gain access and feed the nut-plate into the abyss.
Blind installation of nut-plates are an exercise in trickery. Actually easy once you get the tricks. I use CS 3/32" hanson pull rivets to install, and safety wires to handle the inaccessible cavities. Only 1/4" hole is needed to gain access and feed the nut-plate into the abyss.
