Wing installation after adding seal

[funflying]

Jack check out the medium expander in Post #3 That is what I’ve used for years to complete my re-installation after annual.

[Handclutch]

+1 for the exhaust expander. Makes a world of difference.

Jack

[DBRuth]

I must confess that I have not installed the wing root seals yet. I was thinking of painting the fuselage before installing them. After seeing the latest service bulletin regarding the seals and the effect on stall characteristics, I will put the seals on soon. Hopefully I can still get the wings on quickly after that.

[gasman]

If I needed to install RV12 wings and needed a little extra persuasion, I would make an install pin from aluminum round bar and cut the end at about 45*and round off the sides of the cut and polish.

Push into the bushing that you want to align and rotate till it stops. With a 12inch pipe wrench, rotate the bar 180*and the bushings will be aligned.

This will also work to align engine mounts, using a hardware store bolt and ratchet.

[fr0gpil0t]

The Harbor Freight version is too large you need the small - Small expander 1-1/8" to 1-3/4". Plenty of sellers on Amazon.

[Mich48041]

HERE is a small one on Amazon.

[EchoJuliet]

I was ready to purchase the Harbor Freight medium size (1.5 to 2.5); now I'm confused - will that work or not?

[NinerBikes]

Originally Posted by EchoJuliet

I was ready to purchase the Harbor Freight medium size (1.5 to 2.5); now I'm confused - will that work or not?

Get the 1 1/8" to 1 3/4" version.

[rcarsey]

Before people start using tailpipe expanders, and potentially expanding the brass bushings for the spar pins (vs. helping to align things for inserting the pin into the other hole).. I ran into this exact problem after the plane came out of the paintshop this week..

Before painting, the fit was "snug", and usually one or both spar pins required 1 "medium" tap with a rubber mallet. I could feel the bushings misaligned by about a fingernails width...

After painting and applying the wingroot seals, the misalignment was about 1/8". It was too much even for two guys to overcome by pushing the wing in farther. We decided to leave the wing in place and use it as a template for using an X-Acto knife to create a slice in the seal... so that the wingskin would slide into it. We tried it on one wing, removed and re-inserted the wing.. and the bushings were able to line up "close enough" again to use 1 tap of a mallet.

[gblwy]

Similar to Joe, I use ratchet straps, but around the wing tie down rings. Not though the rings but adjacent to the wing skins where there is less bending moment. And then under the fuse. After a couple of attempts you learn how much to tension the ratchets. And after a dozen goes, the seals take a permanent set, and you don't need so much tension. Has worked for 10 years, and typically only takes two people about 5 minutes to shuggle the wings into place.