gas tank covers

dustman · #1 01-01-2008, 04:59 PM

Question for the experts. I'm putting or should i say trying to put the covers on my wing tanks (cover plates) and have run into a problem half of the screws will not go into the nut plates due to misalignment of nut plates and tank skin. My question is there anyway to fix this problem without removing the nutplates and redrilling the holes.
This is and RV3 quick build wing.

L.Adamson · #2 01-01-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustman

Question for the experts. I'm putting or should i say trying to put the covers on my wing tanks (cover plates) and have run into a problem half of the screws will not go into the nut plates due to misalignment of nut plates and tank skin. My question is there anyway to fix this problem without removing the nutplates and redrilling the holes.
This is and RV3 quick build wing.

You could always make a new cover, and use clear plastic to make a hole template.

L.Adamson

P.S. --- any chance that the cover is on backwards? Just surprising that someone could mis-align the parts that bad.

N941WR · #3 01-01-2008, 05:42 PM

This may sound a bit obvious but have you tried indexing the cover plates, maybe even turning them over or switching the left and right one?

Some combination of the above might let you put the screws in.

rvbuilder2002 · #4 01-01-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustman

Question for the experts. I'm putting or should i say trying to put the covers on my wing tanks (cover plates) and have run into a problem half of the screws will not go into the nut plates due to misalignment of nut plates and tank skin. My question is there anyway to fix this problem without removing the nutplates and redrilling the holes.
This is and RV3 quick build wing.

Aren't the wings delivered with the covers in place and screws in all the holes (I thought they were anyway)?
If they were, then maybe you are installing the covers with them positioned / indexed incorrectly.

AlexPeterson · #5 01-01-2008, 05:57 PM

Maybe I didn't catch it correctly, but it seems that the way the original question is worded, the problem is not the cover. It is the holes in the rib onto which the platenuts are riveted. Is this the case?

If so, you should be able to drill the holes carefully larger without going into the nutplates. Might want to use tape or some method (vacuum cleaner running) to keep junk out of the tank.

N131RV · #6 01-01-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustman

Question for the experts. I'm putting or should i say trying to put the covers on my wing tanks (cover plates) and have run into a problem half of the screws will not go into the nut plates due to misalignment of nut plates and tank skin. My question is there anyway to fix this problem without removing the nutplates and redrilling the holes.
This is and RV3 quick build wing.

I have had this kind of thing happen, particularly in my floor panels.

Run the correct size tap into the hole and nut plate. It will resize the hole and allow the screw to enter and catch the nut plate. Don't run it too far, just enough to resize the hole and allow the screw to get started.

Use a little vacuum cleaner to catch any shavings from the tap.

dustman · #7 01-01-2008, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the suggestions I had tried the drilling suggestion without to much succes I was concerned that I might damage the nut plates, I will try the tap idea see how that goes. (The covers themselves are not the issue its the space between the nutplate and the skin they are attached to also RV3 QB wings do not come with covers they have to be made from scratch.)