Bad nutplate under the floor - any idea ?

[bl226009]

Hi guys,

This weekend, I tried to install the flap control bar on my 8. The two nylon supports are bolted through the floor into 4 nutplates (AN3). One of them is bad (the back right). Impossible to thread the bolt in. I tryed to redo the thread with a thread bit, but it is so tight....

Does anybody has a super idea before I pull out the floor and replace the nutplate ?

Thanks
Bert

[tomhanaway]

If you don' t have any luck with the tap (too tight), any possibility that you accidentally installed a size smaller nutplate. See if next size smaller bolt/screw will fit.
Tom

[panhandler1956]

This is going to sound dumb, but I had the same problem on mine and it was due to having the wrong size nutplate installed. I installed a K1000-8 vs the type specified for an AN-3 bolt (forgot the designator) in that one spot (right rear).
I had to drill it out and replace. I hate to admit how long I fought with that thing before I realized what happened !
Just my 2 cents...

[mannanj]

As I recall; mine were tough to get in allignment. Try starting both bolts a couple of threads before you even start to tighten them down. I had to apply a good bit of down force on the bolts to force them into the nutplates.

They eventually gave up and went in, complaining all the way. No, I didn't cross thread them, but at that point the air was quite "blue"!

[Vlad]

Just an idea. Could it be possible that you misaligned the nutplate during riveting? You may have perfectly spaced holes but a rivet may not set properly and expand between the nutplate and the floor. The other thing is to check with small mirror for matching holes nutplate vs floor. Sometimes a little dremel work will elongate the hole and relieve the bolt.

[Craig23]

Bert,

I had the same problem in the same spot recently. I had to use a nutplate with the lug on one side only in that spot, and had problems getting the bolt in place once the floor went in. I tried too hard, and ended up bending the nutplate away from the rib. I had to drill it out (hard to do with no clearance) with an angle drill adapter. Once I mangled the holes I put a new nutplate in with 1/8" blind rivets. Now the flaps fit in perfectly and the floors will cover my hideous nutplate replacement.

[boomer]

With mine the nutplate didn't even align with the hole. Had to remove it and install another one.

-John

[RFazio]

I had a couple of nut plates that didn't seem to line up. I used a screw driver handled tap that I got at Home Depot to re-thread the nut plate. Or maybe re-start the threads, anyway then I was able to screw in the bolt. I think what was happening on mine was that the bulkhead got sort of bent down slightly and the threads in the nut plate no longer lined up with the hole. When I started the tap in a little and pulled up on it then re-threaded it in. I felt the nut plate come up a little. Pushing in the bolt and trying to thread it when it's not caught can push the nut plate down. My 2 cents.

[bl226009]

Thanks for your comments. Next weekend I will remove the floor and discover the truth...