RV-6 vibration and smoking rivets!

[floridawing]

Hello, I have a RV6 with a o-320. I do not have any carpet on the floor or sidewalls. It has about 200 hours total. The floor vibrates really bad in flight and I am starting to see some of the rivets attaching the floor starting to smoke! Most of the RV6 I see have carpet and side panels. Will adding carpet help stop the vibration and stop the smoking rivets.If carpet will not help I would like to keep the basic look. I do not want to replace these rivets. I have read some post on checking the exhaust which I will do. Thanks for your help.r help.

[Kyle Boatright]

Aren't those the rivets along the main spar carrythrough bulkhead?

Can you confirm that the braces that tie the center section to the floor pan are installed? On one end, they attach to the fore/aft stringers on the cockpit floor and on the other end, they are bolted to the spar.

I always thought the drawings representing those braces would be easy to miss or mis-interpret.

[dav1111]

You should probably have your prop balanced and see what that does for the vibration.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright

Aren't those the rivets along the main spar carrythrough bulkhead?

Can you confirm that the braces that tie the center section to the floor pan are installed? On one end, they attach to the fore/aft stringers on the cockpit floor and on the other end, they are bolted to the spar.

I always thought the drawings representing those braces would be easy to miss or mis-interpret.

I've seen those left out, and it certainly vibrates. I have carpet in my 6A now, but it wasn't bad vibration wise, before the carpet was installed.

L.Adamson --- RV6A

[floridawing]

Thanks everyone for your help.I will look for the braces. I bought this already built.

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by floridawing

Thanks everyone for your help.I will look for the braces. I bought this already built.

...the braces are inboard on the fore-aft angles on the floor boards.

I would think no braces would smoke inboard rivets, not the outboard ones you picture.

Does it look like the rivets may have been initially under-driven?

[Dmadd]

what kind of prop do you have? Metal or wood? How many blades? Constant speed or fixed? Are you using auto gas? The back side of the wing drain looks like auto gas stains... More info.

[koda2]

Gil didn't mention this but, in addition to the two small F-699 brackets, the floor also attaches to the spar via the fuel selector assembly legs. The legs are bolted to the spar and riveted(or bolted) to the inner floor ribs. The 699s attach the outer rib on each side.

That way each of the 4 floor ribs is attached to the spar. It would be easy to forget the inner rib attachments as well.

I looked long and hard for the description of the 699s; it is in a small corner on DWG 46.

Dave A.
6A build

[floridawing]

Thanks again for all the help.

[apkp777]

No matter what might be missing, you will have to remove and replace those rivets. You might even have to go to a 1/8 rivet. Find a local builder, he (or she) will have everything you'll need to get it done right.