Tip: A smart homemade tool for putting on those %&#@$ lower center section nuts.

[ao.frog]

Hi.

We've just been struggeling with entering the lower 6 nuts (3 each side) on the center section and we've finally figured out how to do it with ease.

In the center section og the -7 (and I guess the 7A too, and maybe other RV-models?), you've to install 12 bolts (6 each side) just inboard of the close tolerance wingbolts.

Here's the location and the home-made tool:






The top nuts of each side are easy, but the lower ones are quite difficult because you've to work inside of the center-section.

We taped a wrench to a wooden stick and along the wrench-side we taped a thin ruler.
The ruler prevents the nuts from falling through the hole in the wrench.





Here's a bottom-wiew:



To further make the nuts sit in the wrench while entering them on the bolt, we put a small amount of fuel-lube on the sides of the nut.
(fuel-lube is more sticky than grease)

That also made us able to put a light pressure on the nuts while turning the bolts to they would enter the bolt-tread.

For torquing the nuts, we used a craw-foot.

I did a search here on the forum before we made up the tool and found a couple of hints which made us look in the right direction, but none (as fas as I could see) used quite the same technique as us.
Anyway; hope it might help some of you who are struggeling with the same thing.