J

jimbo

Well Known Member
Patron
Got the holes all drilled in the C668 spacer, roll bar mounting base, and deck. Trying to bolt on the roll bar with the spacer, washer, and nut only to have dropped the nut assembly many times trying to get a bolt on. Is there a trick to this? Of course you can't see under there and it is so tight to even get your fingers in there.

Assuming I eventually get it bolted in (using the tricks some smart nice person will post), is the roll bar on to stay or is it one of those things I will be taking off and putting on during assembly?

I have made up some special !*X!# words on this process.

Jim
RV9A
 
One finger only

I use glue stick to hold the nut to my finger.

The kind you get at Office Max or similar.
 
I just went through this process not long ago for the last time on my -6A. The trick I used is similar to what Mike suggested. In my case, I used EZ Turn fuel lube to get the "stack" stuck in place. As I recall, the process took about 20 minutes per side - 15 minutes to get the spacer/wash/nut on the bolt and 5 minutes to cuss it out properly :).

Another joy will be the canopy rails. I used platenuts on a strip of 0.020" aluminum instead of separate washers & nuts.
 
Ive used a 2 inch strip of tape and just catch the corner of the tape on the washer, then pull the tape when you catch the nut. I works and its not as gooey.
 
Put a magnet on the bolt head. The washer and nut will stick and all you have to do is get them lined up and turn. I was able to get a strong magnet in a nut driver, worked like a charm.
 
Paul K said:
Put a magnet on the bolt head. The washer and nut will stick and all you have to do is get them lined up and turn. I was able to get a strong magnet in a nut driver, worked like a charm.
Click to expand...

Wish I had thought of that.
 
jimbo said:
Got the holes all drilled in the C668 spacer, roll bar mounting base, and deck. Trying to bolt on the roll bar with the spacer, washer, and nut only to have dropped the nut assembly many times trying to get a bolt on. Is there a trick to this? Of course you can't see under there and it is so tight to even get your fingers in there.

Assuming I eventually get it bolted in (using the tricks some smart nice person will post), is the roll bar on to stay or is it one of those things I will be taking off and putting on during assembly?

I have made up some special !*X!# words on this process.

Jim
RV9A
Click to expand...

That is the education that the FAA expects of you!
 
The forward bolts are easy - it's the aft bolts that are a pain since they're hidden by the lip of the canopy deck. I just ground a little slot in the canopy desk so I could get a socket up in there:

20061022_notch.jpg


More than one way to skin a cat.

mcb
 
Sticky stuff helps get the nut/washer in place. I wrap strips of duct tape around the end of an appropriate finger at a particular point, gooey side out. But keeping the spacer on the end of the bolt can be difficult, and the rear bit is the real pain. So... I install a a short legged nutplate on the spacer. Yeah, it's a bit goofy, and takes 15 minutes, but the air isn't blue and the dog doesn't get kicked.

John Siebold
 
mburch said:
The forward bolts are easy - it's the aft bolts that are a pain since they're hidden by the lip of the canopy deck. I just ground a little slot in the canopy desk so I could get a socket up in there:

20061022_notch.jpg


More than one way to skin a cat.

mcb
Click to expand...
Cheating!

Paul K said:
Put a magnet on the bolt head. The washer and nut will stick and all you have to do is get them lined up and turn. I was able to get a strong magnet in a nut driver, worked like a charm.
Click to expand...

Go ahead, make all of us with sticky fingers feel stupid. We need an archived list of great ideas somewhere. This one needs to go on that list.
 
One of the worst Jobs

Thanks for all your ideas.

So far I got 3.5 hours into it and all I got to show for it is both front bolts-(easy), one of the rear bolts (not tightened yet) and still working on the other side rear bolt. Had to give my fingers a rest and the fuel lube was eating thru my skin.

This will go down as one of the worst jobs for me so far. I real gumption robber.

Can hardly wait to work on the rail bolts. Hope the rivet gun or ax whatever is close by doesn't go thru the side of the fuselage.

Jim
RV9a
Michigan
 
Here's an idea for you, Jim...

I copied this from someone else, probably Matt.:)

I used a strip that lies under the canopy rail deck and riveted five nutplates to it. Makes installing and removing the rail very easy!

 
Gary Baker said:
I copied this from someone else, probably Matt.:)

I used a strip that lies under the canopy rail deck and riveted five nutplates to it. Makes installing and removing the rail very easy!

Click to expand...


I did the same thing as well. Took only a few minutes for both rails. Definitely a refreshing change from the roll bar quagmire.
 
Roll Bar Spacer on a Stick

I used my wife's super glue to fasten a 3/8" wooden dowel rod to the back of the C-668 spacers. Wood doesn't like to be glued to metal, so I let the bond cure for about 15 minutes and then hit it with a heat gun. Then I positioned the "spacer on a stick" under the previously drilled #40 hole in the F-721-B deck and drilled a small hole into the spacer using the hole in the F-721-B as a guide. The hole wasn't very deep. I removed the spacer and finished the hole on the work bench. I need to mention here is that the dowel rod should have been moved back and glued flush with the outer edge of the spacer. I had to removed some of the wood to get a good fit under the F-721-B deck.

20120730_03.jpg



Now for the bolts. This time I moved the stick back to where it was flush with the outer edge of the aft spacer and super-glued it in place. Then I superglued the washer around the pre-drilled hole in the spacer, and then superglued the nut onto the washer. I let these guys set up for a long time and then hit them with the heat gun to assure that the wooden dowel rod was dry all the way through. The forward spacer didn't require the "stick". It was easy to install.

The washer and nut on the aft "spacer on a stick" was so permanently super-glued to the spacer that I didn't even have to put a wrench on the nut to tighten the aft bolt down all the way. Thank goodness! I was wondering how I would get a wrench in there anyway.

20120730_07.jpg
 
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Fuel lube

Fuel lube works well for this on your finger tip.
You need some anyway when you put your fuel fittings
Together. Aircraft spruce.
 
After 30 minutes of frustration trying to get the aft nuts, washers and spacers on the roll bar bolts and tightened, I searched on VAF and stole an idea and fabricated MY NEW FAVORITE TOOL! A socket offset welded to a scrap handle made assembly an easy 5 minute job. A dot of superglue held everything together to start.

IMG_5249.JPG
 
If you are not installing the roll bar for the final time (ie for fitting) and plan to remove it later, then put the bolt in from the bottom with the nut on top. It is quite a bit easier to install this way. Takes me just a couple minutes per side. Use some tape to hold the bolt to the spacer and put the in together. Getting the wrench on the head still isn't fun, but not terrible.
 
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