jlfernan

Well Known Member
Working on the left gear weldment yesterday. While removing the bolts during the fitting process, some were tight and had to be "unscrewed", the threads left some scratches inside the holes drilled thru the spar(center section assembly) which kind of concerns me. The scratches are similar to if you tried to tap the hole, but only did one side. There are five, maybe an eighth inch wide and are perpendicular to the hole. Any thoughts.
 
In all liklehood, what you're looking at is some removal of the anodizing in the hole. Any attempt to eliminate these marks will probably only enlarge the hole, which is not desirable. You still have a press fit. There is no motion associated with this joint and should be little/no concern of a stress riser. Add to that the very wide safety margin designed into the spar attachment points re. the number of fastening positions. I wouldn't be concerned nor would I do anything other than lightly lube the bolt next time I put them in. Relax. Move on. Have fun.
Any mechanical engineers care to chime in?
Terry