B

BruceW

Well Known Member
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Was rigging the completed -14 ailerons and needed to 'open' the corner nutplate (MS21053-L3) that attaches to the pushrod via the #3 screw.
By 'open' I mean running a tap a little way into the nutplate so the bolt/screw can get all the way in tight. Been doing it a long time and works great.
(Please, no comments needed on that point.)

I 'opened' the nutplates on each aileron and continued with the rigging tasks.
The AN509-10 screw was really hard to turn in. (here is the bonehead screw up part)
Turns out I 'opened' the nutplates with a 10-24 tap instead of a 10-32. NUTS!!!

So the nutplate threads are ruined and need to be replaced.
These pushrod attach nutplates are riveted onto the A-1015-1 forward aileron rib and are buried behind other parts and inside the forward aileron skin.
Repair advice needed.
How to replace the nutplates with minimal part replacement and/or destruction?

I have placed an email with Vans Tech Support but will likely be waiting another week.
Wondering if anyone has found an effective repair.
Thanks.
 
Apologies in advance.
Hard not to comment on the root cause of your problem here.
Yes I’ve run a tap through plenty of nutplates in my time as well.
There are also the occasional nutplate where the screw backing out even just a little could prove fatal. This is one of them.
That screw backs out and you’re cooked. Think Rob Holland. I imagine that the factory will counsel you firmly on this.

If you think it’s too tight, use some boelube and a #2 bit in a 1/4” drive socket on a long extension so you can get plenty of push on the bit into the screw while ratcheting it in. Do it with the flaps off or extended down.

As to the repair, I also expect that they will tell you to replace it with a new unadulterated nutplate. Which will unfortunately require some rework.

Prob not what you want to hear but shouldn’t be too much of a setback in the scheme of things.

Let us know what they say.
 
Thanks for the replies.
The issue is not tap size or the +/- of using them on nutplates.

Point is, the corner nutplates on the aileron pushrod mount need to be replaced.
Looking for any experience with replacing these nutplates.
 
BruceW said:
Thanks for the replies.
The issue is not tap size or the +/- of using them on nutplates.

Point is, the corner nutplates on the aileron pushrod mount need to be replaced.
Looking for any experience with replacing these nutplates.
Click to expand...
Boy, this is a tough one and I am sorry to hear it especially this far along in your build. I would think if you are insisting of replacing the nutplate, then I can't see any other way other than removing the inboard hinge bracket and the inboard rib. This part is one of the harder part of the aileron to do and I didn't follow the plan which made it much easier to do.
Is the nutplate threads are OK for the 10-24 and if so, can you use a 10-24 screw in its place?
 
The least invasive method would be to:
Remove the entire inboard rear (A-1005/B + 1007 assembly) rib.
Drill out the nutplate now you have access to the rivet heads. Shake the nutplate out through the spar flange lightening holes.

Fish a new nutplate into position through the now open inboard end and the spar flange lightening holes using string/vacuum cleaner method.

Blind rivet new nutplate into position.
Blind rivet inboard rib back into place with CCC-32s.

I think all of this is uncontroversial except blind riveting the rib back in. The factory
may or may not take issue with this.

If you’ve gotten this far then either a partial rework or even a new aileron isn’t that big a deal in the scheme of things.
“Education and recreation” :-)
Good luck.
 
Bavafa said:
Is the nutplate threads are OK for the 10-24 and if so, can you use a 10-24 screw in its place?
Click to expand...
The threads are compromised now. Sure, you will be able to run in the 10-24 bolt with no issue, but the re-cutting process cut off a decent amount of meat on the remaining threads. I would absolutely NOT use that for a structural application, especially not one holding on your control surface..
 
Richard Connell said:
The least invasive method would be to:
Remove the entire inboard rear (A-1005/B + 1007 assembly) rib.
Drill out the nutplate now you have access to the rivet heads. Shake the nutplate out through the spar flange lightening holes.

Fish a new nutplate into position through the now open inboard end and the spar flange lightening holes using string/vacuum cleaner method.

Blind rivet new nutplate into position.
Blind rivet inboard rib back into place with CCC-32s.

I think all of this is uncontroversial except blind riveting the rib back in. The factory
may or may not take issue with this.

If you’ve gotten this far then either a partial rework or even a new aileron isn’t that big a deal in the scheme of things.
“Education and recreation” :-)
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Richard.
I really like the idea of 'fishing' a new nutplate back in. Avoids the need to remove and re-install the A-1015 nose rib and A-1007-1A plate.
Nice 'outside the box' thinking.
WIll still need to remove and reinstall the A-1007C plate on the outside.
Wondering what best flush pop rivets to use for that?
 
Richard Connell said:
Apologies in advance.
Hard not to comment on the root cause of your problem here.
Yes I’ve run a tap through plenty of nutplates in my time as well.
There are also the occasional nutplate where the screw backing out even just a little could prove fatal. This is one of them.
That screw backs out and you’re cooked. Think Rob Holland. I imagine that the factory will counsel you firmly on this.

If you think it’s too tight, use some boelube and a #2 bit in a 1/4” drive socket on a long extension so you can get plenty of push on the bit into the screw while ratcheting it in. Do it with the flaps off or extended down.

As to the repair, I also expect that they will tell you to replace it with a new unadulterated nutplate. Which will unfortunately require some rework.

Prob not what you want to hear but shouldn’t be too much of a setback in the scheme of things.

Let us know what they say.
Click to expand...
Yeah I don’t understand why someone wants to defeat the locking feature of (and ruin) a nut plate. I can almost understand that with smaller nutplates using stainless screws, but I feel a better technique would be to use a Cad plated screw (or in this case, a bolt) with some oil to “break in” a tight nut plate,
 
BruceW said:
View attachment 123702
Click to expand...
For consideration: Find your spare corner nut plate and a spare piece of Al same thickness as A1015-1x. Drill a small hole in spare plate, enlarge hole by increments until you can just push the corner nut plate through it.... This will be the size you need to open the tooling hole in the existing a1015-1x rib to get a nut plate in and hopefully out. Do not discard changing from a round hole to a slightly elongated hole... being a corner nut plate should not take much. Drill existing nut plate retaining rivets off, using a 10-24 bolt thread it in a 1/2 turn so you can push nut plate loose then back 10-24 bolt out. Fish old nut plate and drilling shards out. Fish new nut plate (after you have checked it for proper bolt threading) in and rivet with appropriate pop rivets.
Just a thought.
 
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