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docrick

Active Member
OK the wings will be here in 3 weeks. The left elevator is done and I'm going to knock out the trim tab this week.

The plans on the 9a call for "trial fitting the elevators" to the HS.

Seriously the amount of space to get the AN3 bolt in the hinge and rod end bearing is minimal! Coupled with this the holes in the hinge brackets on the HS are just big enough to screw the bolt in it won't slide free.

Any words of wisdom on how to get those AN3 bolts in easily. I don't have help right now and I think it would help but my fingers don't fit in these small spaces enough to grip the bolts and screw them in.

Someone probably has figured this out and if so please throw this frustrated dude a bone!
 
Insert the short arm of an Allen key to hold the rod end bearing in the HS hinge (use a few Allen keys to hold all bearings). Use a plier in one hand to grasp the head of the bolt and insert the thread end into the bearing. Use the other hand to withdraw Allen key slowly. After a few practices, it is not hard to inser those bolts. Some people make a special tool by bending a rod into L shape and sharpen the tip of the short arm to make it easier to insert. I just use my box of Allen keys. Good luck on your project.
 
Then, when it comes time to put in the actual bolts, I found that a set of hemostats is invaluable. Yes, there are special tools available, but hemostats are more flexible. I've found a ton of uses for them. If you don't have a source for them like a local hospital willing to part with a few, try science supply stores. I've seen them in a few metro areas and also on the web. Sorry, I forget the exact name but a quick Google search should get you what you need.
 
If you haven't reamed the hinge holes to 3/16" that would help. The powder coating on the brackets tightens the hole clearance. I use an allen wrench to "setup" the hinge alignment and install the bolt from the opposite side. Hemostats are one of the handiest tools for this and lots of other uses. I have 4 that I use. Two smaller ones a curved and a straight, and two larger ones. Check out The Yard for the larger hemostats. They are great for holding Adel clamps together.
 
L-o-n-g nose pliers

I use a couple of pieces of bent #12 solid wire (bent with a 90 leg) to get the holes basically lined up. Then I hold the bolt with a pair of needle nose pliers that have a very long skinny jaws ... much more so than your average needlenose pliers ...and insert the bolt from the side opposite the #12 wire pieces. Like someone implied, after you do it for the 100th time, it's a piece o' cake. The first couple of times I tried it, the profanities turned the air blue in my shop.:eek: Those way-skinny needlenose I have came from my father-in-law, who was an appliance repairman. They're OLD.
 
I did it like Ted Chang with allen wrenches and pliers. After a couple practice trials, became easy.
 
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