Those who have passed this way before me.
I am working on some odds and ends and I need to finalize the nose gear attach bolt/firewall issue.
Attached is a photo. I installed the electric fuel pump re-enforcing plate (per plan). As you can see the lower nutplate interferes with engine mount. Not a big deal to grind down (mount is only temporally installed). I am going with IO-360 and will install the high-pressure electric pump from Van?s. So I don't need to use the nutplates anyway and I was going to plug them.
The real question is about the nose gear attach bolt clearance. Once I grind down the nutplate, the bolt head will just about touch or even interfere with the firewall. The plans call for a ?? or 1? hole depending on which drawing you look at. If a hole were punched then a metal plug would need to be inserted into the hole. I envision the type used to plug unwanted holes in metal sinks. These can be found at most hardware stores. The plug would need to be inserted from the rear of the firewall. However I believe the retention fingers on the plug might interfere with the bolt and mount as well.
I had read about some builders who just ?dent? the firewall where the bolts head is to give clearance for the head. The would mean that in order to take the nose gear leg off, you would need to pull the engine mount forward about 2 inches. I imagine that if you need to replace the bolt or remove the nose gear leg the you probably had something bad happen so pulling the engine and mount is probably the least of ones worries.
What have other builders done in this situation? Post some photos if possible
On a side note, where have you RV-7/9A builders using IO engines brought the fuel line through the firewall. I am considering bringing it through the electric fuel pump re-enforcing plate on the firewall right near the nose gear bolt location.
Any help would be appreciated.
Paul
I am working on some odds and ends and I need to finalize the nose gear attach bolt/firewall issue.
Attached is a photo. I installed the electric fuel pump re-enforcing plate (per plan). As you can see the lower nutplate interferes with engine mount. Not a big deal to grind down (mount is only temporally installed). I am going with IO-360 and will install the high-pressure electric pump from Van?s. So I don't need to use the nutplates anyway and I was going to plug them.
The real question is about the nose gear attach bolt clearance. Once I grind down the nutplate, the bolt head will just about touch or even interfere with the firewall. The plans call for a ?? or 1? hole depending on which drawing you look at. If a hole were punched then a metal plug would need to be inserted into the hole. I envision the type used to plug unwanted holes in metal sinks. These can be found at most hardware stores. The plug would need to be inserted from the rear of the firewall. However I believe the retention fingers on the plug might interfere with the bolt and mount as well.
I had read about some builders who just ?dent? the firewall where the bolts head is to give clearance for the head. The would mean that in order to take the nose gear leg off, you would need to pull the engine mount forward about 2 inches. I imagine that if you need to replace the bolt or remove the nose gear leg the you probably had something bad happen so pulling the engine and mount is probably the least of ones worries.
What have other builders done in this situation? Post some photos if possible
On a side note, where have you RV-7/9A builders using IO engines brought the fuel line through the firewall. I am considering bringing it through the electric fuel pump re-enforcing plate on the firewall right near the nose gear bolt location.
Any help would be appreciated.
Paul
