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Nutplate for Lower Cowl Splice Plate?

CharlieWaffles

CharlieWaffles

Well Known Member
I am looking at the lower cowl steps (47-11) and it shows to drill the firewall tab for a #19 hole and use a AN526 screw and nut to hold the splice plate for the rear portion of the lower cowl. Any reason to use a nutplate here? It seems it would be easier to install and remove the cowl without having to reach in and hold a nut to do so.

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That stays put and you remove the 6 screws in the lower plate, but you could use a nutplate I guess. Mine broke there after several hours from a slight angle mismatch. I rivet spliced a chunk of extruded angle to better match the bottom skin angle and all is good.
 
The bracket is not removed for cowl removal and stays permanently in place,
in fact you can't remove the cowl with the bracket still attached to the cowl.
Semi permanently I guess with a bolt and nut.
 
That one never gets removed

That one never gets removed so a regular locknut works fine. The cowl is attached to the other end of the plate for removal.

Bob Axsom
 
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Once the engine mount is bolted on, that nut is a real PITA to get on and off and you may want or need to remove the bracket like I have for various reasons. I wish I had a nut plate there now!
 
mine broke

I replaced the bracket with a SS version after it cracked and broke off. Don't tighten the screw so much it doesn't allow for movement/swivel. I think that may prevent it from breaking.
 
It will break

Either way you go you need to reinforce the bracket. It will break as designed. Either a doubler or steel replacement is in order.
 
location

Mine broke off at the top 90 degree bend. Maybe I'm an animal when I take the lower cowl off, pushing the bracket side to side.....I don't know took me by surprise. I just replaced the F-10108A piece shown in the drawing above with a stainless piece. Has been working well so far.
 
Double Bracket

I doubled that bracket from the start, looked kind of flimsy to me.
I made a mirror image bracket, the original facing to the right and the other to the left all riveted together and attached with 2 screws.
A couple of nut plates would have been smarter but you cannot install nut plates after the engine mount is in place.
 
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