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Inserting elevator hinge bolts

A

abuura

Well Known Member
Why isn't there a string of expletive equivalent-riddled posting on this issue?! I flushed a good two hours of my life down the drain cutting up pasta tongs (sorry honey :eek: ) and struggling with them to get the bolts into the hinges for the right elevator. The tong solution is far from perfect. Does anybody out there have a neat gizmo they fabricated to accomplish this task, or some inventive technique that they could share? Aaaaaaaaarrrrrghhhhhhhhh!!!!
 
Uh, ok, that looks good. I could inventory the QB kits while it ships...or else fabricate a workable copy.
Thanks!!! :D
 
I was struggling with this a couple of days ago also. I tried pliers, magnets, you name it. Then I remembered that I had a pair of 6" curved forcepts. They worked perfectly. Radio Shack has them for $6.99, Model: 64-2961.


Here they are in action:

showthumb.php



Mike B
http://rvplane.com
RV-7, Empennage
 
In a pinch you can go to Walmart and pick up a tool used to install and remove the old round type auto fuses. a couple of bucks, I think. Worked great for me.
Shine'r
 
elevator hinge bolts

abuura said:
Does anybody out there have a neat gizmo they fabricated to accomplish this task, or some inventive technique that they could share?
Click to expand...
I used needle nose pliers. It's not easy, but doable. Hold the bolt at an acute angle with the pliers. I found them to be a lot easier than the special tools that come with the avery kit. I never got one of those in there!
 
i used a little pen magnet from sears to hold the bolt, and a flat head screw driver to push it in the hole when lined up. this worked very well, and was actually pretty easy! i've installed and removed them several times, and it's a snap.

screwdriver-on hand
craftsment pen magnet-$3 at sears.

:)
 
I made a copy of the commercial version out of some .025 sheet. It's two layers riveted together. It took two tries to get it right, but it's already saved 10X that much time and frustration. Sorry the picture is kind of fuzzy. You can also see in the picture how I use a bent nail to hold things temporarily until I get the bolt in there.


click to enlarge
​
Dave
 
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Hinge bolts

You can also drill the appropriate sized hole thru the side of an old pair of needlenose pliars. Aluminum pliers are also available that are easy to drill and are cheap.
 
hinge bolts

I took a 6" curved-tip forceps and ground a small radius in each jaw near the tip so that I can snap them shut on a -3 bolt or just hold it with enough pressure to slip the bolt in. Another advantage over the bolt insertion tool is the capability to grab it anywhere along the shank that I choose.
 
I love the forceps idea! I used unmodified needle-nose pliers, and had the blood blisters to prove it! I'm going to pay a visit the Flight Surgeon's office and see what I can find...not that I want to remove my control surfaces anytime soon, but then again, you never know when a new SB might come out... :rolleyes:

Paul
 
Simple pleasures

Dave,

Clever...very clever. Great idea. Your picture is more than clear enough to get the idea. Looks like I have a quick project to make while its too cold and windy to fly today! Now I can put those skinny and slippery needle nose pliers away! Thanks for sharing. :)

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla" 112 hours


Davepar said:
I made a copy of the commercial version out of some .025 sheet. It's two layers riveted together. It took two tries to get it right, but it's already saved 10X that much time and frustration. Sorry the picture is kind of fuzzy. You can also see in the picture how I use a bent nail to hold things temporarily until I get the bolt in there.


click to enlarge
​
Dave
Click to expand...
 
Duct tape works

I used a little tab of duct tape one the bolt or washer. Just enough to hold it, but not enough to holdit TIGHT.

Not too difficult once you get a feel for it.

Duane
 
I have several sets of forceps or hemostats...they are GREAT for just such things. Curved to hold the nut/bolt and straight to hold the washers. Indespensible tools IMHO.

Rick S.
RV-10
40185
 
I have 12" curved " I call them Bob Marleys " forcepts. I put lots of bolts in Boeings with them. They also work when It's really freezing and your hands don't!
 
Ditto on the hemostatic forceps and the washer wrenches. You've got to have at least one pair of hemostatic forceps and they're cheap.
 
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bolt holder tool

I built the simple tool shown in the "24 yrs RVator" book. Took all of 15 minutes. Even works on my friend's C-182 flap track bolts.
Steve
 
I use a pair of long forceps that were given to me by friend that makes dental crowns. Also I took a couple of an3 bolts and ground a point on the threded end and welded a piece of welding rod on the head. Works great for aligning the hinges.

Probably the best tool for putting on the rudder, elivators and ailerons is the ratchet box end wrench. I thought I was getting a pretty good deal at Harbor freight for about $40.00 for a set until I found practically the same thing at Costco for about $20.00. Earlier I had purchased just the 3/8 ratchet box end through Sears for about $12.00. As you can see, the sets are a better buy. :D
 
Surgical clamps or forceps

Here is another handy tool for getting bolts, washers, or other small objects into tight places - surgical clamps or forceps. These have longer handles and " noses" compared to a standard hemostat. Long handles and long nose make them able to grip large and small objects. Standard fare in any OR. Can sometimes be found on Ebay for ~$10.

Warren
RV-7
Plymouth, MN

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7281/clamp1small4yd.jpg
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9858/clamp2small6rp.jpg
 
The cheapest and easiest tools to use are hemostats. I picked up mine for $2. But really, it's all in how you hold your tongue. :)
 
But then, after the nut, bolt and washer are in place, how do you torque them? My wrench is too big to fit is between the skin and the nut.
 
Torquing

jlfernan said:
But then, after the nut, bolt and washer are in place, how do you torque them? My wrench is too big to fit is between the skin and the nut.
Click to expand...
You'll just have to do it by feel, or get a crow's foot extender for your torque wrench.
 
I just put a pc of 2x4 under the aft end of the H-S and the fore end of the elevator which allowed the trailing edge of the elevators to "hang" down and that gave me tons of room to use a standard needle nose. With a little taller block you could probably use your fingers.
 
Hinge bolt torque

jlfernan said:
But then, after the nut, bolt and washer are in place, how do you torque them? My wrench is too big to fit is between the skin and the nut.
Click to expand...
Torque on those bolts is not critical. Snug it up and you're good to go. Actually what most would call 'snug' is probably more torque than specified for an AN3 bolt :cool: The main reason for 'snugging' the bolt is to force the rotation to occur in the bearing, and not have the hinge brackets rotate around the bolt.
 
a pair of 8 or 10 inch off set needle nose pliers are very handy for all of those tight places, this one in particular.


Off set -- meaning the last 2 inches of plier is bent over on a 45 deg angle or so.


cary r
 
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