One step forward, two steps back...removing my panel

My family wants to know why I'm sitting in the office crying. Well let me tell you.

About a month ago I started wiring my panel in ernest. I got to a point where I thought my panel was in for good, I wasn't turning back. I don't have connectors to my panel wiring that make it so I can remove the panel in 10 minutes. Of course most wires are attached to the panel with either a fast-on connectors or a screws, so I can detach almost all the wires. I have fours indicator lights to which wires are soldered.

For the most part the wiring is complete and working, which is really cool. Here's a few shots from the front and behind the panel. It doesn't look too much like a rats nest.





Great right? Wrong!

Tonight I discovered that I will have to remove my panel. I went to install my radios (xpndr, and COM) and discovered that there is no way to get my transponder harness in without cutting an additional hole in the sub-panel. And I don't believe there's anyway for me to do that cleanly without removing the panel. I just didn't realize that the transponder wiring harness was so long. I was thinking the wiring harness would come out in front of the sub-panel and not have to go through and out from behind.

Here's a picture of the harness. This is the standard connector that came with the transponder. SteinAir built the harness for me.



You can even see looking down into the radio tray that there is currently a bracket on the upper left side of the bottom tray that I will have to trim back, or get rid of completely.



Somehow I knew that my panel wasn't in for the last time. It just seemed too good to be true. But I had sort of past the point mentally, of no return, and was beginning to believe it was in for good.

So I'm crying tonight and maybe tomorrow I will start thinking about undoing all this.

Michael-

If possible, I'd get a step drill, file, and vacuum cleaner in there.....before I'd take the panel out. Two holes, and file, or even a small grinder wheel on a dremel tool.

If its just the cutout in the sub panel how about using a long drill bit from the front of the panel to drill the 4 corners of the tray on the subpanel (or mark and use an angle drill). Then you could use a die grinder or dremel to rough cut the square hole and file to final size.

Would right angle connectors solve your problem?

http://www.showmecables.com/product/DB25-Right-Angle-Hood-Metal.aspx

Hi Micheal, It's nice to see a conventional panel now and then. The new screens just don't have the character of a panel like yours.

I noticed your grounds for your gauges are in series. If you have any problems with accuracy of any of your gauges, try running a dedicated ground for the gauge in question. All of my accuracy problems were due to grounding. Each one now has it's own ground.

Another option is to use a chassis punch. They are available in quite a few sizes and shapes. Check out DIGIKEY or GREENLEE.

You can do it! Don't remove that panel! It can be done! I did it twice before my major panel upgrade....

You can attach a step drill to an extension and reach the sub-panel through the opening for the radio in the front of the panel. It can be done, you just have to explore some options. Good luck and nice job on the panel and the wiring. Very nice.

At this point your wiring is neater than mine but I do have quick disconnects for everything, the panel can be pulled in the time it takes to remove the screws and unhook things.

Your panel is wired in, so to speak and it looks like it will have to come out to make room for the transponder plug. I had a similar issue with the 7 and the Becker transponder, it takes more space than one imagines.

Good luck and dry the tears, you are doing good work and this task will be over soon if you jump on it.

If you do end up having to remove it, you could just cut all the wires and put in quick-disconnects to allow it to happen again in the future... With the right Molex connectors and pins, you wouldn't lose any length in the wires, either.

A new day...

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely give it a try before removing the panel. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks,
Michael-

Greenlee hole punch, best bet- thank me later.

Panel Problem

Before I would pull the panel I would remove your two trays and then mark what you would have to cut out to open the back up to receive the wiring harnesses. Looks like you could keep the upper L bracket support and remove a section from that point down to the bottom of the radio stack. You could work from behind the panel.
My 2 cents worth.

Simple solution...

Get a different Transponder.



CC

Lowes has the Punch Removal tools in the electrical section

Like a Rubik's Cube

Get used to thinking 5 steps ahead as you complete the panel and forward. It is a relief to work on other things only thinking a step or two ahead. Be sure you think about how you will squeeze rivets or get some cherry max pull rivets too.

The angle drill and nibbler is were my best friends. Also, I got some good advice to modify a step drill to fit in the angle drill chuck to drill larger holes too. I chucked one in the lathe and turned down so it would fit. This solved a lot of head scratching.

Good Luck with your panel installation, I am nearly done (w/panel wiring), and look forward to moving on.

Could be worse: it could be a slider!

That was easy...

I'm not sure what I was crying about last night. The task turned out to be relatively easy. Here's the tools I used from left to right.



I started by drilling three #30 holes horizontally, using the transponder backing plate as my guide. I then enlarged each of those holes using the extension and step drill to 1/2". I then used my dremel to remove the material between the three holes. Then I switch to my die grinder with a course drum sander. That let me remove material quickly to final size. Finally I used the emery cloth strips to smooth the edges.

Here's the final results:



Here's with the backing plate on from the rear:



and from the front:



Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement.

Michael-

Looks perfect! Nice work!

"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." --John Steinbeck

I don't know if he ever built an airplane but his quote seems appropriate here.

That quote has been more true in my work than I can count. And you hole in the sub panel came out better looking than mine. As I got closer to finishing more and more modifications became apparent as different options were added.

Thanks for all the great information, my panel is not that far along but I was thinking five steps ahead just last week. Good stuff.

Jim Fogarty