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Date:  11-9-2019
Number of Hours:  7.00
Manual Reference:  9225501-LOG-05.096
Brief Description:  Gear Leg Weldment Bolts

It's been nearly two years now since I installed the two main gear leg weldments into the fuselage, and all along I've had a punchlist item to replace twelve bolts that are too short. Today I decided to clear this punchlist item.

The Vans kit comes with a heap of AN3-12A bolts to use for mounting the weldment in place, but these bolts are too short, and need to be replaced with AN3-13A bolts. I started on the passenger side, but when I started torquing up the new bolts I felt that something wasn't quite right. I poked and prodded around until eventually, using a mirror to look in otherwise inaccessible spaces, I could see that I had a plastic wiring bush stuck between the weldment and the main spar, a mistake made back in 2017 when I first bolted the weldment in place.

The bush needs to be removed, but this is now a big job. Oh well, I couldn't leave it there, so out with all the mounting bolts, disconnect the brake lines and remove the fittings, remove the fuel line, remove the cover plate mounting bracket, then wriggle the weldment around enough to get the plastic bush out. Did I make that sound easy? ........ this part alone it took about three hours ...... a couple of the mounting bolts are very difficult to get to, requiring a mirror and modified tools to get them undone and removed.

Anyway, with the plastic bush removed I then bolted the weldment back in place, but this time using the longer AN-13A bolts.

A big job, with very little overall progress for the day, but glad I did it all the same.

I'll replace the short bolts on the other side tomorrow. I already checked, and am relieved to see that I didn't make the same "plastic wiring bush" mistake on that side, so should be a much simpler exercise.
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Using a mirror I spotted a troublesome plastic wiring bush ........ hmmmmm

Using a mirror I spotted a troublesome plastic wiring bush ........ hmmmmm

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A full day job to get it out, but is now done

A full day job to get it out, but is now done

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Finally, the gear leg weldment is back in place, with correct length bolts

Finally, the gear leg weldment is back in place, with correct length bolts

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