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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date: 2-11-2017
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Number of Hours: 4.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Standby alternator installation
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Some days you get to the hangar and dive into a task that seemed daunting at the outset, only to find that the process was fairly simple and the results satisfactory. And then there are days when a seemingly easy job turns into an exercise in frustration—and today was one of those days.
I arrived at the hangar with plans to install the standby alternator prior to the arrival of a couple of visitors. In advance of the session, I had stopped at the auto parts store to procure some anaerobic gasket sealant, and arrived thinking I’d have it done in 30 or 45 minutes. It all started pretty easily as I applied the gasket sealant to both sides of the gasket and slipped it on the four studs on the vacuum pad. After checking the clocking on the alternator to ensure the wiring was going to reach the terminals, I put washers and nuts on three of the four studs and finger tightened them. The fourth stud—lower left—was now completely inaccessible due to the presence of the alternator above, the magneto to the right, the oil filter below…and the engine case to the left. After about an hour, with the aid and advice of my guests, I finally got washers and a nut on the stud. The only way to do this was by backing off the other three nuts, using fuel lube to hold each piece individually, standing on the left side of the engine and reaching across and around the alternator to attach each piece simply by feel. The nut was the hardest as I had to hold it in place and try to turn it just enough to catch a thread. I finally got it on and finger tightened it as best I could.
The next three hours were spent trying various methods to tighten that one nut—all without success. After grinding down a socket and a wrench to gain access, I finally went online and purchased a tool that was designed for this one nut…a tool for one nut. As Mike said “there is always a tool, we never have it when we need it, and it always makes the job easy”.
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Standby alternator is on...one nut left to torque
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