What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Removing RV9A Close-Tolerance Spar Bolts

dshevick

Member
I need to remove my winds and xport my bird home after prop strike after engine failure. All other stuff on wing (fuel, fuel line/vent, fuel sending unit, electrical, alerion, flaps...) removed. Just 8 close tolerence bolts remain. Build is 2014 so that amt of oldness/stuckness. I have someone who will move wing up and down to relieve stress.

1) best way to counter-torque nuts is with needle nose vise grips (gear triangle totallhy heavily in way)

2) best way pop out bolts (someone on wind tip jiggles and try and remove/punch out close tol bolt)?

Thanks,
David Shevick
415.794;2084
 
Sorry to hear about the engine out, hope everyone is OK.

I doubt moving the wing up/down is going to have any real effect. With the tower in the way, this is not going to be a fun work. I suggest air ratchet while some one applies force on the other side of the bolt.

I heard on one case that they had to weld a piece to the top of the bolt in order to gain enough access to it to pull it.

Good luck
 
bolts

I just did this with my 10.
Do not try to unscrew the bolts. You could scratch the interior and create a stress riser...From Vans.
Get a couple same size bolts (with the threads ground smooth) from HD or Lowes to keep the wing in the same position after the last 2 bolts are removed. The standard commercial bolts are slightly smaller.
Some possible ways to get them out: use a rivet gun, slide hammer, next size smaller bolt as a drift pin (with the threads ground smooth).
 
I had my 7 bolts in and out a couple of times getting the washers correct. They came out nicely, with a punch and a rounded end. The punch was one of the fitting bolts with a bullet nose.

Full disclosure I sized the bores before assembly and measure holes and bolts to ensure they were closest to size.

That said, since you have flown, it is likely they will come out without too much argument.
 
Been there, done that.

Gett a smaller diameter bolt to use as a punch.

Use a rivet gun and your undersized bolt to drive the close tolerance bolts out while someone is wiggling the wing up and down. You will need three people; one at the wing tip, and two at the root, one in each side.

Don't forget to remove the screws under the wing that attach the overlapping skin to the bottom of the fuselage.

You will want to replace those bolts, when you reassemble your plane. Be sure to you are sitting down when you check the price!
 
Last edited:
Bottom bolts rv9a

Can’t see how you can get the nuts of bottom spar bolts and you can’t punch the bolts out cause tower is in road
 
It's an "A". The gear weldments are on the front of the spar. There is limited access for a drift and hammer, generally at an angle, so most of the bolts can only be driven as far as the front spar face, not all the way through. No access for a rivet gun. It is not a happy job.

Before I do another I'll make some custom tools. #1 on the list will be large prybar with forked fingers at the tip, sized to go behind the head of the large bolts, with provision for spreading and padding the pry load so not to damage the rear face of the spar. I suspect it will take more than one tool configuration.

Brass drift, heavy hammer, bump 'em back far enough to get the heads away from the rear face, and from there it's work from the back side only.
 
On a -9A or -7A your going to have a heck of a time with the lower bolts behind the gear tower. Lots of dirty words.

A rivet gun with the "repetition rate" flow control regulator turned down, but pressure up, might help, with a long punch. But you may be standing on your head. A rivet set with a brass end may help protect the bolt threads.https://www.browntool.com/Listview/tabid/344/txtSearch/brass/ProductID/2271/Default.aspx

You may have to rotate the bolts with a air ratchet to get the nuts off. I've never removed the bolts, but for installation I lubricated the bolts to allow them to turn while holding some of the nuts with a popsicle stick crazy glued to the nut to get them started (they are that hard to get to). For removal you may need to modify a cheap wrench by cutting/grinding/twisting to create a special tool to get on some of the the nuts.
 
Before I do another I'll make some custom tools. #1 on the list will be large prybar with forked fingers at the tip, sized to go behind the head of the large bolts, with provision for spreading and padding the pry load so not to damage the rear face of the spar. I suspect it will take more than one tool configuration.

This. I had to pull mine out when I was building because of forgetting a washer on the head side of a couple bolts...

Even getting a screw driver in the nook where the head is is enough to get it started. Then a pry bar with a block of wood to spread the load out. You will likely put nicks in the bolt with this method so buy new ones. Getting the nut off is the hard part, getting the bolt out with this method, easy.
 
Back
Top