Lower Cowl Hinge Pin Removal with Firewall Skybolts

My plan was to use Skybolts on the upper cowl where it attaches to the firewall. I reasoned that hinges could be used on the lower cowl firewall and upper cowl attachment since the hinges are more accessible.....I thought.

But, the Skybolt flanges kinda get in the way of this plan where the firewall hinge pin would ordinarily be extracted. I know I have seen ships with this arrangement and now wonder how the pin is removed with the Skybolt flanges where they are.

Pulling the pin out is possible, but great binding will ensue and I am not sure it could be re-inserted.

Looks like you carried the skybolts farther down the firewall sides than I did. The ones on the -10 end above the upper engine mount. My RV-6 is the same, except substitute screws and nutplates instead of skybolts.

Make the pin long enough that the handle stays above the engine mount.

rzbill said:

Make the pin long enough that the handle stays above the engine mount.

Click to expand...

+1 This is what I did too.... u

Got Lucky

Using a longer pin with the 90 degree bend above the engine mount makes total sense. This is what I planned to do this morning but found out I got lucky because I moved the second Skybolt down far enough so it didn't interfere with the engine mount. This created a gap that the original hinge pin fits through.



It helps to relieve some of the flange for the two Skybolts where the hinge pin slides past. The pin can be removed without this, but it makes for bending the hinge pin less of a possibility..