Skybolt fasteners replacement kit for belly screws

[unicom]

Hi all,

Just bought from Skybolt a kit of fasteners to replace the +1000 screws which maintain in place my M20J multi panel belly !!!

I was curious to know if somebody on this forum had already done this job and could come back with a return of experience.

Thanks all,

Philippe

M20J 24-0975

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by unicom

[carusoam]

1) Stainless steel is the way to go...

2) The parts Manual for the plane indicates which screws go where...

3) Getting out any stripped screws takes some proper skill, typical of a mechanic... if you don’t have the skill or tools...

4) Stay with the proper length and diameter of each fastener... too long too wide can cause other problems...

5) there are probably a few fasteners that are not in the kit... back to the parts manual for that...

6) Annual inspection is a perfect time to swap out all the old fasteners for new ones...

7) get a powered driver with a settable clutch... set the torque as low as possible and use a very slow speed... hand torque the Final half twist...

8) check how many and what size tinnerman nuts you got... these are what the pointy sheet metal screws go into...

9) sheet metal screws shouldn’t have points any longer... they are blunted/rounded over to avoid random damage and scratches...

10) clean and wax any surface the fasteners land on... minimize the steel / aluminum contact...

11) Also look into having spare days faster parts or whatever 1/4 turn fasteners you have on up your plane... length and diameter are important... the parts manual has the details...

PP thoughts only, things I have read about around here... or it was my M20C experience...

Best regards,

-a-

[unicom]

I haven’t seen the Skybolt replacement kit yet but as I remember there is presently no fasteners on the panels of the belly of my aircraft, only screws.

Does the kit allows to replace all screws with fasteners or only some of them ?

Can you confirm no receptacle is needed as they are not included in the kit ?

Thanks for your help.

[Hank]

I just buy a bag of 100 screws and 100 washers fir my belly, and change them whenever the heads get messed up, usually a handful every annual. The kits always have a few screws each in a lot of sizes, but there's only two sizes that I need so that's all I buy.

[carusoam]

15 hours ago, unicom said:

I haven’t seen the Skybolt replacement kit yet but as I remember there is presently no fasteners on the panels of the belly of my aircraft, only screws.

Does the kit allows to replace all screws with fasteners or only some of them ?

Can you confirm no receptacle is needed as they are not included in the kit ?

Thanks for your help.

Oops, my bad...

My English needs some help sometimes... (it’s the only language I have )

I used the word fastener to mean screws and other devices that fasten the sheet metal in place.

• Sheet metal screws 
• machine screws
• tinnerman nuts
• dzus 1/4 turn fasteners

i bought a kit once, but they were not very exact to what the plane needed... so I bought a few more parts every year for a decade...

Best regards,

-a-

[unicom]

No sorry it is my fault as english is not my first language. I meant by fastener - dzus 1/4 turn. I didn’t realize that a screw could be a fastener as well :-)  !!!

Now the Skybolt kit makes much more sense to me as I realize it is not going to be dzus only...

Edited November 3, 2019 by unicom

[unicom]

Hi all,

Yesterday I finally got a little bit of time to work on the project of replacing the screws of my belly aircraft. Looking at my skybolt belly kit which includes 1/4 turn  camloc fasteners I have to admit that I am totally lost.

The belly of my aircraft is made of several plates all attached by screws. There is absolutely no camloc fasteners at the moment. I discussed with a Skybolt representative who confirmed it was possible to install Camelot fasteners for quick release of the plates.

As anybody ever done this conversion ? (I am not taking about the one piece belly) 

It looks like installing camloc fasteners would be technically possible but would require to enlarge the screw holes. Also it seems that the most forward belly plate would be the most likely to benefit from this type of retrofit ?

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

Happy New Year to all of you.

 

[larrynimmo]

like many others, I help out my A&P for my annuals...one task I own is to remove all the belly and access panels for lubrication and inspection.

just last week, I removed all my panels for my January annual.

it takes about an hour to remove all the panels with a clutched driver and afterwards need to remove about a dozen stubborn screws that requiring extractions (using an1/8" to 1/4" extractor)  With the right bit, screw extraction is so easy...  Once completed, I take about a half hour going through each screw evaluating for replacement...then I order new hardware...not even $20 for this years, and next years extras...

My A&P likes to reinstall the belly panels himself.

My point is that im not really sure that there is much time to save by installing 1/4 turn fastners….and please realize that they fail too...

[Hank]

I also open up my plane for annual, and close it up afterwards. To simplify replacing whatever screws need it, I just order them in bags of 100 from Aircraft Spruce. I spend the extra $0.015 to put teflon washers under them, too (also bought in bags of 100). That way I always have what I need, and I get a nice break on the price.  

[LantisPDX]

On 1/8/2020 at 4:17 AM, Hank said:

I also open up my plane for annual, and close it up afterwards. To simplify replacing whatever screws need it, I just order them in bags of 100 from Aircraft Spruce. I spend the extra $0.015 to put teflon washers under them, too (also bought in bags of 100). That way I always have what I need, and I get a nice break on the price.  

Where did you find the Teflon washers on aircraft spruce? I liked the idea but I don’t see any sort washers aside from the nylon ones?

Thanks!

[Guest]

On 1/8/2020 at 5:02 AM, unicom said:

Hi all,

Yesterday I finally got a little bit of time to work on the project of replacing the screws of my belly aircraft. Looking at my skybolt belly kit which includes 1/4 turn  camloc fasteners I have to admit that I am totally lost.

The belly of my aircraft is made of several plates all attached by screws. There is absolutely no camloc fasteners at the moment. I discussed with a Skybolt representative who confirmed it was possible to install Camelot fasteners for quick release of the plates.

As anybody ever done this conversion ? (I am not taking about the one piece belly) 

It looks like installing camloc fasteners would be technically possible but would require to enlarge the screw holes. Also it seems that the most forward belly plate would be the most likely to benefit from this type of retrofit ?

Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

Happy New Year to all of you.

 

Around 1983 Mooney replaced the sheet metal belly and installed the composite belly with Camloc studs and receptacles.  Unless your plane has been converted with either a factory composite belly or one of the aftermarket STC belly kits, you are going to be using screws.  Lots of them of several different types.

I believe the Skybolt representative is mistaken.

Clarence

[PT20J]

I think Skybolt makes cowling fastener kits which have the camlocs. 
 

For the rest of the airframe, try these guys: https://www.planepartsinc.com/product-category/kits-stainless-aircraft-kits-hardware-assortment-kits/page/6/