Rotavator rebuild

[Redcub]

Aircraft safety wire around bolt heads:
Todd, you made a good point the other day in your PM to me and John. I thought I'd post info here for others to see.

Before you can remove the 4 bolts in the pic below, you must clip the aircraft safety wire out first with wire cutters and fish it out of the holes. Then your socket will fit on the heads. See part number LC71 (wire) and LC 72 (drilled head bolts). You will have a hard time seeing the fact that it is not fence wire with all that grease, dirt, bail string, roots and grass packed in there. Well, yes, I did have barbed wire that was also in there.


Checkout my progress at:
http://photos.cubfest.com/thumbnails.php?album=1165

[ToddW]

the safety wire was lone gone on the outside 4 bolts. Heat, and an impact wrench had to be used to loosen those things

the 4 bolts holding the Sealmaster bearing still had the safety wire. But barb wire was all around the spindle in there, and really wore the heads on those 4 bolts. The heads looks more like a crescent moon.

All 8 of these bolts are fine thread, and length looks critical. Have a feeling replacements will have to be bought on the long side, then cut down to correct length.

As for the holes in the new bolts for aircraft safety wire, don't know if i'll drill holes in the heads of the new bolts.

Was thinking using threadlock instead on the bolts. What do you guys think?

[Redcub]

You had safety wire on the 4 inner bolts also? hmmmmm. I only had them on the outer set. Oh well,. Anyways....glad you didn't have to torch it off.

This is the tool that the pro's use to drill bolts themselves. Its a little steep $ on the price.
Maybe Habor Freight has one for less made in China.
You can use it to drill the head and the end of the threads if you like. The brass bolt with the hole acts as a drill bit guide. They work very well.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/t ... ingjig.php
$67 bucks plus shipping.

Todd, I don't know what to tell you. If you can make your own jig out of scrap wood, or your real good with a dremel tool, give it a try yourself.
As for me. I work in a field where most everything is safety wired, cotter keyed, has a castle nut, or somekind of anti-rotation collar, keepers, pins, etc.
I safety wire things for peace of mind even when it doesn't really need to.
Check out this oil filter:


Look at the end of the filter. The holes on the 4 metal wings are for safety wire. Ha ha, can you imagine wiring on your Cub's filter?
B.T.W.: Don't go to your local airport to buy bolts with safety wire holes. They are "AN" type bolts; not the same threads.
I vote for safety wire. Good Luck.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

No safety wire on the inner bolts of mine either, there was some wire (barb wire minus the barbs i think due to it's strength) that had been going around and around in there till the outer 1/3 to 1/2 of each bolt head was worn off. I was worried when I saw the bolts, but they came out with no trouble.