Elevator Skin Rivets

[j3pup]

Anybody know what kind of rivets I need for the elevator skin on the rudder side. I have 2 or 3 rivets out from some previous damage I need to repair. I can't find the part number in the IPC. I am hoping I can just order a few from spruce or something.

[hungstart]

Do you have access to the back side? The reason I ask, do you want a blind rivet or a standard?

Rick

[j3pup]

I think they go straight through to the bottom of the elevator.

[blueldr]

I think maybe you need some advice from a qualified repairman.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Hard to say what rivets you need because elevator skin on the rudder side isn't very descriptive. From memory most if not all of the rivets in the elevator are solid rivets. There are several types of rivets with the differences being the head and material used. The two most popular heads you might find on our aircraft are counter sunk and round with the round head probably the most prevalent. Then there is the material they are made of. I think of just the basic two types, soft 1100-F Aluminum and hard 2117-T4 Aluminum. Most of the rivets if not all of them on our 170s will be the hard variety and you can tell that because the rivet head has a small dimple in the middle if it is hard and none if it is soft. The round head rivets are AN430A for soft and AN430AD for hard.

Of course there is a science to the length you will need and how that is measured and the nomenclature which is documented many places but AC 43.13-1A would be an excellent start. We also don't know what size hole will be left to fill if you are replacing rivets or what size would be appropriate for a repair.

I don't recall from our email off the top of my head what mechanical experience you have and you may know all of this but you just haven't bought any rivets. And so the simple answer to your question is yes you can just buy them from Spruce if you know what to buy. I'm guessing you probably want the AN430AD rivets and I'd buy a couple of dollars of nearly every size remembering that long rivets can be cut shorter but short rivets can't be made longer. This is exactly what I did many years ago.

But if your not sure what your getting into it's best to consult with someone who knows a bit more and can look at the project and might even have the tools you will need to borrow to buck or squeeze the rivets.

[j3pup]

These are the two rivets I need, they go all the way through to the other side. All I need is two, the bottom has pulled through. Hmm on second thought can I just use the ones that are still there and just rivet/buck them again?

IMG_0438.JPG

[Brad Brady]

These are the two rivets I need, they go all the way through to the other side. All I need is two, the bottom has pulled through. Hmm on second thought can I just use the ones that are still there and just rivet/buck them again?

IMG_0438.JPG

Huh?.....NO! You can not use,used rivets....most likly, you are going to have to drill out the old rivets and install new. If the botom has pulled out, then you will probably have to install next larger sized rivets. Or make a doubler along the edge of the elevator. If there is also a crack on the bottom side. Anyone can correct me, but I think that there just standard MS rivets. Your just going to have to oversize the new rivets....Brad