Originally Posted by
gregoryshock
Everything you just mentioned is easy to do. But how do you put in new blind nuts when your hand can't reach in behind the firewall? *I got more than one plane that is like that. What if you got to cut the firewall completely off the airplane and then start over?
Take a wire, usually about the size of a pushrod... even a coat hanger.. Make it plenty long to easily reach from the firewall to the radio compartment... a bit longer is better.. After you have your holes drilled for your mount.., (the tank can't be in the plane obviously, as you need the access).. insert the wire into the hole from the front through the tank compartment to the point you can see and reach the end that you inserted... Put your blind nut on the end of the wire(make sure its facing the correct direction so it seats properly..).. Put a wheel collar on the end of the wire.. to capture the blind nut... then carefully pull the wire back out the way you inserted it.. You should be able to seat the blind nut enough to start a screw into it to seat in completely.
You do know the holes in the firewall need to be large enough for the shank on the blind nut to seat within. Which is usually a size or so larger then the screws. Test it on some scrap to be sure... but the above method works well. It does take some patience, but its very effective and doable. Good luck with it.
PS... If you don't have an available wheel collar, you can just make a small 90degee bend in the wire to capture the blind nut, then back the wire out of the radio compartment instead of the firewall ... I hope this makes sense... It works either way.