I'm trying to remove an engine mount from an older plane. Got two of the mount bolts out with no issues, the two other ones, when I try to remove them, the blind nuts are spinning. I tried to reach them with a long pair of needle pliers. jaming a small screw driver underneath the blind nut, not luck. Guess I need to get a good small dremel cutting wheel and cut the head off the bolts. unless of course you all have a better idea. I tried to drill them out, but as I expected the drill bit just caused the bolt to turn. I guess I could just cut the engine mount too. But that I'm sure would be very difficult.

Drip some thinnish epoxy around the blind nuts and stand the model on its nose till it sets. Leave for 24 hours assuming you use 5 to 30 min epoxy.

That should ' Git her done.'

Use a piece of wire to pour the epoxy down if you feel it might get on the bolt threads.

Tap the bolt gently with a hammer. Use a screwdriver or hex driver in the bolt if you have to. WIll usually tap them out.

Tom

cut off the head and push them through. Once the blind nut lets loose, if you can't hold it to keep it from spinning it's often a lot of time wasted. That thing could have had a bunch of loctite on the screw and may never come loose. Not all blind nuts are created the same either. The ones you find in the hardware store are made in china and the barbs bend and break. I think the ones I buy at the hobby shop are Dubro and made here in the USA from real steel. I gave up on hardware store blind nuts a few years back.

Thanks all. Might bring home some C-4. det chord and a blasting cap!! That should do the trick as well Seriously. I'm thinking cutting them and pushing them through willl be the easiest, well at least the best option

I'm pretty sure the C-4 would take care of the problem. If the bolts are a low grade and if you can get some wire cutters in there to grab them they may be better then a cutting wheel. I have some cutters in different sizes I bought at NAPA that snip off grade 4s like butter. Not so good if you have grade 10s in there!!!

This happened on the landing block of my first Big Stik. I just epoxied the blind nut back in being careful not to get any into the threads where it will screw in on the other side. Worked fine.

Will have to go with either grinding or cutting I think. As I can not see the blind nut's once my hand reaches in the fuselage. would make it impossible to see where exactly I'm placing the epoxy.

Hey Bill
Cut the fuselage in half then you can get to it. That or let me fly it and then it will be in two pieces.
When are you going to build that flying W?

HAHA! yeah that should do it, or I could just fly it myself with the same results! Been working 14 hour days, six days a week. Barely enough time to get some sleep and get back to work. Haven't even started the flying W. The only time I've had to work on planes, is @0500 in the morning for about 15 minutes prior to leaving for work.

Some times it is quite easy to cut an access hole in the side of the fuse that will be easy to repair later. That will let you get to the blind nut and either re-epoxy it in or grab it so you can turn out the screw. It might also help to heat that screw with a big soldering iron in case the threads have threadlock on them.

Never thought about the soldering iron, will try that before cutting them out.

You can drill a small hole through the mount,firewall and blind nut. Insert a piece of small wire and turn the screw out. This dose not always work, but worth a try.

david

ended up using the dremel cutting disc. Worked great and the mount is still usable. Thanks for all the advice.