Today, I decided to tackle a dreaded project -- installing the 12 bolts in the forward spar webbing that Van's refers to as the "RV-8 Conversion Bolts" and builders often call the "Bag 999" bolts. Since the RV-8 and RV-8/A utilize the same spar, the taildragger version of the airplane has 12 extra holes that, in the nosedragger, would be where the main gear structure would be attached. If you build the proper, tail-sitting version, you have to fill those holes with bolts. Because of the lack of access to the backside, it's a pretty tough job.
The first thing I had to do was to remove the entire control column, because I needed access to the center opening in the spar.
After tapping the bolts in, I used my special "washer tool' from Avery Tools to get the washers on, then taped each nut onto a long screwdriver blade. This allowed me to reach in and hold the nuts in position while I turned the heads of the bolts to get the nuts started. I then torqued each nut to 50-70 in/lb in accordance with Van's instructions.
Sounds simple and straightforward, but it took me over 3 hours to do it. (But it's another tedious job I'll never have to do again!)
Photo 1: The front side of the spar, with 8 of the 12 bolts visible.
Photo 2: The only way I could get the nuts threaded was to tape them to a 12" screwdriver. Worked great!