As the fitting is getting closer to a final placement it was time to sort out the hardware. I removed the heat shields and the pant brackets I made up and did the final smoothing of the edges. Next up was to drill a few holes for the pant screws and do the countersinking.

From here it was alodine for the four parts. Being 2024-T3 it never seems to go a nice yellow colour where as the 6061 does. I gave all the parts a while in the bath. Then I attached the 6 floating nutplates.

Pics 1-3 show them in place and bolted back with the axles. Things I’d do differently? A lot more care placing the position of the hard points on the brackets. I’m still a bit unsure how its all going to happen and that is not helping. I think I may have put one of the Y brackets around the wrong way. It doesn’t matter all that much except that I was so careful to ensure good access to the screw holes, now its not as good, and one hard point is a half inch from where I planned.

I’ve also noticed that where there is in-decision with a job, I sometimes make small mistakes no matter how careful I am and it is MUCH more fatiguing compared to a task I’m confident in.

Now I get that lesson I hope to move on from it!

Alodine and nut plates

Bracket fit

Shield fit