McFarlane Aviation Products FAA-PMA Replacement Aircraft Parts

Screw Kits

McFarlane offers either rivets or screws as convenient kits containing AN and MS hardware. Since it is difficult to install many of the rivets required to attach the seat rail, it is permissible to substitute screws with ultimate tensile strength exceeding 50 ksi with lock nuts provided the holes are ream fit and spotfaced. Each kit contains enough rivets or screws to install four seat rails. Installation hardware items are also available separately.

Note: These kits do not contain all required hardware for Cessna model 177 seat rails.

FAA General Aviation Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-90-03R2, 08/26/2002 Original Issue 01/16/1991

This alert gives direction for the replacement of seat rails for most Cessna airplanes as required by AD 87-20-03R2.

It advises all owners and operators of the necessity to install all required fasteners when seat rails are being replaced.

Many seat rails are manufactured with pilot holes only and do not contain all holes required for installation of the seat rail in the airplane. It is, therefore, necessary for the installer to assure that there are sufficient holes to accommodate all required fasteners.

Note these recommendations:

When replacing a seat rail, note the number and location of all fastener holes on the seat rail being removed.
Match these holes against the holes in the replacement seat rail. If the replacement seat rail does not have all of the same holes at the same locations, they must be drilled.
Since it is difficult to install many of the rivets required to attach the seat rail, it is permissible to substitute screws with ultimate tensile strength exceeding 50 ksi.

Example of such screws are AN515, AN520, AN525, MS35206, MS35207, MS35214, MS35215, MS35218, MS35219, MS51957 or MS51958 with lock nuts, provided the holes are ream fit and spotfaced.

For further information contact your local FAA office

Spotface Kit

Now modified for rail cap clearance!

P/N SPOTFACE KIT

Contains a tool used with an electric drill to make a flat spot for screws.
Cutter comes with three pilots.
Components sold as a kit or separately by part number

To view similar products for your aircraft go to Seat Rails and Seat Rail Components.

Custom Seat Rails also available.

Less Detail

Question
Can I replace rivets with screws when replacing my seat rails? Yes, but there are some restrictions. The screws must be structural screw with a minimum tensile strength of 50ksi. See SAIB CE-90-03R2 for more details.
How do I know which screw kit to use? The screw kit depends on if the holes in the floor of your airplane have been carefully removed and are close to new size or if they have been enlarged by unskilled rivet removal or the rails have been changed before. It will make a difference if the previous rails installed were Cessna rails with predrilled holes in the rail. (They do not normally line up well and the floor has been mis-drilled some to force them to align). If the holes are good, use the SR6-SCREW-KT kit. If the holes are enlarged some, use the SR8-SCREW-KT kit.

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