Drilling holes in SPF center spine

Mark H.

Supporter
Need to mount some items on the center spine hump, so holes are needed. Anyone drill holes here, done this without drilling into A/C lines, water pipes, wires, etc...?
 

Randy Folsom

Supporter
What are you mounting? You might be able to bond on a mount rather than bolt it on. A common solution for the shifter is to mount like the parking brake. For sure if I were to drill, I would pull the lines and tubes out first.
 

Mark H.

Supporter
Thanks Randy, mounting a fire extinguisher and an aluminum cover over the shifter cables. Thought of welding, short tapping screws, short drill bit?
 

Randy Folsom

Supporter
Guessing that you plan to mount the fire extinguisher in front of the shifter box. Assuming that is the case, I think you could bend a bracket that bolts to the floor on either side of the spine and wraps up and over the spine. Leave a little space between the top of the spine and the bracket for slots that straps can pass through. If you plan to run a line from the extinguisher to the engine bay, you could run it forward through the bulkhead and then u-turn back through the spine.

The aluminum cover needs to be easily removed so I plan to fasten it to the rear bulkhead and to the shifter box. The seats will hold the sides without need for more screws.
 
If you are mounting a fire system rather than a removable fire bottle consider mounting the bottle in the front boot below the steering rack.
I did that and ran discharge lines to the the cockpit and the engine. Mounted the handle to the pull cable under the dash just left of the center console.
 

Mark H.

Supporter
Thanks Randy for the suggestion on the bracket. Made me think outside the box! Made pictured bracket, attaches to the floor crossbraces, extinguisher mount bolted to the bracket. DaveM, I have an original Ansul so that's what needed mounting.
 

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Blas

Supporter
That extinguisher will become a cabin projectile with that simple hold-down latch on its frame should you have a bad shunt.
Blas
 

Mark H.

Supporter
Yep, you are correct! There will be another clamp on the potential projectile's mounting bracket at the rear relief, which will provide a pretty stout affixment.
 
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