Between other home projects (and chores) this weekend, I was able to get a "6-hr RV-FIX" today.  I started by fabricating the anti-hang-up guide for the inspection plate.  To be honest, I cannot figure out what function this guide serves.  Checking other builder's web sites, it seems that they had the same question.  This guide didn't take long to fabricate, so I went with the flow...  However, I did turn this bracket into a Trigonometry problem (I knew all those math classes would come in handy for something).

I made the anti-hang-up guide out of .025" 2024-T3 scrap aluminum and cut it 3/4" wide (Van's calls out approximately 1/2" wide).  I tapered the ends that are clecoed to the reinforcement ring to the diameter of the large end of my sharpie marker cap.  (Can you see all the precision instruments that are involved here?)

Below is a simple drawing for my anti-hang-up guide for the inspection plate.  The diameter to the outside edge of the inspection hole reinforcement ring was 6.75".  I guesstimated that I wanted the anti-hang-up guide to be an inch high (just a measurement that was higher than the height of the sealed plate nuts on the reinforcement ring).  I was going to make the bend 60 degrees (just another number I pulled out of thin air).  From there, I used a little trig to figure out the hypotenuse of the triangle which turned out to be 1.15".  I marked the aluminum at those points and made my bends.  I used a protractor to obtain my 60 degrees and viola...  I have a symmetrical anti-hang-up guide.

After I fabricated the anti-hang-up guide, I made sure I could get my hand in through the inspection hole.  (I don't know why...  With the capacitive fuel senders, there is nothing in this first bay except the flop tube, back side of the fuel sender BNC, and the nut holding the tank vent AN fitting).  I set the anti-hang-up bracket aside as I will rivet the guide in when I make up my next batch of tank sealant.

I then put the fuel tank back together to finish some other miscellaneous activities.  The first of which was to look at interferences for the capacitive fuel sender plates.  The picture below is the outboard plate.  This plate needs to be notched to provide at least 3/16" clearance between the plate and the fuel tank stiffeners.  I more or less eyeball'd how much material needed to be removed.  To remove the material, I used a hand nibbler I bought a while back.  That thing worked GREAT!!!!  I was able to accurately control removal of material to within 1/16" and the nibbler does NOT distort the aluminum when it makes its cut. 

This picture is of the inboard capacitive sender plate.  It does not require any modifications to maintain the 3/16" between the plate and the other tank components.

Then to finish out the day, I countersunk all the tank skin to baffle holes.  With the tank assembled, cleco in the baffle plate so that the countsink cutter pilot has something to guide the cutter on.  Van's has you countersink the tank skin (T-701) AND NOT the baffle. 

The weather is supposed to turn HOT/HUMID and Jeff hasn't come out to the house to tie in my heat pump refrigerant lines and do the initial freon charge.  I am going to have to get on him about it.  Guess I can't push to hard when he is doing it for free.  If he doesn't come out tomorrow, I will probably be riveting/sealing the tank stiffeners.