Lee, I use the metal T-nut. I also compressed the spring using pliers. I am not sure however that I got the spring fully compressed since I can still turn the screw when the metal ears on the T-nut touches the bottom of the outdrive. That was what happened on my first T-nut, I snapped the ears right off it when I tightened the screw...
...And I guess it should be extremely hard to turn the screw with the spring fully compressed which in turns means that the spring was not fully compressed even when the metal ears on the T-nut was making contact with the bottom of the outdrive?
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