Engine Update February 2009 Updates
February 12, 2009
More Baffle Work.... - 2.0 hrs

Turns out I match drilled the holes in the right rear baffle wall to the engine bracket too soon. After I drilled it I attached the #3 engine baffle the predrilled holes would not line up. I ordered a replacment piece and it came showed up today.

This time I installed the #3 baffle piece and then used the grinder to take off metal that was touching the engine caseing until I could cleco the rivet holes that hold these 2 pieces together. As you can see from the 2nd picture the back upper edges still dont line up exactly but that will be trimmed under the cowl anyway.

Next I used the fitting for the scat tube that connects to a predrilled hole on the right rear area of the baffle wall to make a patch for this hole. Turns out Van's moved the original position of this from the right front inlet to the rear. This is for northern climates where it gets really cold in the winter. When pulling air as it comes in the inlet I guess this cold air was not getting heated enough in the heat muff before entering the cabin. Several others have sais that if they were to do it over again with our southern climate they would move intake back to the front to not rob cooling air from this rear cylinder. Again just another way colabaration with others that have already flown and the forums helps minimize problems down the road. I will just rivet and seal the rear hole with this patch and use the scat tube fitting on the front inlet.

I also cut the aluminum tubing to make the stiffeners for the long bolts for the oil cooler attachment to the rear left baffle wall.



This website was built to document my work in compliance with the FAA requirements needed to certify my aircraft.
My experiences and comments are by no means to be considered as instructions on how to build any aircraft.