Firewall Forward Kit

Bottom Cowl Inlet Molding ( 2 hrs )

Removed Inlet Clamp "molds", began shaping per Sect 47-26,  Steps 4-7 and Step 1 at 47-27.  Trial fit around engine and baffles shows good alignment and correct gaps.  Yay !   Lots of sanding, but coming together (and making sense!)

 RH Inlet Clamp "mold" removed.  Tah dah !

LH Inlet Clamp removed.

 

Sanded flush to edges.   (prior to contouring)

checking gap and contouring strategy

rough marking prior to contouring

consistent gap, with 2.4mm for rubber seal layer

first pass contouring inboard (near spinner)

inside view of contouring...
Hard to see rounding underway to ease airflow

Firewall Forward Kit

Bottom Cowl Inlet shaping ( 5 hrs )

Finished Baffle Seal riveting, so moved to Sect 46-25, Steps 1-9 to measure, then bend Clamping Strips creating molds for inside Bottom Cowl Inlets.  Added epoxy/cotton flox mix to fill gaps (eventually leading to attach inlet seals).  Also finished 47-24 Cooling Tube routing to LH Magneto.  [ note:  RH is PMAG, pending final jumper wire installation...so delay Cooling Tube routing until that is done]

Baffle seals installed

LH: measuring gaps inboard to outboard 

RH side...

Inlet Clamping Strips bent and clamped into place

gaps matching measured widths 

RH side filled with epoxy/cotton flox mix...thick!

LH side - removed tape on backside to insure mix filled "mold"

overview....curing

silicone tape over engine mount prior to nylon tie
 used to position cooling blast tube for LH Magneto

Finish Kit and Firewall Forward Kit

Heat Shields for Bottom Cowl and Baffle Seals ( 4 hrs )

Completed Sect 45-26 Bottom Cowl Heat Shield Steps 1-8.  RH side cylinders are ahead of LH side, hench heat shields are not symmetrical.   For the Finish Kit, this leaves only Sect 41: Wing Attachment, and Sect 46A: Tri-Gear Leg & Wheels Fairings.   So...back to Firewall Forward Kit to Sect 47: Cowl Baffles ( re-start at pp 23-30).  About 1/2 done riveting on rubber baffle seals (pop rivets with large washers).

1st section done.  

All 3 sections "squeeged".  Edges sealed with epoxy resin.

seal sections are not labeled.  So...need to check orientation
 carefully...some are nearly identical but slightly different.

Finish Kit

Cowl Pin Covers  ( 5 hrs )

Sanded gaps at Cowl interfaces to consistent .050" (1.3mm).  Worked mostly to complete installation of Cowl Pin Covers.  Cut pins to appropriate length, bending 90 deg ends.   Needed  .035" thick aluminum spacer to properly position actual Cover flush at forward and aft ends.  Simply bonded a matching oval shape to backside, with 2 matching holes.  Designed/fabricated retention blocks to attach to backside of Covers.  Also bonded to backside of Covers.   (essentially borrowed idea from example provided by Geoff Combs of Aerosport Products).

After bonding on .035" thick layer onto backside,
getting ready to bond on retention blocks.

Finish Kit

Oil Door completion ( 2 hrs )

Prepped Oil Door & hinge by priming and painting (interior side only).  Riveted Door, hinge and latch.   Riveted hinge to fiberglass.   Re-assembled pin with coil spring.   Very pleased with fit & operation.   Re-mounted Top and Bottom Cowl per Sect 45-25 to mark .050" (1.3mm) gaps to final sand between upper and lower interface, and along firewall to Cowl...to clear for paint and consistency.

Finish Kit

Cowl Pin Covers and Oil Door ( 4 hrs )

Carefully ! cut apart Top & Bottom Cowls along backside of Covers.  Added nutplates w/ flush rivets.  Created slots to enable sliding in hinge pins.  (pending cut pins to final length with 90 deg bends).  These are a lot more work and $ than Van's simple tab and screw, but ...good "wow" factor. Cut in large .87" hole for push button on Oil Door.  Works nicely - only need to rivet after I prime and paint hinge and Door.

inside:  separated, then re-assembled after template removed

separated, then re-assembled after template removed

nutplates installed

slot for installing Pin

 

tah-dah !   

"cessna style" flush latch button.  ready to prime and rivet

Finish Kit

Oil Door and Cowl Pin Covers ( 5 hrs )

Started installation of Oil Door.  Filled four #40 holes Vans provided for their simple hinge with flush rivets ground/sanded smooth.  Drilled & cleco'd hinge onto Top Cowl.  Positioned Door, then drilled for 4 rivets.  Machine C'sunk fiberglass on Top Cowl, and alum Door.  Positioned latch and drilled 4 mounting holes.  Final 0.87" dia hole for 'push button' clearance pending.  Single latch seems sufficient.  Sure like how well this operates.   Final fitted Cowl Pin Covers.  Protected ends of hinges from invasion of epoxy.  Applied 4 layers of medium fiberglass -- prepping these 4 on a table covered with wax paper was easy, instead of applying a layer at a time.   Received pics of Stein Air panel build progress.  Expecting delivery in late June.

Positioned.  Pending final large hole for push button.

Finally, after months of considering Van's version vs this
alternative hinge and latch...pleased I did.  Costs more of course.

Cover inside prior to applyiing epoxy and fiberglass

Some epoxy seeped around perimeter... will readily sand off

Removed tape sealing off hinge & pin prior to full cure. White 
surrounding Cover is epoxy-micro balloons filling transition

... progress !

Stein to remove 3 "spare" CBs,
replace with plastic plugs...per the plan.