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09-04-2016, 09:17 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 08A
Posts: 9,500
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Photos: Really good baffle seals
Considering all RV fabrication tasks, the thing I most often see done badly is baffle sealing rubber. Flap seals arranged so they blow open, seals that seal against nothing, puckers, gaps, overlaps, you name it...the list of sins appears to be endless.
However, I have seen some installations that were beautiful. Believe me, I look; I'm the nut case who walks around fly-ins while peering into cowl openings like some kind of airplane up-skirt pervert
Builders need to see some really good seals. Who has pictures? Who can show us how it's done? Post those photos please. You'll help a whole generation of RV builders enjoy lower CHT and oil temperature, while going faster due to reduced cooling drag.
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Dan Horton
RV-8 SS
Barrett IO-390
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09-04-2016, 09:31 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: 57AZ - NW Tucson area
Posts: 10,011
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Great idea! I really had to do a lot of head scratching to even guess where the rubber parts go around the flywheel area and around the outer parts of the cowl air cooling inlets.
Not putting this out as "good" but this is Vans RV-7 picture for the O-360 baffle kit instructions.

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Gil Alexander
EAA Technical Counselor, Airframe Mechanic
Half completed RV-10 QB purchased
RV-6A N61GX - finally flying
Grumman Tiger N12GA - flying
La Cholla Airpark (57AZ) Tucson AZ
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09-05-2016, 07:20 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: 08A
Posts: 9,500
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What, no photos?
It's a sorry situation if nobody is proud of their baffle seals.
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Dan Horton
RV-8 SS
Barrett IO-390
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09-05-2016, 08:02 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Underwood, WA
Posts: 413
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Maybe we're a humble lot  How about pics of some pretty darn good baffles??
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Eric Rushing
RV-10
90% done, 90% to go.
Looks like an airplane!
Molalla, OR
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09-05-2016, 09:05 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: 57AZ - NW Tucson area
Posts: 10,011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERushing
Maybe we're a humble lot  How about pics of some pretty darn good baffles??
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Or even some marked up "I wish I had done this " pictures?
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Gil Alexander
EAA Technical Counselor, Airframe Mechanic
Half completed RV-10 QB purchased
RV-6A N61GX - finally flying
Grumman Tiger N12GA - flying
La Cholla Airpark (57AZ) Tucson AZ
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09-05-2016, 10:37 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Garden City, Tx
Posts: 5,146
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I went with a plenum mostly so I wouldn't have to mess with baffle seals!
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Greg Niehues - SEL, IFR, Repairman Cert.
Garden City, TX VAF 2020 dues paid 
N16GN flying 700 hrs and counting; IO360, SDS, WWRV200, Dynon HDX, 430W
Built an off-plan RV9A with too much fuel and too much HP. Should drop dead any minute now.
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09-05-2016, 04:04 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 2,692
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Place holder
Hi Folks,
I finally got a chance to take some better pictures to post here.
IMHO, good baffle sealing starts with the inlet ramp fabrication and planning how to do the interface between the ramps and the seal fabric.
Fabrication of the inlet ramps with modification
Here are overview pictures. The rear and side seals are easy and probably similar to every one else. The tricky bits are up front around the inlets.
Note the shape of the nose seals. With the ramp modifications in the link above, the seals have a place to sit. Ignore the gap at the top. Even though there is a pucker, it is sealed with adhesive.
The below pics were taken with a crappy borescope, sorry.
This one is the outer seal at #1 cylinder.
Outer seal at #2 Cylinder
Inner nose seal at #1 cylinder, close to cowl inlet
Inner nose seal at #1 cylinder, further into the cowl looking across towards the engine case.
Inner nose seal at #2 cylinder
Inner nose seal at #2 cylinder further into the cowl looking towards the engine case
Lastly, the wear pattern on the top cowl. I think it is pretty good. There are two places that still have slight puckers and the wear pattern is not as robust as I would like it. Its kind of a perfectionist project now since the cooling works great .

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Bill Pendergrass
ME/AE '82
RV-7A: Flying since April 15, 2012. 850 hrs
YIO-360-M1B, mags, CS, GRT EX and WS H1s & A/P, Navworx
Unpainted, polished....kinda'... Eyeballin' vinyl really hard.
Yeah. The boss got a Silhouette Cameo 4 Xmas 2019.
Last edited by rzbill : 09-11-2016 at 05:07 PM.
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09-05-2016, 04:16 PM
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Locust Grove, GA
Posts: 2,627
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Great thread, Dan. I will post some pictures when I get home. I will add that besides having the rubbe/silicone seals done well, it also helps greatly to use the high temp RTV around the areas where the baffles meet the crankcase, especially in the front of the engine. There is usually a lot of room for air to leak to the bottom of the cowl in these spots, thereby pressurizing the lower cowling and stopping the air flow from the top.
And don't forget to clean the sand casting between the fins around the spark plugs. Makes a big difference in cooling.
Vic
__________________
 Vic Syracuse
Built RV-4, RV-6, 2-RV-10's, RV-7A, RV-8, Prescott Pusher, Kitfox Model II, Kitfox Speedster, Kitfox 7 Super Sport, Just Superstol, DAR, A&P/IA, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor, CFII-ASMEL/ASES
Kitplanes "Unairworthy" monthly feature
EAA Sport Aviation "Checkpoints" column
EAA Homebuilt Council Chair/member EAA BOD
Author "Pre-Buy Guide for Amateur-Built Aircraft"
www.Baselegaviation.com
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09-05-2016, 07:00 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Laguna Hills, CA
Posts: 1,805
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Here's mine. Seems to be sealing well so far, based on temps and wear marks on cowling & seal material.

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Doug
RV-9A "slider"
Flew to Osh in 2017, 2018 & 2019! 
Tail number N427DK
Donation made for 2020
You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky -- Amelia Earhart
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09-05-2016, 09:41 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Ramona, CA
Posts: 2,370
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