Cowl Temperature After Shutdown

clutch22 · #1 10-08-2019, 12:54 PM

Have any of you ever measured cowl surface temp after shutdown?

For about a year, I've been working on building a custom carbon cowl. (Non-RV, but this could apply to one)

I'm getting close to doing the layup, but I keep going back & forth between a room temperature epoxy or a high-temp epoxy. I have an oven in my shop that I plan to build a heat box onto for post-cure, but it's all a little intimidating.
If I can get away with room temp epoxy (that has a service temperature of 200F), that would be nice.

Any advice here?
Thank you!

JohnInReno · #2 10-08-2019, 02:16 PM

I wanted to check the battery temperature on the firewall. The strips are directly on the battery and I live in Arizona. I don't know what the cowl temp is. Probably hotter over the engine than on the firewall.

hgerhardt · #3 10-08-2019, 02:28 PM

Remember that Van's used to supply non-honeycomb, wet layup cowls made from polyester resin/fiberglass and they hold up okay too. I made mods to my old polyester cowl to accommodate the IO-360 and used Bondo resin in the layups. Been flying for 12 years.

crabandy · #4 10-09-2019, 08:26 AM

Hottest I?ve seen is always after shutdown on 95+F is 210-220 F.

Jpm757 · #5 10-09-2019, 08:36 AM

Opening the oil access door after shutdown will help cool things off.

clutch22 · #6 10-09-2019, 09:09 AM

I did not know that they used to be polyester. That makes me feel better.
The picture of the temps at the battery helps too.

Andy, thank you for the data.

snopercod · #7 10-09-2019, 12:34 PM

I have a temperature probe in my lower cowl just in front of the firewall near the exit of the oil cooler. I think it typically runs about 175 deg after shutdown on a 75 deg day. My cowl is polyester with some areas of epoxy where I had to blister it out for a different exhaust.