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View Poll Results: Interest Level
Very interested 49 48.51%
Moderate interest 27 26.73%
Slight interest 14 13.86%
No interest 11 10.89%
Voters: 101. You may not vote on this poll

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  #91  
Old 04-10-2010, 09:51 AM
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JonJay JonJay is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Battleground
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Default I agree completely

Quote:
Originally Posted by DanH View Post
Turning off the fuel tap is certainly #1 on the fire checklist, but there's a perspective gained with burn tests I think most have missed.

Some cabin insulation samples burst into flame very quickly after lighting the burner on the opposite side of the firewall stainless (for example, Thermozite, which apparently Flightline still sells, lit up with vigor in 15 seconds). Others boiled out large volumes of black smoke well before reaching ignition. Turn off the heat and many others wouldn't stop burning until the firewall stainless had time to cool.

Ok, you spring a leak in a fuel line and it starts burning. The clock is running. Ask yourself a question.....when will you know you have a fire?

Is it when you smell smoke? Even if you turn off the fuel tap right then, immediately, without a moments hesitation, the engine compartment fire won't immediately extinguish.....and the bad insulation choice is already near ignition.
the choice of materials is not obvious at all as your tests show. So many items labeled suitable for aircraft that just dont measure up.
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  #92  
Old 10-04-2010, 06:49 PM
mlwynn mlwynn is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: San Ramon, CA
Posts: 402
Default Experience with Firewall Insulation

Hi All,

After reading this post, I decided to proceed with insulating my firewall. My engine is easily detached at this point and I don't see how I could have done this very well with the engine on. I bought fiberfrax from ACS and .003 stainless shim stock from McMaster.

I used two layers of 1/8 fiberfrax. This material is very easy to work with. Soft, stretchy easy to cut. Not so the SS foil. You can cut it pretty easily with a pair of scissors but inside cuts and holes are much more challenging. I found that a dremel with a stone is good for making little adjustments. A nippler works pretty well, too. You can polish up the edges with scotchbright.

I was not happy with the pillowing from the clecos I used before riveting. Overkill is my middle name so I ended up getting SS standoffs from Mcmaster and putting them under the screws and rivets. The final result is a surface that is just about as smooth as the original firewall. I rationalize that the insulation comes from the distance you keep the heated surface from the cockpit. I'm not sure the pillowing would really make any difference, but it is esthetically pleasing.

I plan to seal around all the edges with 3M firebarrier as the last step. Anyway, it was a few weekends work but came out pretty nice. Thanks, Dan, for the original research and recomendation.

Regards,

Michael Wynn
RV 8 Finishing
San Ramon, CA

I plan to seal it all with firew
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  #93  
Old 07-04-2012, 07:18 PM
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Ron RV8 Ron RV8 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Okanagan Valley BC, Canada
Posts: 483
Default Engine mount considerations

To those of you who insulated your firewalls with Fiberfrax...

Did you leave the fiberfrax intact (sandwiched) between the engine mount and firewall, or did you cut holes in the insulation to allow the engine mount to contact the firewall directly?
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  #94  
Old 07-04-2012, 07:30 PM
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N9331v N9331v is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Hampshire, IL
Posts: 276
Default

I'd definetly cut around the mount to firewall locations and not sandwich
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  #95  
Old 03-23-2013, 11:34 PM
idleup idleup is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 281
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mlwynn View Post
Hi All,

After reading this post, I decided to proceed with insulating my firewall. My engine is easily detached at this point and I don't see how I could have done this very well with the engine on. I bought fiberfrax from ACS and .003 stainless shim stock from McMaster.

I used two layers of 1/8 fiberfrax. This material is very easy to work with. Soft, stretchy easy to cut. Not so the SS foil. You can cut it pretty easily with a pair of scissors but inside cuts and holes are much more challenging. I found that a dremel with a stone is good for making little adjustments. A nippler works pretty well, too. You can polish up the edges with scotchbright.

I was not happy with the pillowing from the clecos I used before riveting. Overkill is my middle name so I ended up getting SS standoffs from Mcmaster and putting them under the screws and rivets. The final result is a surface that is just about as smooth as the original firewall. I rationalize that the insulation comes from the distance you keep the heated surface from the cockpit. I'm not sure the pillowing would really make any difference, but it is esthetically pleasing.

I plan to seal around all the edges with 3M firebarrier as the last step. Anyway, it was a few weekends work but came out pretty nice. Thanks, Dan, for the original research and recomendation.

Regards,

Michael Wynn
RV 8 Finishing
San Ramon, CA

I plan to seal it all with firew

Michael, was there any concern with putting standoffs under the battery tray that it may compromise the integrity of the mounting? I am concerned if I put in standoffs that the tray will not be secured as well as if it where bolted directly to the firewall.

-- Matt
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