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  #1  
Old 09-13-2014, 12:44 PM
Ottertrack Ottertrack is offline
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Grand Marais
Posts: 33
Default Cracked Upper Engine Mount Bracket

It appears I might have a big problem. As I was mounting the firewall and clamping the upper engine mount brackets to the longerons, I noticed both brackets have split at the vertex. It seems odd because I noticed before I clamped them to the longerons that I had the downward bend and twist of the longerons just right so that the brackets nest perfectly. Has anyone else seen this happen? Would this affect the structural integrity of the airplane? It seems to me that once the fingers of the bracket are securely fastened to the longerons, that is where the real strength is, but I'm not sure. I'll be calling Vans on Monday but thought I would ask you all. Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 09-13-2014, 12:53 PM
Kyle Boatright Kyle Boatright is offline
 
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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If you're talking about the 4 mounts that go at the inside corners to tie the longerons to the firewall, they come that way on some (all?) kits.
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Last edited by Kyle Boatright : 09-13-2014 at 01:01 PM.
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  #3  
Old 09-13-2014, 01:19 PM
Ottertrack Ottertrack is offline
 
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Location: Grand Marais
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Default Bracket flanges

Yes, Kyle, I am referring to the 2 upper engine mount brackets that are attached to the upper 2 corners of the firewall. They point aft and nest on the inside of the longerons. The weld joining the 2 flanges of the bracket failed.
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  #4  
Old 09-13-2014, 01:28 PM
Kyle Boatright Kyle Boatright is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottertrack View Post
Yes, Kyle, I am referring to the 2 upper engine mount brackets that are attached to the upper 2 corners of the firewall. They point aft and nest on the inside of the longerons. The weld joining the 2 flanges of the bracket failed.
On my -6, they were not welded. Are you sure they were welded or did the powder coat break in the seam between the two tabs that mount to the longerons?
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  #5  
Old 09-13-2014, 02:04 PM
Ottertrack Ottertrack is offline
 
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Default Not welded

I had a closer look at the vertex where the 2 flanges meet and you are correct. It was just the powder coating that split. So, am I correct in that the 2 flanges will have a small space between them when they are drilled to the longeron?
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  #6  
Old 09-13-2014, 02:23 PM
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az_gila az_gila is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottertrack View Post
I had a closer look at the vertex where the 2 flanges meet and you are correct. It was just the powder coating that split. So, am I correct in that the 2 flanges will have a small space between them when they are drilled to the longeron?
Yes, it allows them to flex slightly for a tight fit against the longeron angle.
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  #7  
Old 09-13-2014, 02:39 PM
Ottertrack Ottertrack is offline
 
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Default engine mount bracket

Thanks guys for your guidance. I really appreciate it.
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  #8  
Old 09-13-2014, 03:00 PM
BillL BillL is offline
 
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Location: Central IL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottertrack View Post
I had a closer look at the vertex where the 2 flanges meet and you are correct. It was just the powder coating that split. So, am I correct in that the 2 flanges will have a small space between them when they are drilled to the longeron?
I nearly had a heart attack when I "discovered" mine. The Vans guy kinda chuckled, but was very nice. He said it happens often. It is part of the learning process I suppose. Congratulations, build on.
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RV-7
Lord Kelvin:
“I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about,
and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you
cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge
is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.”
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  #9  
Old 09-13-2014, 04:29 PM
Ottertrack Ottertrack is offline
 
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Default heart attack

Yes, Bill, I was really angry at myself for "breaking the weld". It's nice to have other brains to pick on occasion.
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