Cowl baffles

I have a Rv6 with a 180 hp
The baffling when it meets the top cowling
It doesn’t lay flat. It kinda gets a wave in it. The baffling is made of hard red
Rubber. The bottom of the baffle is tight against
The bottom. Can this cause a air leak

Thank you
Danny carley
N15vr

cowl baffle seals

Yes, a “wavy” baffle seal can leak. Look at the matching wear marks on the seal and on the cowl to see if/how well the baffle is sealing. Dirt streaks across the baffle seal area indicate air is leaking past the seal. Solid areas showing rub marks on the seal and the cowl indicate a good seal.

Second, if your baffle seals are “hard” rubber, you may be due for some new ones. The seals are meant to flex as the engine moves relative to the cowl. The red material means they are probably silicon rubber. All the usual parts supply shops have replacement material.

Dan,
You can try to get the seals to lay flat by cutting a slit in the baffle seal rubber/silicone material right in the middle of the ‘wave’. Cut it on an angle so that the slit you cut is angled aft, as in the slit is closer to the front of the cowling where it meets the baffle and angling slightly aft from there. If the wave in the seal you are trying to fix is on the back baffle, just make the slit perpendicular to the aft baffle to allow the now slit pieces to overlap each other. Think about airflow coming in from the front and flowing smoothly over that slit that you just made. You may need to put some high temp RTV at the apex of that slit to seal it, but fly with it first and allow it to lay down under flight loads and temps. Are your CHT’s OK, or are you looking for an improvement?