Forward Fuselage Wire Runs

Looking for some pictures of the forward fuselage of a 6/7/9 that have wiring going through the center tunnel and forward to the firewall and up around the firewall recess. Trying to figure out how my bundle of wires exits the heat louver cover of the center cover since it wraps all the way around the recess. Did you cut an ear of the louvers off so the bundle could exit out the side?

I don't really like the large bundle of wires going right in between the firewall fuel penetration and the heat box opening....but not sure how everyone else is doing it.

I haven't got mine placed yet, but I'm planning on running one bundle each side up the side of the fuselage behind some upholstery panels into the base of the panel, not through the tunnel. I've simply got too much wiring for that.

TCONROY said:

Looking for some pictures of the forward fuselage of a 6/7/9 that have wiring going through the center tunnel and forward to the firewall and up around the firewall recess. Trying to figure out how my bundle of wires exits the heat louver cover of the center cover since it wraps all the way around the recess. Did you cut an ear of the louvers off so the bundle could exit out the side?

I don't really like the large bundle of wires going right in between the firewall fuel penetration and the heat box opening....but not sure how everyone else is doing it.

Click to expand...

No picture handy, but you describe exactly what I did for my -6A. The wiring bundle runs forward through the tunnel, up the firewall for a few inches, then exits through an opening on the side of the heat louver cover. I cut an opening on the side of the heat louver cover for this and put edging around for both aesthetic and anti-chaff purposes (although not really required, since the conduit also does the same).

Here are some photos


I ran wires down both sides of the center tunnel. There is no crossing over of wires in the tunnel or at the spar. If a wire needed to be on the left side, it goes down the left and likewise for the right. Some wires go in front of the spar and use the outboard pass throughs, others use the pass throughs in the center tunnel.


I had to open up the left side for the conduit. The right and left sides aren't symmetrical on the heater box tunnel cover.


The right side already comes with a nice amount of room to pass in the conduit under the heater box. I drilled some small holes at the bottom of the heater box cover to allow some tie wraps to hold the split conduit in place. There is another tie wrap at the top of the firewall recess (not installed in this picture). I cut a slot in the heater cover for the actuator cable to be sitting aft of the conduit. The standard plans have the heater control cable go through the vertical aluminum angle on the firewall. That will interfere with the conduit.


The conduit enters the lower part of the center tunnel cover under the heater box and looks very clean. No visible wires dangling.


I finished off the wire runs under the tunnel cover by gluing down some cable cradles. No need to have the conduit go past a certain point.

Mine is similar to Bruce with minor differences of a couple of Adel clamps holding onto the conduit, I did not use any wire supports under the tunnel and I filled the area with McMaster ceramic fiber insulation.

Same as Bruce and Bill (with adel's up the side and sheet foam in the tunnel.) I used the 7 FWF parts on my 6.
One change I made; I elliminated the vertical "tunnel" just below the air vents. I can't remember if there was a piece blocking off that part of the vertical tunnel or if I made one. This opened up a section of firewall below the heat vents that I ran my throttle and mixture cable through elliminating the need to also run it through the cover. It made the install and inspection lot easier.
This also leaves the tunnel just short, a couple of inches, of the FW, so the end is opened up. I bundled all of my wires up one side. While not a problem, it would be cleaner to have gone up both sides with smaller bundles.

Although perhaps not as clean as having a fully enclosed tunnel system, you can't really see it. It's dark under there. I'll snap a picture for you.