Baffle ties

[Steve Sampson]

Underneath the engine there are four places where the baffles need to be pulled together front to back. VANS reccomend using locking wire inside a bit of plastic tube.

My questions are these.

1. The way it is all arranged there is no way that the plastic tube will not press up against the oil drain lines. Is this acceptable?

2. How have folk reinforced the bottom of the baffle to ensure that the locking wire does not cut through over time. Hard ally, a bit of steel or what?

3. Anyone got a picture?

Thanks

[Finley Atherton]

Steve,
See the following thread for ideas. There is a picture of what I did in post #3. I used 3/16" Nylaflow over the wire and from memory the wire/Nylaflow is located between the cylinders (0-320) and the oil drain tubes.
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=17545

Fin 9A

[174Bob&Nancy]

Steve,I used a piece of tubing(nylon brake tubing) from the front to the rear of the baffles and they do rub the oil return tubes slightly,I also put #3 washers at each end as wear points for the safety wire,Hope this helps,Bob in ET.

[CNEJR]

Had this happen on my 6. Paul Dye brought this to my attention. You need one way or the other to keep these from any rubbing. Either slightly rebend to the oil returns, route the baffle wires/rods over the return tubes, whatever. According to Paul these will eventually cut those lines, opps big oil loss.

[Andy Hill]

Steve...

We actually used some SS springs + Locking wire... and Steel Blind Rivets in the baffle (as recommended elsewhere) to minimise wear.

Where the spring passes under the oil tube (hardly touching) we have covered the spring with some rubber tubing. Inspections to date show the oil tube not even marked, let alone worn... but will keep an eye... Alternative would be clear plastic tubing tie wrapped to the Oil Tube, again easily inspected / replaced a/r.

Andy & Ellie Hill
RV-8 G-HILZ

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by Steve Sampson

Underneath the engine there are four places where the baffles need to be pulled together front to back. VANS reccomend using locking wire inside a bit of plastic tube.

My questions are these.

1. The way it is all arranged there is no way that the plastic tube will not press up against the oil drain lines. Is this acceptable?

2. How have folk reinforced the bottom of the baffle to ensure that the locking wire does not cut through over time. Hard ally, a bit of steel or what?

3. Anyone got a picture?

Thanks

It is possible to skip the plastic tube bit, and tie the baffles with shorter wires to the inter-cylinder baffle provided by Lycoming.

This routing misses the oil return lines...

The Grumman Tiger baffles are secured this way... pic here off a Grumman web site...



gil A - re-did my Tiger baffles last year...

ADDED

Even though the picture shows safety wire, the Grumman Maintenance Manual specifies SS springs, just like the previous post mentions...

[Steve Sampson]

All who replied - thanks!

That gives me some ideas to be getting on with. I will post my final solution for people searching this thread in the future.