[ignacio]

i saw and read somewhere on -4 eng mounts/firewall where builders re- inforced them with gussets,has anyone reinforced the eng mounts weldments/firewall with gussets/brackets??. if so what material thickness did you use??, when were they installed before skin or after, pics and dimensions would be nice thanks.

 

[Steve Sampson]

Ignacio. point #3 here will add a little possibly. It is what I was able to find out.

If you are using new parts I think they are beefed up.

Good luck.

 

[Buzz]

Ignacio...we first flew our 4 in 1988 and had built it with the originally designed firewall brackets, but after some 14 years, the top brackets began to pull apart and the bottoms ones showed cracking, this with a O320 and wood prop...we replaced the brackets with the new and improved 'beefed up' version from VAN'S....went ahead and placed a gusset at the intersection of the top longeron and the top angle that runs across the back of the firewall...I believe we used a piece of .065 measurin three inches on firewall and five inches along the longeron...it has now been some seven years and all appears well...

CDahl
RV4 kit#26
O70

 

[ignacio]

thanks guys. i have the new mounts but wanted to add a little more strength, even though nobody knows for sure if it helps.