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N184JG

Well Known Member
I am ready to install Camloc mounting strip to the fuselage.What size strip did you use, thickness,length,width and where did you buy it?
 
Camlock strips

I sheared some .063 about 2" wide and cut out a series of notches between each camlock mounting point.
 
I ordered 3 strips of 2"X48"-.063 (2sq ft) from Van's. Material was not too expensive but they charged $5.00 per cut ($15 total). If I had known that I would have just ordered a 6"X48" piece from Spruce and cut/sheared it myself. Have not mounted or cut notches yet.
 
I used .050 because that's all I had available. Called Milspec and they said it'll work just fine! Mine is just a tad under 2" wide. The first time I used .063 and cut it too narrow - that's why I had to use .050 later. Also scalloped between the camlocs. Mine are spaced about 3.5" apart.
 
Some thoughts I've been noodeling over as I ponder my soon-to-happen camlock install.

I'll be putting the mounting strip on the fuse before I install the engine and cowling so, how do I lay out the locations for the camlocks so they will be located correctly vis-a-vis the top/bottom cowling split line. I don't want a F/W camlock falling on the split line (or do I?). Does anyone have a good locating method to prevent this?

Spacing: 3"or 4"?

Are folks stiffening the cowling with the bead line suggested by MILSPEC?

Is the occurance of cowling bulging between the camlocks indicative of cowling structural issues or of unballanced pressure in the cooling system? Maybe the air outlets need to be opened a bit to reduce downside pressure. Do any of our thermodynamically inclined listers have any thoughts on this?

Jekyll
 
Don't enlarge

Hi Jekyll,
Van has engineered the outlets correctly and I'm afraid that if you mess with them, it's gonna cost you airspeed and poorer cooling.

We spaced our camlocks at 4" intervals and the plane's been to redline with no bulging since the backside of the baffling is way forward of the cowl rear. Find the top center on the cowl and go left and right 2" and those are the first two camlock positions. Then measure 4" increments until you just do go past the top longeron. If you go further down, you may have interference from the last camlock when you try to pull the vertical hinge pin out that holds the lower cowl to the firewall. Clear as mud, huh? Thought so! :D
 
Here ya go......

Lets see if I can show you what I mean..........exactly,

camlocks7ac.jpg
 
Pierre:

Thanks, I should have mentioned I'm going with the full Monty, camlock speaking. I intend to have a 0 hinge installation.

Starting TDC makes sense. I'll be going to the bottom of the lower cowling and will also be joining the halves with them.

Your picture sure settled the mud.

Jekyll
7A firewall Fwd
 
Lower hinge?

I purchased enough camlocs to continue all the way around. Layout is a big concern to me as well. I definitely don't want to end up screwing up the layout. I haven't honestly given it a lot of thought yet. If someone else is doing top and bottom and has a plan, I would like to hear it.

Stewart
 
See the thread "CAMLOC FIREWALL SPACING" I ended up going:
15 camlocs on the top cowl gives a spacing of about 3.5"
10 camlocs on the sides of the lower cowl (5 each side ) spacing 3.6"
6 camlocs on the bottom of the lower cowl (3each side) spacing 4.7"
I figured it would be better to have camlocs near the join line (at the firewall) so I placed the first camlocs in the top cowl near the hinge join line between the top and bottom cowl (both sides), then measured the distance between and calculated an even spacing. Likewise, for the lower cowl sides, I placed the first camlocs near the join line and the lower ones near the corner then caculated the spacing between.
Fin
9A
 
Fin:

Did you scallop your backing strap? If so, did you do it after you installed the camlocks? I'm just trying to visualize the sequence because I've got a notion of a catch-22 I'm trying to dispell.

Catch-22: locating the vertical camlocks so they don't interfere with the horizontal split line requires the cowlings to be on to determine location, which requires engine and prop to be on to determine cowling location, but you must install the backing strap before installing the engine, prop and cowling.


What am I missing here, it can't be this difficult?

I guess the question I should be asking is: where do the horizontal split lines fall on the firewall? I can start there as a reference point.

Jekyll
 
Jekyll said:
Fin:

Did you scallop your backing strap? If so, did you do it after you installed the camlocks? I'm just trying to visualize the sequence because I've got a notion of a catch-22 I'm trying to dispell.

Catch-22: locating the vertical camlocks so they don't interfere with the horizontal split line requires the cowlings to be on to determine location, which requires engine and prop to be on to determine cowling location, but you must install the backing strap before installing the engine, prop and cowling.
What am I missing here, it can't be this difficult?
I guess the question I should be asking is: where do the horizontal split lines fall on the firewall? I can start there as a reference point.

Jekyll
Click to expand...

Jekyll,
The only Catch 22 is that you are not really clear exactly what you are doing until you have done it (wait till you get to the baffles!). No need to install the aluminium support strips before engine/prop on the "A" model. I installed the engine/prop, trimmed the cowls to the firewall then installed the aluminium support strips. It is not difficult to determine where the join between the top and bottom cowl will be on the firewall. Once the bottom cowl is trimmed to the firewall, line it up on the firewall with the bottom corners of the cowl matching the bottom corners of the firewall and the top of the lower cowl (allow for the flange along the top of the lower cowl that you will later trim away) will be pretty much in the correct position on the firewall. I more or less copied Jeff when making and installing the aluminium support strips. http://www.jeffsrv-7a.com
Fin 9A
 
All the info has been posted

All the info is avaliable if you search the forum for Camloc.
A quicker way might be to click on FODRV7 (Me) at the top of THIS post, select VIEW PERSONAL PROFILE and then select ALL POSTS BY FODRV7
and look at the ones with CAMLOCS, SKYBOLT etc.

I have already posted a lot of details of how I did it. Of course that is only one way to do it.

As far as where the prop and the cowls and all that jazz fit does NOT related to where the firewall supports strips start and finish.
THEY DO NOT NEED TO COOICIDE WITH THE COWL JOINS.

Pete.

 
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