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Camloc mounting strip

Scott Will

Scott Will

Well Known Member
For everyone who went with camlocs on the cowl, how wide did you make the strip on the firewall, beyond the stainless? Going to cut some strips tonight and wondered how wide I should make them.

The firewall flange is 1/2". So maybe 5/8" either side of the camloc?

Thanks,
Scott
 
Posted

Scott, Search the archives or look at the original group buy thread, there were some excellent pictures of exactly how to do it that have already been posted.
 
Camloc Support

Scott,
Have a look at my post under the thread CAMLOC GROUP BUY.
Pete.
 
2" will satisfy.

You need 5/8 of material around the receptacle. I used 2"x 0.63 which gave slightly more than 5/8".
I had Vans cut it to order.

Pete.


 
heads up: camlock strip width

1 7/8 for SkyBolts (same difference) However a heads up: If you are going around the top of the cowl, remember that the firewall has a bend angle in it as it descends to the lower 5 inches or so before meeting the lower cowl. If your original material is only about 1 7/8 or 2" you will not have enough to cut the width so it is equal around the whole curve and on down to the point where it meets the lower cowl. You will need about a 2.5" width to start with in order to make that correction. If you don't visualize what I am saying feel free to contact me offlist. Just been there. I know, and I had to decide on a workaround (which was fine).
Hope that helps,
Len
N72ML, hope to fly in late June, mounting wings this weekend
 
Darn it.. a PS

The widths I was referring to were total, not just beyond the stainless firewall flange.
L.
 
thanks!

Thanks for everything guys. Made and drilled some strips last night. Mine came out to be 1.75" total... was going to go for 1 7/8 but I didn't line up the first sheet on the shear exactly right. Didn't have enough material to redo.

I took the easy way out with the double curve in the firewall. Stopped my upper strip where it makes that turn on the firewall. I'll just extend my side pieces up to it. Should work out OK with my camloc spacing of 4 inches.
 
Drives you around the corner

Scott,
Len is correct. Here is how I solved it.
The Join in the Support pieces does not need to be co-incident with the Cowl split line.

Pete.


 
Finger trouble.

Sorry fellas. I am having a bit of finger trouble this morning with the pics.
Try again.
Pete.
PS. Other thoughts. You must scallop the support in order to be able to bend it with the flange pliers to ensure the cowl sits flush and inline with the fuse behind the firewall.
It is very difficult to rivet the supports on after the engine mount is fitted.
I ordered TWO extra Skybolts and used them in place of the much cursed three screw inside each intake. So far the cowl has not blown off.
P.

 
Agree with Pete

I did my flange like Pete's latest picture. I'm not doing the scallops, though, because I think it will be stronger without them. It looks like it will take a little flange-crimping in the curve part to bring the strip's plane parallel to the front deck plane. I split the support strip where the firewall bends and at the bottom curve, too. Mine's a 7A, so the curve problem is not as severe as for the -8/-8A.
However, I had almost no problem dimpling the strips and don't expect any problem riveting them with the engine in place. I do have an Avrey squeezer with a special yoke that has a flat inner top to fit into tight places.
h
 
And I did mine like that, too... I think I'll leave my strips unscalloped. Riveting shouldn't be a problem with the A models since the engine mount does not run parallel to the fuse sides. Should have pics up after the weekend.

Got my upper cowl cut last night. Do final trimming and then drill to the strips very soon.
 
Scalloping

If you use 0.63" material you won't bend it without scallops.
When you curve the support material around the upper fuse curve (I have a -7) it has a tendency to bend up and out lifting the cowl cleat of the fuse skin.
You will need to bend it back and I recommend you scallop it as per the Skybolt website.

The difficulty with the engine mount interference on the RV-7 is the bottom tune that runs parallel and very close to the bottom of the fire wall. You need to even be careful not to place a Camloc too close to the fuse side at the bottom.
Pete.
 
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