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Front baffle floor to cowl clearance

P

pt17

Member
What clearance do I need between the front baffle floors and the cowl inlets to allow removal of the lower cowl when it has the rubber attached. The plans do not specify other than in a picture which shows no clearance fore and aft.
 
Mine is about 3/4 inch. Then baffle seal used to overlap gap. Don't make it too tight because the baffle seal needs to 'bend' out of way when the cowling is removed. Also when you put the cowling back on, you need to 'bend' the seal back overtop of front baffling. Its a genuine PITA until you develop you own technique. The baffle seal overlays the baffle by about 1/2 inch.

Steve
7A Flying
~250 hrs
 
I just completed my fourth baffle installation. I target 1/2 inch gap. If you have the FAB, you need at least 3/8 there. Keep the spinner - cowl gap 1/4 or more. Dropping the lower cowl is a pain and does make for chipped paint over time. More clearance, the better.

Van's depicting no clearance is plain wrong, unless they expect you to remove the lower cowl "clip" holding the seal. This previously was not a detachable item, instead the seal was riveted to the lower cowl and a 3/8 + clearance was recommended between cowl duct and baffle floor.

John Siebold
 
John
I agree, you need clearance, 1/4 in. for spinner, 3/8 in. min baffle floor to cowl inlet, 1/4 to 3/8 in. carb. box. I always laugh when I read about guys who shoot for tight spinner and other gaps. Some situations might allow you to get by with a tight spinner gap, i.e. horizontal induction, and or Skybolt fasteners. For standard firewall hinges and a filtered airbox, the cowl has to move fwd enough to clear the sidewall hinge eyes, then you can lower the bottom cowl. There is no need for a tight gap on those inlet ramps.
 
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