Oil Tube Shroud half eaten by Tie Wrap

[rvbuilder1]

I am in the process of replacing a cracked cylinder. Upon removal of the cylinder and oil tubes ( Shroud with push rod inside) I found the shroud half way to failure. The tie wrap holding a rubber hose standoff used to hold # 1 plug wire was fastened to the shroud.
It appears since #1 is up front directly exposed to high wind the hose was working back and forth and abraded the shroud to a .010 groove. In a short time it would have gone completly through the shroud and I would have had oil streaming out.
I was mad when I cracked a cylinder BUT I am now not so mad that I found the groove in the shroud.
I am now replacing ALL rubber hose standoffs with adel clamps. This took place over 2 years and 102 hrs of flight time.

Thought I would pass this along to anyone using tie wraps and rubber hose standoff to be CAREFUL where you put them.

 

[Mummy16]

Ty wraps should always have something between them and metal tubing. I see it all the time on certified aircraft. I have seen Chromoly engine mounts and landing gear tubing worn through in months. I use a piece of thin engine baffle, several wraps of thick electrical tape or rubber hose split and put over the tube. Quicker, easier and cheaper the adel clamps.

 

[Neal@F14]

Nylon wire ties can eat right thru an engine mount frame tube as well.
A couple wraps of silicon rubber "self-fusing" tape also makes a good barrier to put between the wire tie and any engine mount tube, pushrod tube, oil drainback line, etc.

 

[rvbuilder1]

The split rubber hose is a good idea as well as the tape. I might try this before adel clamps. I like most HATE adel clamps. Especially in hard to reach space. The clearance between the top of my plug and the top cowl is very tight and I was deciding how to use the clamp since I would have to use two, one on the shroud and another bolted to the first to hold the plug wire.

 

[Mummy16]

An easy way to fasten ADEL clamps is to put them around the tube, stick a scribe in the bolt hole, hold the clamp shut with a needle nose vice grips and wrap .020" safety wire around the tabs, pull out the scribe and insert bolt! The safety wire can stay if you like.

 

[rvbuilder1]

Good approach with the scribe and wire. I use vice grips to close the clamp and then put the bolt thorogh. Most of the time I hit the vice grips with my hand or it moves and they open and the clamp opens up.
They are not too hard to install when you have good access like up top, but the trouble occurs when you have min space in the lower engine areas
The wire is the answer I guess as well as using a scribe to line up the holes.

 

[N941WR]

...
I am now replacing ALL rubber hose standoffs with adel clamps. This took place over 2 years and 102 hrs of flight time.

Thought I would pass this along to anyone using tie wraps and rubber hose standoff to be CAREFUL where you put them.

Good find! Make sure to use the white, high temp, adel clamps. The black ones tend to dry out and crack after a few short years.