Support gussets cracks.

[Romeo-Victor]

While doing my Annual Condition inspection I found what appears as a crack on each of the 4 support gussets for the engine mount supports at the firewall. It looks like the cracks are on a weld joint and I’m wondering if it’s something I can have rewelded and reinstalled or is it a piece I can get direct from Van’s. Has anyone ran into this? …and how did you take care of it??
This is on a RV6 s/n 24127
I already emailed Van’s and waiting on response from them.

Mike L.

 

[Roadjunkie1]

While doing my Annual Condition inspection I found what appears as a crack on each of the 4 support gussets for the engine mount supports at the firewall. It looks like the cracks are on a weld joint and I’m wondering if it’s something I can have rewelded and reinstalled or is it a piece I can get direct from Van’s. Has anyone ran into this? …and how did you take care of it??
I already emailed Van’s and waiting on response from them.

Mike L.

Is this an RV-4 or -6? What year or serial number?

 

[terrye]

On mine (later mfg than yours), the "legs" which are attached to the airframe by rivets and bolts, were only welded about 1/3 of the way from the plate bolted to the engine mount to the end of the leg. I think this is by design. Your photos do look like cracks. Were they painted? Mine were powder coated from the factory and I didn't paint them when I painted the interior.
Best advice would be from the Vans factory.

 

[Stevea]

firewall support bracket - drawing

Not cracks. The engine mount support legs that are riveted to both legs of the underlying longeron angle are separate from each other.....ie: they are not connected in the bend area. they may be close together.....but are not connected. See the attached pdf for the part drawing (upper left corner).

View attachment RV-6 sheet 46.pdf

To me, it looks like primer bridged the gap between the two support legs where they are not welded to each other. Later ones than mine (late 90's fuselage parts) may have been welded part way back from the firewall surface.....mine were not welded to each other at all.

 

[Bavafa]

Although I am wondering if those rivets on the skin above in the first picture have cracks. It maybe the paint but it needs to be investigated.

 

[Biggiesauls]

Not cracks. The engine mount support legs that are riveted to both legs of the underlying longeron angle are separate from each other.....ie: they are not connected in the bend area. they may be close together.....but are not connected. See the attached pdf for the part drawing (upper left corner).

View attachment 47763

To me, it looks like primer bridged the gap between the two support legs where they are not welded to each other. Later ones than mine (late 90's fuselage parts) may have been welded part way back from the firewall surface.....mine were not welded to each other at all.

100% agree with above. Not cracks in metal but probably cracked paint. My RV9 has STEEL gussets that look just like this.

 

[Brantel]

If you are talking about this area, it’s not a crack. They were not welded here and the powder coat bridges the gap.

 

[skelrad]

I have a very similar crack in one of my engine mount brackets on my 9A (still being built). At least on mine, it's just the powder coat that was spanning between the two separate pieces. It cracked with the vibration during riveting.

 

[Biggiesauls]

While doing my Annual Condition inspection I found what appears as a crack on each of the 4 support gussets for the engine mount supports at the firewall. It looks like the cracks are on a weld joint and I’m wondering if it’s something I can have rewelded and reinstalled or is it a piece I can get direct from Van’s. Has anyone ran into this? …and how did you take care of it??
This is on a RV6 s/n 24127
I already emailed Van’s and waiting on response from them.

Mike L.

Mike, did you build this plane?

 

[Romeo-Victor]

Nope. I didn’t build it

 

[Biggiesauls]

Are you an A&P ?

 

[Romeo-Victor]

Biggiesauls, yes I am. Why do you ask?

 

[gasman]

It's also worth checking the torque on the motor mount bolts. They tend to seat in after many hours, and need to be re-torqued.

 

[Biggiesauls]

You’re an A&P so you are good to do your own condition inspection, many of us require a repairman certificate to do what you do on our own build.

I’ve attached two pics…. The same gussets are used on the rv6,7 and 9. The ears of those gussets are not welded together which in my view allows the ears to conform to the longerons they will nest with when fastening (bolts/rivets) during the build process. They are powder coated and I suspect yours had powder coat fill the gap where you might assume there was a weld.

Hope the pics help

 

[JonJay]

I have a love/hate of powder coating. Unfortunately, for all its positive traits, it can hide issues under the coating. It can also mimic cracks on its surface.
In another recent post, it manifested itself as a motor mount crack. It wasn’t. However, in that same thread, someone mentioned a friend who took the engine and mount completely off to have the welder tell them it was just a powered coat crack. Ouch!

When I discover what appears to be a crack, I remove the finish and inspect under it. It’s always been the powder coating. I don’t think the OP needs to go through the trouble as this one is pretty obvious.

Powder coating shouldn’t crack when properly prepped. The powder coat shop I use media blasts everything, including new steel parts, as part of that prep. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Vans powder coating has a poor history. When I look at the adhesion issues on things like hinge brackets, etc…. It didn’t appear that any kind of scuffing of the raw steel was done. The powder coat “popped off” a nice shiny part.

Perhaps they have gotten better?

 

[Roadjunkie1]

Powder coating.... plus/minus

I have a love/hate of powder coating. Unfortunately, for all its positive traits, it can hide issues under the coating. It can also mimic cracks on its surface. When I discover what appears to be a crack, I remove the finish and inspect under it. It’s always been the powder coating.

That is what I found as well. When I first saw the two areas, both in the same place on the engine mount on opposite sides, I freaked out! I mean they LOOKED like cracks in the metal under the coating. I also thought I was going to have to pull the mount and have it welded! Removal of the powder coating, however, showed it was the powder coating itself. The metal looked great! Whew! That area is now painted...

Powder coating shouldn’t crack when properly prepped. The powder coat shop I use media blasts everything, including new steel parts, as part of that prep.

Mine was done at a reputable shop but the area must have been difficult to get to for proper prepping. Thus, the appearance of a coating crack....

I have seen recommendations that powder coating an engine mount is not recommended due to the issues in paragraph 1 above by JonJay.