For a change, I decided to work on something other than avionics, and got started on the engine baffles, which are a small puzzle of odd-shaped parts:
Cylinder 6 baffles sitting in place |
The left aft case baffle is pretty hard to get in place, but I realized that if I just bent the little tab a bit forward, it clears the engine mount and falls in place:
Attempting to insert the left aft case baffle |
Bent tab which makes the left aft case easier to install |
It was then time to make the baffles fit around the cylinder head gaskets, which required quite a bit of trimming:
Cylinder baffle marked for trimming |
Cylinder baffle marked for trimming |
After a lot of trimming and deburring, I got them all to fit nicely around the cylinder head gaskets:
Trimmed cylinder baffle sitting around the cylinder gasket |
I also match-drilled the oil cooler bracket (I don't really understand why it's called that, since the oil cooler goes on the firewall):
Oil cooler bracket clecoed in place |
Oil cooler bracket match-drilled to the aft baffle |
I also detected a bit of interference with the System32 injector, which I'll have to trim the baffle for:
Interference between the baffle and the #5 injector |
The next steps on the baffle require the cowling to be in place (to trim the top of the baffles), which in turn requires the propeller to be installed...so this section is now on hold until all that happens.
Time lapse:
Total cowl baffle time: 13.4h