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4? Alum ring source

sjhurlbut

Well Known Member
Anyone know where to get better quality 4? diameter alum rings. I have the ones from ACS but they are just too soft and deform when riveted. I?d like something a bit thicker.

Anyone know a source online?
 
Strong

Are these any good? VA187 flanges?

If they are the welded kind I think they use 6061 alum and they are too thin. Wouldn?t be so bad if they weren?t prepunched for AN4 rivets.
 
Back in 2004 when I was installing my engine, I was unable to find a source for a 4” flange. I ended up making one out of a “slice” of 4” 6061 tube and had it welded to a 6061 sheet.

https://flic.kr/p/PuvKfx
 
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VA-187

I didn't think it was too thin to use on my -10. Can't recall if it was prepunched...I don't think it was.

I can check tomorrow and get a thickness of the material, if you want...
 
VA-187

I just installed a VA-187 yesterday. It is pre-punch and it is fairly soft. The flange deformed when I riveted it in place.

I'm going from a baffle mounted oil cooler to a firewall mounted cooler, so this is a retro-fit. I was not able to use 2 of the pre-punched holes and had to add couple of holes.

The pre-punched holes are #40 but I enlarged them to use -4 rivets. I was able to get a squeezer on 1 rivet and it came out fine. I had to use a pulled rivet (LP4-4) in one spot and it also worked out well. I had the most deformation on the rivets that I set with gun.

In retrospect, I think I would have been better off using pulled rivets on all the holes.
 
VA-187

I used 6-32 screws and had no issues...

If you need something heavy duty, you might try mcmaster

Part number 1734K12.

304 SS duct flange...definitely overkill...
 
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