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Crack in engine baffling

W

whifof100ll

Well Known Member
I found that the baffeling has cracked behind #4 cyl where the engine baffle turns outward and the oil cooler is attached. Obvoisly the weight of the oil cooler shaking around on the back of the baffeling is a bit much for the aluminum. This is the second side by side RV I have seen this happen to.

This is a standard Van's setup using Vans FF kit for the O360. The airplane only has 130 hours TTSN.

Is is common? Anybody have experiece with a successful repair?

Regards,
 
Pretty common. You can stop drill the crack and add doubler plate. Look at where the crack is originating from. Is there a washer missing or screw head setting up stress on the baffling?
 
Dale,

That is common and there are a few solutions.

1. Relocate the oil cooler to the firewall.
2. Add a rectangular cap where the baffles joggles to go around the cylinder head and the oil cooler is. This also makes installing the baffles easier as you only need a straight piece to span the entire back baffle.
3. Add a support/stiffener.

My solution was #3. Here's are two pictures:


Note, this is an O-290 and the screws to hold the baffles in place on the cylinder heads are in different locations than on an O-320 & O-360 so you may notice some other changes required to make the Van’s baffle kit work with this engine.
 
Dale,

The failure is typical of the OLDER style baffle kit that used aluminum for the oil cooler area. You can repair the damage conventionally using a variety of options including reinforcing the area with doublers, angles, stop drilling, installing a brace, etc. I beefed up that area considerably when I assembled the baffling because I read so many reports of cracking. With 230 hours on my O-320 now, the older baffle kit area includes a steel brace and still appears very secure. That is not to say it won't fail sometime in the future.



You may also want to consider purchasing three key pieces of baffling NOW improved using a much harder T6 alloy. Of course the repair will be more expensive and take longer because of the rework involved but only you can decide if it is worth it or not.

 
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Rick,

Are you sure those three parts are stainless?

I have the new baffle kit and although those parts look like different material from the rest of the kit, they do not look or feel like stainless.

Anyway to tell for sure?
 
Brian,

Well, to answer your question as best I can, let me say this. I would decline to testify in court as a metallurgist but when the time comes for you to cut, snip, drill or even try to file or sand an edge on that hard material, it will become abundantly clear you are not dealing with aluminum. It machines and works like you would expect of thin steel sheet. The only thing I can see it has in common with aluminum is its non-attraction to your average magnet. :)
 
I hear you Rick,

I know it is different but not sure what it is.

Paul Merems and I had this same question with each other last night on the phone.

Maybe Joe or Bruce from the factory could clear this up for us???? :confused:
 
Brantel said:
Rick,

Are you sure those three parts are stainless?

I have the new baffle kit and although those parts look like different material from the rest of the kit, they do not look or feel like stainless.

Anyway to tell for sure?
Click to expand...

I am installing a new 0360 baffle kit at this time, the parts are aluminum in this kit.

But the oil cooler part is being skipped. It will be remote mounted and ducted with 4" SCAT from the #4 baffle.
 
Here's what I did with the old baffle kit.

123_2317_1.jpg


123_2319_1.jpg


Vern
 
Brian,

I called Van's. Most of the aluminum we work with is T3. The three improved baffle parts are now fabricated using a much harder T6 alloy. I amended my original post to correct the information and regret any confusion I may have caused.
 
Rick - Is it the...

Rick6a said:
Brian,

I called Van's. Most of the aluminum we work with is T3. The three improved baffle parts are now fabricated using a much harder T6 alloy. I amended my original post to correct the information and regret any confusion I may have caused.
Click to expand...

...same 2024 alloy, or is it the more common 6061-T6? - which is also cheaper.

IIRC, the Bingelis books recommended the 6061-T6 stuff for baffles.

You should be able to buy it locally from your industrial metal supply store...
 
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