In order to install the exhaust pipe I had to life up the front of the aircraft with the engine hoist, so that I could disconnect one of the bolts on the nosegear and slide it out of the way. This wasn't in the plans...but a few other builders have run into the same problem Assembling the exhaust pipes Plenty of anti-seize Tailpipe secured with the exhaust hangers Exhaust pipes mounted to the engine.
Riveted the alt air source to the snorkel Had to grind away some of the fiberglass material from the snorkel, so it would clear the intake pipe. I had to grind enough that a hole was left in the intake. So I patched it from the inside with two layers of fiberglass cloth Bent the air filter cover edge per the plans Warren's in town from Florida.
A lot of trimming sanding and measuring to fit the intake snorkel on Zak came over in the afternoon and helped me. He riveted on all of the baffle seals Made good progress on the installation of the alternate air source door
Right baffle ready to mount Right baffle mounted Secured the lower baffles together using 0.041" safety wire. This is how the plans in the RV-7A I build had you to it. Van's has you take a different approach using stainless steel rods that you cut threads on to join the baffles together. Checking my inventory sheet I never received the stainless steel rods when the kit arrived, and I failed to note it back when I received the kit.
Trimmed and then installed nutplates on the air filter frame Mounted air filter frame to forward baffle Finished assembling forward left baffle Riveted nutplates on to the forward right baffle Installed hose flange and screen onto forward right baffle Finished assembling forward right baffle Installed forward left baffle onto the plane
The red stuff is high temp silicone RTV. It helps make sure that air flows through the cooling fins and not around the circumference of the cylinder itself
Started assembling the engine cooling baffles
Fabricated and installed the oil door Completed the supports for the lower cowl near the nosegear cutout Shot some epoxy primer on the inside of the cowl, to help seal the fiberglass from grease and oil
Riveted hinges and nutplates onto the cowl halves Fiberglassed in the inlet ramps. These are to help the air flow smoothly into the cowl, for better cooling and less drag
Laid out rivet holes on the top cowl Top cowl drilled to the piano hinge Fitting the bottom cowl Bottom cowl drilled to the piano hinge Installing the piano hinge that joins the top and bottom cowl Piano hinge that joins the top and bottom cowl drilled Riveted on the piano hinge to the top cowl