flyrotary@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

Good question, Todd. I'd like to know the answer as well since I have some "epoxy aluminum" shaping my secondary intakes. Yes - I did check and its all still there and appears firmly attached to the walls. I tried to shape it such that should the epoxy actually lose adhesion to the walls, it shape would preclude it from shifting much or going into the port - assuming it stated in one piece. I had though about casting some polyurethane inserts for that area - but decided it probably was less capable of withstanding the heat than the epoxy.

I agree if it gets acetylene torch hot - you have other more serious problems {:>)

Ed A

----- Original Message -----

From: Todd Bartrim

To: Rotary motors in aircraft

Sent: Monday, April 18, 2005 3:38 AM

Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Air filters

This thread has gotten me thinking about things that make rotors stop.

    So tonight I removed the an item of concern. There was a screw inside my airbox (under the filter) holding it down onto it's proper position. This was due to the shape of the intake hose trying to move it a little. However the heat from the engine and turbo over the last 50+ hours has made it sit perfectly without the screw to hold it and once the top cowl is in position it is captured and cannot move.

    But more disconcerting is another mod. Many builders have done this and that is the plastic steel (JB weld or Devcon) inside the secondary intakes in the end plates. During my first build I was all ready to perform this task when I had thoughts about a piece of plastic weld breaking loose and going through a rotor, so I omitted it. On my second rebuild (after detonation incident), I went ahead with it, thinking that if anything like this was going to happen I'd likely have heard about it and also thinking that the engine would likely just pass it through without incident. Now after reading Leon's testimonials about things as trivial as a bit of cardboard taking out a rotor, I'm again thinking about this.

    Plastic steel is incredibly tough, but when I need to remove some, I use my acetylene torch to heat it and it will crumble away in chunks. Now if the engine is properly cooled it should never get anywhere near hot enough to compromise the strength of this stuff, would it? What about on a loss of coolant or other overheat situation. Even if the engine doesn't appear to be damaged from this, what about the plastic steel?

    I'm not being paranoid or anything here, but just asking questions to promote thought about plastic steel. Don't get me wrong, I think it is wonderful stuff.

Todd