Engine Baffling Kits

Hello,

I am researching options for engine baffling kits. My specific application is an O-370 with tapered fins on an experimental 4 place cub with dynafocal mount. I'm interested in the vans baffling kit at 290$. Who here has used it and how did they like it. Another popular baffling kit I have found is from airforms with a cost of 1150. Any other options and information would be greatly appreciated as I continue building my spec sheet for an upcoming build.

Use airforms. Don’t skimp on baffling


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Airforms is top quality. The question is.... will fit your EXPERIMENTAL application? I think (and I might be wrong) they are built for certified cubs that have known and consistent dimensions. You mentioned a dynafocal mount and 4 place Cub. That does not sound like a standard cowl. Generally, when doing experimental airplanes each cowling is different and baffling is adjusted to fit that specific cowl.
Be sure you talk to Airforms before you order, if you go that route, and make sure it will work as is with little, or no modification. It would not seem prudent to pay that much money if you are going to have to cut it all up and modify the heck out of it to get it to work. Vans RV-6 is a common starting point, knowing that it will be pretty heavily modified to fit your unique application.

Hope this helps

Bill

I have used vans on 3 builds latest pa-12 ex 180 horse had Charlie center cowlings poor pressure baffles redid with vans.gives u lots of material .just cut to fit. Much improved cooling

Neighbor has pa-14 same cowlings put in a 0-370 used vans. Had cooling issues with stock baffles.vans fixed it up.is also ex 14

I liked Charly Center's PA-12 short mount baffles. Those would be easy to adapt to pretty much any Cub-type cowl. His STC includes patterns. Find somebody with that STC and borrow the patterns?

vj88, Are you interested in assembling a batch of prebuilt parts in order to get in the air as quickly as possible or are you just enjoying building until it is done? If you are at all handy with working sheet metal, it is easy to build your own from scratch as I did. It took about 100 hours for the complete baffle manufacturing and installation. This included a rather complex left rear baffle which holds the oil cooler.

skywagon8a said:

vj88, Are you interested in assembling a batch of prebuilt parts in order to get in the air as quickly as possible or are you just enjoying building until it is done? If you are at all handy with working sheet metal, it is easy to build your own from scratch as I did. It took about 100 hours for the complete baffle manufacturing and installation. This included a rather complex left rear baffle which holds the oil cooler.

Click to expand...

Pete,
Is that a typo the "100 hours"????
WoW.......

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TurboBeaver said:

Pete,
Is that a typo the "100 hours"????
WoW.......

Click to expand...

No typo, that's about it. Two sets, the first out of old cereal boxes for templates. Another 100 hours to machine two sets of float fittings (one set out of wood for fitting purposes) with a total of about 1300 for the whole airplane ready to fly.

Good info. Always interested to know what others are using and how they like it. Thank you

vj88,

We used the Vans 360 baffling kit on our Cont Motors Titan OX370 (200 hp). We built out space behind#3. The standard out of the box Vansbaffling lays directly against the #3 cylinder. Make sure you use the Vans kit provided JOG fix as well.
Keep in mind – there is a lot more too running cool CHTsthan simply getting baffling right. Yesterday flying at OAT of 85 degrees in west TX / NM I NEVER saw over 320degrees CHT in cruise (2450 RPMs) and 350 degrees (2600 RPMs) in a steep climbto 8K. So I think I am on tosomething.

Below is what I consider theabsolute mins when preparing your firewall forward for running cool CHTs. Miss any one of these points and you will beat risk for high CHTs. No magic in this - all was collected from a few years reading these type post. I followed them to the "T" and things worked well for us.
Top Chamber – High Pressure: Nose bowl inlets, Ramps, TractorBaffle, Inter-cylinder Baffles, The JOG, Baffles and Seals
Bottom Chamber – Low Pressure: Nose bowl carburetor filter inlet, Nose bowloil cooler inlet, Lower cowling vents and Cowling bottom exit lip.

Good Luck

Shep

interesting read:
https://www.biplaneforum.com/attachments/baffles-doc.49343/