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I ended up attaching my engine mount today.. and i used .090" shims on all four corners. Fit like a glove with that thickness, and just for reference, i did nail that 32" dimension dead on.

That looks really good! It's fun to see all of the updates...!

I'm seeing lot's of progress being made in the colder months... :D

While i am on the subject.. what are people using to corrosion protect the exposed 4130 steel when you drill through that nice powder coating? I was thinking of just touching it with some automotive engine (high temp) stuff from a rattle can.. i also thought about epoxy primer but am favoring a simpler/cheaper method as i dont quite think that will be necessary.

142YX wrote:I ended up attaching my engine mount today.. and i used .090" shims on all four corners. Fit like a glove with that thickness, and just for reference, i did nail that 32" dimension dead on.

Thanks for the pics...based on the gaps I'm seeing now, my shims will be similarly sized.

You're in the desert. I would not sweat it... :lol:

I would imagine that touch up paint would be adequate. I'll bet that our airframes will all last longer than all of us and the next guy or the guy after that will have to worry about all corrosion...

142YX wrote:While i am on the subject.. what are people using to corrosion protect the exposed 4130 steel when you drill through that nice powder coating? I was thinking of just touching it with some automotive engine (high temp) stuff from a rattle can.. i also thought about epoxy primer but am favoring a simpler/cheaper method as i dont quite think that will be necessary.

N111YX wrote:You're in the desert. I would not sweat it... :lol:

I would imagine that touch up paint would be adequate. I'll bet that our airframes will all last longer than all of us and the next guy or the guy after that will have to worry about all corrosion...

142YX wrote:While i am on the subject.. what are people using to corrosion protect the exposed 4130 steel when you drill through that nice powder coating? I was thinking of just touching it with some automotive engine (high temp) stuff from a rattle can.. i also thought about epoxy primer but am favoring a simpler/cheaper method as i dont quite think that will be necessary.

Sounds about right. I used NAPA 7220 self-etching primer on my elevator horn, seemed to work well.

Yea i don't sweat it on the aluminum at all.. but the steel makes me nervous. What i think i am going with is some Rustolium rattle can high temp engine block paint.. Home Depot's finest. Should be enough to prevent rust.

Andy Walker wrote:Sounds about right. I used NAPA 7220 self-etching primer on my elevator horn, seemed to work well.

Careful.. you will probably need to apply a "sealer" to that primer for it to provide any corrosion protection. The primer alone dosen't provide much of anything other than a good surface for a sealer or top cote to bond to.

This is off topic for this tread, but i did the whole corrosion protection flip flop for several months and eventually decided not to do anything to the aluminum itself. I strongly believe i will still have a 50 year airframe.

I owned a 1966 Cessna 150. Zero corrosion in 2011.

142YX wrote:

Andy Walker wrote:Sounds about right. I used NAPA 7220 self-etching primer on my elevator horn, seemed to work well.

Careful.. you will probably need to apply a "sealer" to that primer for it to provide any corrosion protection. The primer alone dosen't provide much of anything other than a good surface for a sealer or top cote to bond to.

This is off topic for this tread, but i did the whole corrosion protection flip flop for several months and eventually decided not to do anything to the aluminum itself. I strongly believe i will still have a 50 year airframe.

I'm with you on the aluminum, not doing anything to it. On the steel I really just wanted something to cover the bare steel. Between the bare primer and the fasteners in the holes I'm confident it will survive with the small amount of water it will be exposed to (plane will be in a hangar). If there is a problem with steel corroding you will see long before it's a structural issue if you are even half awake during pre-flights and condition inspections.