Securing lower cowling hinge pins (vertically split cowl)

[Rynoth]

I'm wondering what methods others use for securing the lower piano hinge pins on a vertically split cowling with an Aerovee. I believe that Jabiru/other engines may have different cowling exits than the Aerovee. Jeff Shultz made a great video for this for his Jabiru vertically split cowl and for the most part I copied his methods:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDlpl5D755M

However the Aerovee has the large cowling exit in the bottom-center where the cowling would otherwise meet the firewall (which makes the bottom-center pin different.) I could replicate his suggestion for the shorter pins that connect directly to the firewall, but I'm still at a loss for an easy/simple method to secure the long pin that runs up the bottom center of the cowling. Thus far, I drilled a small hole in the fiberglass to allow me to safety wire to each pin every time I put the cowling on, which isn't awful and only takes a few minutes, but I'm looking for a better way.

How do others secure the bottom-center hinge pin, as well as the bottom firewall>cowling pins?

[Bryan Cotton]

For the bottom center, we drilled a small hole in the aluminum deflector and put it in there. For the bottom cross pin, won't the landing gear fairing interfere with it coming out?

[Rynoth]

For the bottom center, we drilled a small hole in the aluminum deflector and put it in there. For the bottom cross pin, won't the landing gear fairing interfere with it coming out?

Ah, I have a hole in the deflector but only big enough for safety wire. I'll look into making a larger hole for the bent end of the pin to stick into, thanks!

I have 2 pins for the lower cowling>firewall hinges, both inserted from the center. Since the fiberglass is cut away for the cowling air exit, I don't have a spot to drill a hole in the same fashion for those pins, and I already cut away the piano hinge holes between either edge of the cowling air exit (this might have been a mistake in retrospect, since it also cut away alternative means to secure the pins. Cutting away just 1 or 2 of the hinge holes on either side might have given me something to brace the end of the pins against.) I might look into a hooking-style pin like Jeff did. I currently don't have to remove the gear leg fairings to remove/install the cowling and wouldn't want to change that. My fairings take more time/sweat/blood to remove/install than the cowling does.

[keithrhode]

I have vertical split cowling with 3300 jab and Aerovee lower cooling exit. I removed an aerovee at 80 hours and installed the jab. I did not want to add the tunnels in the lower cowlings, so I slightly enlarged the lower outlet and have flown for the last 320 hours without any cooling issues. None of the pins on my cowling are secured. The only pin that has ever moved is the top center.

[tonyr]

To secure a pesky short pin on my custom cowl mod for a Jab 2200 sump,
I made a little stainless clip riveted to the cowl that secures the 1/2" right angle bend on the end of the wire.
It holds against the bent bit by spring tension, a little joggle in the clip tab stops the pin rotating past.
Easy to flip over the wire end from the clip and bend the clip back at the same time with a finger and pull out the wire.
Sounds more complicated than it is, but works well.

I uploaded a quick sketch of how it looks..

cowlclip.jpg (18.32 KiB) Viewed 4208 times

Cheers

[Corby202]

All I did was to put a Square loop on the end of each of the cowl pins. They just clip into each other.

[Gripdana]

I did nothing to secure the lower pin. I have 170 hours and it has never moved. The upper pin I made a small gap between the two halves and the fuel door closes behind the pit to hole it in the slot. The pin sticks up so I can see it.