Firewall Insulation

[mulwyk]

Is there supposed to be some sort of insulation between the firewall and the fuselage frame?

My project plane appears to have had something glued onto the aft side of the firewall at one time. But during some previous rebuild attempt the entire inside of the boot cowl was painted black and simply bolted directly to the fuselage. What do I need in there?

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Firewall Insulation

Bob,

There should be a quilted insulation pad there. These are available from all the usual suspects. Most of them must be trimmed to fit and they compress nicely between the firewall and the fuselage tubing.

Your boot cowl side walls might also be insulated with compressed fiberglass, however, I used closed cell foam which works as well or perhaps somewhat better and does not shred or shed.

All things considered when it comes to insulating a Taylorcraft, it is indeed difficult to determine if you have been effective at reducing heat transfer or decibels.

[VictorBravo]

Re: Firewall Insulation

Your boot cowl side walls might also be insulated with compressed fiberglass, however, I used closed cell foam which works as well or perhaps somewhat better and does not shred or shed.

Remember that the one very dangerous design detail on the entire Taylorcraft is the decision to put the fuel inside the cockpit.

Closed cell foam and soundproofing materials better be fireproof. The fiberglass quilted pads are usually fireproof. Bare metal is louder but it will not burn

I suspect that if we could collectively conjure up the spirit of old CG Taylor at a giant Ouija board, and asked him what he would change about the design in hindsight, the fuel in the cockpit would be on the list.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Firewall Insulation

I purchased a new firewall pad from Airtex Interiors, in my choice of colours.


This photo shows a trial fit before glueing it to the firewall itself, and this view shows the same from the cockpit side.

If there is a fuel-fed fire in the cabin, I think there are a few more worries than the insulation stuff burning.

Rob

[Winston L.]

Re: Firewall Insulation

I am not sure that they had that pad originally, at least the pre-war models, but they are nice. My airplane just has the small rectangular tar-paper panels.

[astjp2]

Re: Firewall Insulation

If you sandwich the insulation between the firewall and the airframe, you will distort the firewall and put pressures on the airframe tubes when you bolt the engine mount to the firewall. Trim the material away and you wont have any of those problems. Tim

[Guest]

Re: Firewall Insulation

Mine has thick foam with a foil coating on it.

I got it from teh factory in the mid '80s when they were selling sound proof and insulation kits.

It was cut out for the tubes when installed.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Firewall Insulation

The F-19 used the insulation described by a lot of you. The "original" tar paper type material was on the side walls and the firewall cut out to fit between the tubes. I forget the proper name of this stuff, It was on the top of the fusealge tank too! No C.G. was quite happy with the tank being there. A lot of builders did it then and still do.

[mulwyk]

Re: Firewall Insulation

After a glorious Saturday with paint stripper and putty knife I can confirm Forrest's posting about the tarpaper. I took several chunks of the stuff I removed to my local lumber yard and the guys there identified it as "heavyweight roofing felt" or...ordinary tarpaper.

Does it burn? Oh my, yes! it burns very nicely. Touching a match to one cornor of a sample resulted in a bright orange flame spreading within seconds across the entire 3 inch square piece. The flame gave off lots of thick black smoke.

[dedrekon]

Re: Firewall Insulation

I've also seen the "tar paper" on the insides of the doors......probably to keep the outer panels from diggerie-doo-ing.


v

[Robert Lees]

Re: Firewall Insulation

You're all a bunch of latent Australians! Door tar paper was to prevent panel drumming.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: Firewall Insulation

You're all a bunch of latent Australians! Door tar paper was to prevent panel drumming.

Laughing so hard I'm having hysteresis!

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Firewall Insulation

Ahhh yes "felt" that was the term used. Then there is the original panel under your knees in front of seat across the cabin AND the complete glove boxes they were CAA approved "cardboard" with "staples".

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Firewall Insulation

I have one of those original "cardboard" glove boxes and it seems to be coated (soaked really) in some kind of resin or glue that makes it a little more water resistant and stiffer. I haven't found anything that makes a really correct substitute. I made some from stiff card stock and brushed them with resin (epoxy and alphatic) which made pretty good copies. Folded card stock brushed with thinned "Titebond" makes a "fair" glove box. Made one from aluminum flashing (even used staples) and when painted flat black and installed can hardly be told from the original. Feels "thinner" and scratches in the paint make it easy to tell it's metal.
The BIG problem is you need to make the box so it doesn't snag on the chain gear on the front of the yoke. Nice thing about cardboard is when it snags and you pull hard, the box just crushes and you keep control. Glad it happened to me on the ground while checking for clearances.
Hank

[astjp2]

Re: Firewall Insulation

Most upolstry shops carry the correct type cardboard, you can then bend it in a break and they might even have the correct staples. Tim