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Extending intake on a composite cowling

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D_limiter

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2018
Messages
142
Location
Norcal
I had to put a new motor mount on my light sport, due to finding a broken weld during the annual. When it arrived, we found the that oil cooler mount was pushed back on the engine mount struts about 1" or so (seemingly to avoid an abrasion issue with some hoses). However, that means the side intake tunnel on the cowling for the oil cooler now is about 1" shy of reaching the oil cooler. The plane flies, but oil temps are a bit hot and we have to climb out at a faster airspeed to keep the temps down. I would like to extend the intake to direct all the air to the oil cooler.

What would be an efficient/easy way to do this? With the top half of the cowl off, I can reach in and tape cardboard templates to the vent that would give me the extension I need. Should I just lay carbon over the cardboard? fill the cardboard with foam and put carbon over that then dissolve the foam? Any thoughts welcome before I roll up my sleeves and epoxy myself into a corner.

Cowl is fiberglass with a layer of carbon on the inside, weird as that sounds.
 
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