Bigrenna wrote:Yep. 1/2" foam is the way to go. Nice and quiet... AND it comes with the proper burn certs. I'd clean the old glue off as Rob said. The most important thing to do is make sure all the metal underneath is properly treated before you put the new glue on. Good luck!

I'll give Selkirk a call and check some prices. Probably could either prep and paint or if covering just spray with zinc phosphate and call it good?

kygreen229 wrote:

Bigrenna wrote:Yep. 1/2" foam is the way to go. Nice and quiet... AND it comes with the proper burn certs. I'd clean the old glue off as Rob said. The most important thing to do is make sure all the metal underneath is properly treated before you put the new glue on. Good luck!

I'll give Selkirk a call and check some prices. Probably could either prep and paint or if covering just spray with zinc phosphate and call it good?

Depending on who gives the advice your gonna get different opinions... But for my money, I'd clean the glue off properly before doing any painting.

Also keep in mind that any of those primers like zinc phosphate are not meant to stand alone as they are porous. Glue over zinc would be a nice way to invite corrosion. You would have to spray the zinc, then a sealer primer like an epoxy, and at that point, I would shoot a nice topcoat.

They do make an epoxy zinc phosphate which is non porous.

Ok, got the 1/2" selkirk foam cut for the firewall. Also got the holes nicely punched out where the oil, cables and wiring will pass through. Stuck on something small but not sure best way to go...

The outer pieces that squeeze a grommet together when you pass the cables,wiring and such through the firewall (not sure the proper name) have a screw and a tinnerman on the backside. I really dont want to cut larger areas out of my foam just so I can put these tinnerman's on the backside. Are people putting rivnuts or nutplates instead to keep it clean or just widening the foam on the inside and doing what you have to do to attach the screw and tinnerman?

Thanks as always for the advice.

I plan to put nut plates in when I get that far.

On a similar topic. How much glue (and what type) are folks using to put in the foam? For sound deadening, I think you'd want a lot of contact area. Is the self adhesive foam sold at 'spruce worth considering?

Bagarre wrote:I plan to put nut plates in when I get that far.

On a similar topic. How much glue (and what type) are folks using to put in the foam? For sound deadening, I think you'd want a lot of contact area. Is the self adhesive foam sold at 'spruce worth considering?

thanks for the input. The foam comes with their recommendation which is a 3M Trim spray adhesive. Spray on both the firewall and the foam and let sit for a while before sticking the two together.

Thanks. I didn't know it came with the glue.

On the firewall cleaning thing mentioned earlier, I highly recommend cleaning it back to bare metal.
You'll be surprised at what's lurking under the glue. Mine had a but of corrosion where the glue was heaviest. Not so bad to replace the firewall but bad enough to set me back two days of scrubbing.

The boot cowl was a different story for me. The glue really attacked it over the years. I have a new piece of metal on order for that little mess.

Did you decide on a flap tunnel option? I really like the fleckstone paint. It looks good and is easy to install (and repair later on).

Bagarre wrote:Thanks. I didn't know it came with the glue.

On the firewall cleaning thing mentioned earlier, I highly recommend cleaning it back to bare metal.
You'll be surprised at what's lurking under the glue. Mine had a but of corrosion where the glue was heaviest. Not so bad to replace the firewall but bad enough to set me back two days of scrubbing.

The boot cowl was a different story for me. The glue really attacked it over the years. I have a new piece of metal on order for that little mess.

Did you decide on a flap tunnel option? I really like the fleckstone paint. It looks good and is easy to install (and repair later on).

Just to clarify, doesn't come with the glue they just have a paper that comes with the reccomendation of the 3m trim adhesive for the firewall. I believe it reccomended something else for the roof and sides.

Yea I have been scrubbing it off bit by bit. Would have been way easier if I would have been thinking ahead for the firewall and done all of it before getting my panel in and wiring underneath. Things to think about for the future...although hope to never do this again this deep.

As for the flap tunnel, still leaning towards the Selkirk cover for it, still not set in stone. although I do like the fleckstone paint option too.

MEK mixed with some mineral spirits in a spray bottle helped the cleaning process. The spirits slowed down evaporation and the spray bottle helps put it where you want it and keeping it wet.

I'd post photos of mine if I could figure out how to post photos here.

FWIW -
I just helped install a Selkirk tunnel cover and was less than impressed with the overall product. Lots of trimming and the fit was still somewhat sloppy. It takes up quite a bit of additional space and that may be an issue if you have large hoofs like myself. I have thin carpet from Airtex with a hemmed edge and Velcro sewn along the bottom and it fits nice and snug.

akgreg wrote:FWIW -
I just helped install a Selkirk tunnel cover and was less than impressed with the overall product. Lots of trimming and the fit was still somewhat sloppy. It takes up quite a bit of additional space and that may be an issue if you have large hoofs like myself. I have thin carpet from Airtex with a hemmed edge and Velcro sewn along the bottom and it fits nice and snug.

Greg- next time you are at the plane can you snap a picture of what you just described? I would love to see what that looks like, having a hard time visualizing it.

MEK, mineral spirits starting to sound like a nice cocktail! Does sound like it will help to keep it wet though and keep it working. Not to excited to hear about the flap tunnel cover, sounds like maybe a pain in the rear.

I put nut plates on the firewall. also I got the selkirk foam on the firewall today, holes cut for cables and wiring, plugged the other holes from over the years that were not needed. Hoping to start running the engine cables tomorrow.

My 180 had a Selkirk tunnel cover installed when I bought it, however there was no documentation or even an invoice from Selkirk. I got ahold of them to get a copy of the STC so I could clean up the aircraft paperwork. They showed no interest in sending me a copy of said paperwork, or even of looking in the records to verify the former owner had bought it from them for this airplane. Thanks for nothing.

Re the cover itself, it is a quick easy way to improve the looks of the tunnel, but if it was my choice I wouldn't install one. I think a textured paint finish like Denalipilot's looks just as good. Also, I'm not sure about the 180, but my old 170 had holes on each side of the tunnel that made accessing the rudder return springs a snap. If you ever have to get in there, you'd have to remove all the mounting screws & the tunnel cover itself, which just makes the job take that much longer.

hotrod180 wrote:My 180 had a Selkirk tunnel cover installed when I bought it, however there was no documentation or even an invoice from Selkirk. I got ahold of them to get a copy of the STC so I could clean up the aircraft paperwork. They showed no interest in sending me a copy of said paperwork, or even of looking in the records to verify the former owner had bought it from them for this airplane. Thanks for nothing.

Re the cover itself, it is a quick easy way to improve the looks of the tunnel, but if it was my choice I wouldn't install one. I think a textured paint finish like Denalipilot's looks just as good. Also, I'm not sure about the 180, but my old 170 had holes on each side of the tunnel that made accessing the rudder return springs a snap. If you ever have to get in there, you'd have to remove all the mounting screws & the tunnel cover itself, which just makes the job take that much longer.

Not to mention taking it out at each annual which means removing the fuel valve handle, and the EZ flap handle. In time I think I will bin mine and go with a paint option.

FWIW... I have had the exact experience. Although most of the Selkirk stuff is a pain in the ass, the flap tunnel (along with their glare shield) are two great products. I would install this again.

As far as having to remove the EZ Flap at annual goes.......

Not to mention taking it out at each annual which means removing the fuel valve handle,

My 180 has an inspection cover in the belly skin and you can see the inside of the tunnel. Not sure why the cover needs to be removed every annual.

All wiring is basically in and under the panel and through the firewall. Still need to hook up my solenoid and some grounds. Also I am confused with the ammeter. I have a westach ammeter which needs to go to a shunt. I understand why this is, however not sure where to wire it in exactly. I have the standard pull style starter, I believe I run a wire from the starter to the shunt, then the smaller wire from the shunt to the ammeter and obviously ground? Is that it? Looking at standard wiring diagrams and the diagram for my Skytronics/jasco just not exactly sure on this one.

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for following along and helping me out!

Typically the shunt would be between the battery and the master bus to show load on the system or between the alternator/generator to show load there. You wouldn't want it on the starter lead

Halestorm wrote:Typically the shunt would be between the battery and the master bus to show load on the system or between the alternator/generator to show load there. You wouldn't want it on the starter lead

This is correct. If you put it in te starter circuit it will only show load when you are starting. Ideally it should be between the battery and the bus.

The IPC shows the ammeter with one wire going to the bus and one wire going to the starter.

You connect the starter to the master solenoid, so when the master switch is on the starter is always hot anyway basically correct? So when you pull on the starter cable it engages the starter. So if you run the wire to the starter it is basically like running it over to the battery anyhow. I suppose you could just run it over to the battery itself.

Right, pull starter. I was thinking a keyed starter with a starter selenoid. I would consider doing it to the battery, that way if you ever switch to keyed starter you don't have to change the ammeter wiring as well. Or just do it the way the IPC states, can't go wrong that way.