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Date:         Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:59:55 -0700
Reply-To:     Evan Mac Donald <evanm@ATT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Evan Mac Donald <evanm@ATT.NET>
Subject:      Engine Assembly Wizzdom
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I am plotting out the re-assembly of my 2.2 wbxer, and thought I would ask about a bit of Lycoming/Continental lore that I was recently exposed to. For those who are unfamiliar with these engines, they are horizontally-opposed, air-cooled four cylinder engines, used to power many, if not MOST light civilian aircraft. Structurally, they are very similar to our versions of infernal combustion units that power our VWs. Vertically-split on the center-line, separate cylinder jugs, etc. They, and their maintenance, fall under the purview of the exceedingly conservative (mechanically) FAA. When sealing the case halves together on these engines, two things are used. Permatex Aviation sealant and silk thread. (Permatex is the only FAA approved sealant.) But that's not my point. The interesting thing is that a silk (real silk, not polyester) thread is carefully laid down on one side of the sealing surface, in the sealing compound, before the halves are fitted together. Does anyone know if this trick has been tried on any of the VW cases, and if not, why not? There must be some advantage, my guess is in filling the small crevices that machining processes leave, that the sealing compound alone can't cope with. The thread itself can't be thick enough to interfere with the fit between the halves, can it? If this is an improvement for oil sealing, I am all in favor of it! It may just be there to keep the halves far enough apart for the Permatex to work properly, or maybe as a method to keep the halves from "working" against each other at the seam. Enquiring minds want to know...


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