Darrel, Thank you so much for this post. I thought NOBODY would ever bring this up!!!!!!!! It fits PERFECTLY into Mi Vida Loca's last post in REPAIRS. Which starts.......
"While I'm not advocating the use of "nonstandard" parts don't get lulled into the mistaken belief that standard or authorized parts are superior or for that matter even safe. A case in point is the exhaust header purchased by a friend from a well known parts supplier (a PMA supplier). It met all the requirements by the FAA but when installed turned his plane into a death trap." Although I have not read of your problem anywhere yet, it just has to be a super common one and I guess the sure fire LEGAL cure is to repair it AGAIN in the same STUPID way! Although I'm not an A&P, I think you probably could modify this part so the cut is not in the line of stress AND place the cut farther down a longer handmade replacement L bracket AND put a neat little radius rather than a straight cut. Also an L bracket made of larger or thicker material would still fit. Also, you can see that OVERTIGHTENING the fuel tank straps ain't to good for this bracket either. These procedures should be acceptable under Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices : Aircraft Inspection and Repair, Aircraft Alterations (Ea-Ac 43.13-1A&2A). If not, hopefully we will be advised otherwise. Chances are if you are reading this and don't know what Darrel is talking about, your brackets are broke or are going to break..... or somebody has already fixed 'em! Honest Injun, I mean engine! <g> You folks with "D" model conversions probably have already seen and dealt with this in some manner. Happy Landings, Bob Urban ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Darrel Hanson wrote: > > I removed the top skin on my 415 C to replace with the stainless skin > (D conversion) and found that both of the brackets that the fuel tank > straps are attached to had failed on the 'closest to the pilot' end. > The bracket is an angle piece that runs from the firewall to the first > bulkhead. The way it joins this bulkhead was accomplished by cutting > away 1/2 of the piece angle and bending the remaining finger down and > riveted onto the bulk head. It is at this cut the piece has failed. > The turnbuckles that tighten to hold the fuel tank in position place a > side load on this bracket and I think that this contributed > significantly to the failure. > > There was some evidence of this failure on the surface skin now that I > look back at it with a bit of a deflection in the skin, and a broken > rivet head where the skin and this bracket join the firewall. As this > area is normally covered by the top cowl, it makes it even less > visible. > > I am a bit concerned as the heaviest portion of the tank was resting > in the .002" skin, causing flexing fuel lines and all of the problems > that this could cause. > > Have any of you ever run into this before? > > > Thank you > > Darrel Hanson 800-726-7086 > http:\\www.perfectsolutions.com
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