The recent thread about why we love Skylanes so much made me think that there are a lot of Skylane owners here. We've owned ours since '93 and while that does not at all make me an expert, I've learned a few tips and tricks over the years. I thought I'd share one.

The exhaust exits the cowling just in front of the right hand cowl flap. As such, the RH cowl flap gets blasted by exhaust pulses and gases and is the most prone to failure. There are very few used RH cowl flaps on the market and the price of a new one will make you weep. The weak point is the hinge and hinge pin. There is a very easy mod that you can do to strengthen this area. I call it the RTV trick.

With the lower cowl off, examine the hinge and make sure it is sound. Many times, any play can be removed by just replacing the pin. Chance are, if you pull the pin, it will have worn "steps" in it. Now is a great time to make sure the hinge is in good shape. Replace any parts to make sure it is sound. Cessna hinges aren't cheap but they are a lot cheaper than cowl flaps.

Clean the hinge with something to get all the oil and grease off the hinge. I use electronics cleaner as it doesn't leave a residue. The engine breather tube exits above the RH cowl flap so it tends to get oily.

Once you get it sound and clean, place the cowling on something that allows the cowl flaps to hang down freely. I like to use an big trash can with a towel over it.

Then, using masking tape, mask off the area around the hinge. Like this.


Then using High Temp RTV, fill the void between the cowl flap and the attachment bracket. You aren't trying to get RTV into the pin, just lay it in there without too much force. Smooth it with your tool of choice. A Popsicle stick works well. I prefer Orange.


Once smooth, and before it is dry, pull the tape off and you will be left with a clean RTV "bumper" between the cowl flap and the attachment bracket.


Let it cure over night.

When you re-install the lower cowling and hook up the cowl flaps, the RTV will be under compression and will dampen out any vibration. It absolutely does not affect the operation of the cowl flaps in any way. These pictures were taken in '07 and I still have no play in my cowl flap hinges. Works good, lasts a long time.

Is that what like looks like inside? Mine looks like an asphalt plant. Every time someone tries to show me a dripless way to get the oil filter off! The gushing oil is usually preceded by swearing secondary to a burn, or bleeding from the end of that damn spring. So far, the ziplock bag trick has made a bigger mess than the hemorrhage, but that orange RTV would look snazzy with the dried blood. Seriously, it looks like a great mod. Thanks!

Eric,
Having worked at an asphalt plant in a previous life, I can sympathize....

The easy, and clean way to change your oil filter, if you are using the Cessna oil filter adapter, is to wait. Drain the oil from the pan after a flight but don't touch the filter. Come back 24 hours later and remove the filter, quickly. I get about three drops, onto a paper towel that I position under the filter. Clean and no burns. I run Aeroshell W100 year around and that may have something to do with it. No promises if you use multigrade oil.

On the todo list. Thanks.

You can also slit firesleeve and cement it on
This will allow movement.

GB

Great tip, Phil, and I certainly will do that, even though in my airplane, the exhausts exit out the trailing edge of the cowl flaps.
Eric: If you tape the ziplock bag to the end of a two-foot length of 4" diam. PVC pipe slit lengthwise, punch a hole onto the filter body before unscrewing, and hold the pipe under the filter as you unscrew it, you should get a cleaner result.

Love BT.

TN