Today I cut out the baffle seals and clecoed them in place. The seals come in a roll of rubber material, with the shapes pre-punched. It took a little time to cut out each shape with a razor, but it was easy to do. Each part is stamped with a label, and they are installed from part A to M.
The baffle seals press against the top cowling forming a seal, and forcing the airflow down through the cooling fins and into the ducting that cools engine components. Any gaps in the baffle seals means inefficient cooling and higher engine operating temperatures.
Based on some vans Air Force threads, I was ready for some of these seals to need to be switched, or flipped, or something. What I found was that if installed with the labels facing outside, everything fit just right. Except for part A, which appeared to be reversed. After a bit of deliberation, I decided it fit best with the label facing inwards. Once I have the cowling on, I guess I’ll find out!
