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Soft rivets are too hard on my hands to install, can you offer an installation tip?

Use of a deep throated hand squeezer will make installation using one hand easier. Always adjust the rivet squeezer for the right rivet height when the squeezer is closed all the way. This gives you maximum squeezer leverage and ease of use.

What is Bi-Flex and will it cost more than standard baffle seal material?

McFarlane manufactures a patented, Teflon-bonded, reinforced silicone rubber baffle seal material that gives you 30 times less friction on one side. Bi-Flex is our trade name for the laser scoring of this material to give maximum flexibility only where it is needed. For more information, please read Customized Flexibility for Optimal Cooling.

Yes, Bi-Flex costs 25% to 50% more for the extra processing and it will take a little longer to install, but this cost is small compared to the cost of cowling repairs and other damage from the engine movement that is transferred into the cowling and airframe. You will see a drastic reduction in cowling wear, cracks, and fastener fretting. You will also see a lot less cracking and damage to the metal engine baffles.

Which side of Cowl Saver goes against the cowl?

The slick side. Rub against a metal or glass surface to tell the difference. For Cowl Saver that is black on one side and grey on the other, the black side goes against the cowl.

Why don’t we use pop rivets in P/N RIVET-KIT-2 instead of soft rivets?

Following guidelines from a previous Service Bulletin by Cessna, McFarlane chose to use soft rivets. The use of pop rivets might be considered a minor alteration by some mechanics.

Why should I purchase the Cowl Saver Scoring Tool, P/N TOOL120, if the Cowl Saver material is already scored?

McFarlane uses a laser to score the Bi-Flex Cowl Saver material to approximately 40% of the strip width. This works well for assuring a great air seal when you have straight or minor cowl shape changes. However, where you have a curved baffle and cowl, you will get a better fit by cutting out curved pieces of Cowl Saver from a flat sheet and then custom scoring the Teflon on the outer edges for the flexibility you need. You can score Cowl Saver with a sharp razor blade or knife. The TOOL120 scoring tool makes several scores at once and is designed to prevent cutting too deep and damaging the fiberglass reinforcing in the center of the material. The job will go much faster with use of the tool. Even with the pre-scored Bi-Flex, you may find situations where some additional flexibility by custom scoring is helpful for the best possible fit. For more information, please read Customized Flexibility for Optimal Cooling.

Does Cowl Saver reduce the need for repairs?

Yes, Cowl Saver reduces the need for repairs by reducing friction on the cowling that you would typically have with silicone rubber baffles. This eliminates cowl erosion, extends baffle seal life, and reudces expensive cowl and cowl fastener repairs. 

How is the teflon coating on Cowl Saver an improvement over regular silicone?

The teflon coating on the cowl side slides along cowling with ease. Regular silicone is rough on the cowling and does not slide easily. This friction transfers engine vibration into your cowl and firewall causing fastener fretting, fatigue, cracking, chaffing and airframe vibration.

Is Cowl Saver easier to install then typical silicone rubber baffles?

Yes, we offer pre-scored rolls for max flexability where the seals touch the cowling- this also helps with making it "pre-shapped" to want to lay the correction direction from the start. Scoring allows for the teflon material to be slightly stiffer than regular silicone, so it helps to maintain its shape over extended periods of time. For silicone baffles, you may have to take a heat gun (or something similar) to help with the pre-shape of the silicone to ned inward. McFarlane offers pre-scored rolls of cowl saver as well as unscored sheets that you can score yourself, using TOOL120. 

Why should I use Cowl Saver instead of Teflon tape?

Teflon tap can be used to line your seals which help prevent rubbing, however, when the tape quits sticking and it balls up, it could cause damage to the engine. The Teflon side of cowl saver is adhered to the baffle material to ensure it does not rub off due to engine vibration. 

How do I measure my control for custom manufacture?

To learn how to measure controls for custom manufacture see;

How to Measure Your Engine Control (Quadrant)

How to Measure Your Vernier Engine Control (Knob)

All other anti-seize I have used are thick. How can this work when it is so thin?

The D A M high temperature anti-seize formula is based on inert high temperature dry lubricants suspended in a naptha carrier with a few other low viscosity additives. The thick grease base in other anti-seize products on the market burn and char at exhaust temperatures leaving sticky hard deposits that actually contribute to the lock-up of exhaust joints. The D A M product carrier evaporates leaving only a film of dry lubricants in the joints that penetrates the pores of the stainless steel. 

How does the D A M product work to loosen locked slip joints?

D A M’s light petroleum carrier uses capillary action to penetrate the joint and carry the small particles of dry lubricant into the joint.  By mixing D A M and other solvents such as acetone, MEK or other solvents the viscosity is lowered more yet and the mixture will penetrate small spaces more effectively to loosen corrosion and combustion by products while lubricating the joint.

How is the D A M product different than other anti-seize products?

D A M anti-seize works on the principle of very small particles of inert dry lubricants imbedding themselves into the open pores of the stainless steel. The dry lubricants lowers friction and prevent corrosive adhesion of the two stainless steel surfaces. The dry lubricants prevent combustion by products from actually gripping the stainless steel. Other products rely on powdered metal such as copper or nickel in a mix of greases and graphite. The powdered metals themselves are often corrosive to the stainless steel at high temperatures and actually create adhesion by microscopic corrosive residue. The old failed theory is that the metal powder flakes will separate from each other and allow disassembly. This does not work at high temperatures and with stainless steel.  Any graphite in the compound (graphite is required for MIL SPEC anti-seize compounds) sets up a severe galvanic corrosion action with the stainless steel and the powdered metals that produces corrosive by products that swell and lock the joint while attacking the grain structure of the stainless steel. This corrosive action is accelerated at high temperatures and contact with combustion by products.    

Is there anything I can do to make D A M work better?

Since D A M is a mixture of heavy dry lubricants and light petroleum distillates, it will separate quickly.  Shaking the can often during use keeps the lubricants in suspension. D A M works best when it is rubbed into the stainless steel. Rotation joints back and forth before final assembly will help imbed the dry lubricant particles into the stainless steel surface. Then disassemble and recoat the joint.

It is in a small can. Will it do very many exhaust joints?

 Only a thin film is required to be on the surface of both parts of the exhaust joint so the small can will service many more exhaust joints compared to a big can of pasty grease. 

Why does a small can of the D A M product cost so much?

The high temperature inert dry lubricants are expensive to produce and refine. Since it only takes a thin film to be effective it is more economical than other anti-seize compounds. A can goes much further.

Does D A M window cleaner have anything in it that will hurt my windows?

No, D A M does not have any ammonia or other strong chemicals that could attack or shorten the life of any plastic. D A M has a very small amount of alcohol (less than .3%) in a water based solution. The quantity is so small that it has no effect on plastic or other surfaces. D A M is safe on all surfaces.

How does D A M protect my windows from dust and dirt scratches while cleaning?

The polymers and carnauba wax in D A M window cleaner lubricate and encapsulate the abrasive dust and dirt particles so they slide on the plastic surface until they are absorbed deep into the wipe-off towel. The dust and dirt particles are still there, but they cannot get a damaging grip on the plastic surface. After the D A M cleaner is polished off it leaves a protective film that also helps prevent abrasion penetration of dust and dirt particles.

Never wipe a plastic surface when it is dry (or extensively while wet with just water) as some of the abrasive particles will be gouged into the surface, causing scratches.

Is D A M window cleaner toxic?

D A M window cleaner is a mixture of non-toxic wax, polymers, and a mild detergent with the slightest trace of alcohol. It is an irritant to the eyes if it has direct contact.  

What is the best cloth to use on an aircraft window?

There are two types of cloth that work well to prevent scratching on plastics.

The first is the synthetic micro fiber cloth. This soft supple fine matrix cloth will do an excellent job of protecting the acrylic surfaces. The down side of this cloth is that it is expensive and the wax and polymers used in plastic cleaners do not wash out well. The microfiber cloth will have to be thrown away when the wax and dirt buildup prevents a streak free surface.

The other cloth that works well is soft cotton cloth, with the best construction being T-shirt material. The fluffed soft cotton fibers have layers that isolate dust and dirt well from the cloth surface and they can be used many times. The cost is low enough that you can just throw them away when they get contaminated.