Baffle seal rivet shavings

MoMooneyMoProblems

MoMooneyMoProblems

Filing Flight Plan
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Alan
Newish PP and aircraft owner…first post here! Just started replacing my baffle seals and when drilling out the old pop rivets I couldn’t help but notice the amount of metal dust and shavings. How much of an issue is this? So now I’m thinking to shop vac as much as I can and then douse the engine off once I’m done.

First time working with rivets so didn’t consider the metal debris from the removal process and never saw any mention of this in the dozens of articles/posts I read about baffle seal replacement. Am I over thinking this??
 
You're on the right track. Vacuum as much as you can. Check for debris between the fins. You may need to get creative if you find some heads or shavings in there. Safety wire may help fish it out. You should make an effort to get all if it out.
 
Cover everything with old cotton towels, helps keeps the chips out. They stick to the towel. Then carefully remove them and throw them away when you are finished.
 
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A long damp q-tip may help too. I have used a sticky lubricant on a q-tip to fish something out of a tight spot, but be sure to use something that is already found in the environment and not too much.
 
Thanks all. I’m only about a quarter of the way in so I’ll just clean everything up so far and then mask and cover everything for the rest of the job.
 
MoMooneyMoProblems said:
Newish PP and aircraft owner…first post here! Just started replacing my baffle seals and when drilling out the old pop rivets I couldn’t help but notice the amount of metal dust and shavings. How much of an issue is this? So now I’m thinking to shop vac as much as I can and then douse the engine off once I’m done.

First time working with rivets so didn’t consider the metal debris from the removal process and never saw any mention of this in the dozens of articles/posts I read about baffle seal replacement. Am I over thinking this??
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Is this an experimental aircraft?
 
Witmo said:
Is this an experimental aircraft?
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Making small simple repairs to fairings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.
 
grease on drill bit will help keep cuttings at bay. And compressed air is your friend.
 
Clip4 said:
Making small simple repairs to fairings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.
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While I agree if the OP was repairing a small, damaged section of baffle seal even with using rivets, it could be squeezed into Appx A(c)12 provided he signed it off and had an understanding APIA come annual time. However, replacing all the baffle seal with rivets definitely puts it out of the preventative mx category in my opinion.

For one, there’s guidance that defines “complex assembly operations” as riveting and welding which would preclude that task based on the Part 1 definition of preventative maintenance. However, to install the seal correctly to ensure maximum engine cooling, it takes a bit more experience than just drilling out pop rivets and riveting in new seal.
 
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