The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I give up! Does no-one offer cowl plugs for C170s? Can anyone suggest how to make a pair that will work with the original grills in the cowl inlets?

Nor have I found anyone who can supply me with a replacement ceiling light bezel, another piece of yellowing, cheap blown plastic. Thanks for any and all advice. Kent

Not that I've found. I think Bruce's Custom Covers made something, but it was a flat piece you "wove" in between the grill slats - not a great solution.

Kent,
It's not pretty, but I have seen socks filled with foam to plug the grills! As for the bezel, to my knolage its a flat pice of plastic. I would use it as a template, and using a band saw cut a new one from plastic I got from spruse or your local lumber dealer.
brad

kmisegades wrote:...Nor have I found anyone who can supply me with a replacement ceiling light bezel, another piece of yellowing, cheap blown plastic. Thanks for any and all advice. Kent

Kent, it's easy to find a replacement "Instrument Light Cover", pn 0710101-1...once you realize the part number has been superceded to
0710101-4-532 , you can get directly from Cessna.... for only $243.00 !
Otherwise I suggest you start looking in salvage yards listed in the MX Library for an early 172 which used the same cover. (Hope this helps.)

For cowl plugs I use 1 1/2" thick open cell foam. Open cell so the cowling can still breathe. I cut it a lilttle wider than the opening and about four inches "taller". Just tuck the top and bottom ends in the slots and it works fine. You must exercise caution when removing them as they tear easily. I have not gotten around to making a fabric cover for them using a thin tear resistant fabric. I've got enough foam to make spares so it's not a priority right now.

Steve

I have a hunch he's talking about cowling vents as on a C-120, C-140, C-170, C-170A and the '52 C-170B. They have a grill across the opening which kind of precludes a foam plug.

I have a 1" foam backed metal cover with a spring loaded metal hook protruding thrugh to hook on the grill.

When I refurbed the over head light on my 170A. I cut out a new piece of plexi-glass I had laying around. I masked of the edges and then ran one side through my glass bead blaster to provide a frosted appearance. I drilled holes in it to match the holes in the reflector housing to pick up the tinerman nuts attached to the housing.

For the housing I cleaned the goo, rust and corrosion out. I picked up a can of Testors aluminum metalizer paint in a small spray can at the hobby shop. I sprayed the inside of the reflector with this paint to restore the "reflectivness". This paint can be polished with a soft cleanex to provide a fairly shinny surface.

This housing is riveted to the overhead skin panel with two long bushings (spacers) between the housing and the skin which the rivets pass through. I used two AN470A 4-26 rivets to install it back to the cabin overhead.

Works good lasts a long time.

For cowl plugs, I took heavy plastic w/w fluid container and cut 2 pieces larger than the opening and sticky foam where it rested against the paint with a push and twist lock latch to hook onto the grill bar to hold in place. Works well for preheating to keep in the heat.

John