rebuilding an engine box
 

I have an aeroworks 35CC Extra 300 that the receiver battery died on and in the crash the engine box was trashed. I've tried to fix it, but it always seems to come back apart. The engine is a Brillelli 46CC. Is there a thread on building a box, the correct way.

Thanks,

Chuck

RE: rebuilding an engine box
 

You post a picture of what you are trying to do and I bet you won't have to find a thread:D Help will be on the way;)

RE: rebuilding an engine box
 

Livewire is right, without pictures it is hard to give an exact direction to head but post a few and there are a myriad of experienced peopel out there that will be glad to help.
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To answer your question on whether or not there is a thread covering this, there is now - this one. (ok - there are probably others but I haven't bothered searching)

It is very rare that you can get away with just gluing the old bits back together. At the very least they will need "doublers" anywhere there is a break.

Some basic steps

Before you start
The only glue to use is a slow setting epoxy.
Make sure you have plenty of clamps available
Make sure you have plenty of sandpaper available
Make sure you have some good quality ply the same thickness (or thicker) than the parts you ar trying to repair.
Make sure you have some tri stock
Make sure you have some fibreglass (4 oz cloth is handy)
Measure as much as you can to get the original thrust lines etc.
Make sure you have some nuts and bolts or some small diameter dowel available.

Use this opportunity to take the firewall to exactly where you want it so as not to need any long standoffs. (I am not familiar with that plane / Engine combo so am not sure if that is an issue with them or not). At the same time if your original setup had any major changes to the thrust lines on the engine, Build those changes into the new firewall location also.

Make sure that wherever you are applying the epoxy, the surfaces meet well and that they are sanded clean.

Use a similar (or thicker) ply to extend from where the remaining box sides are to where you now want the firewall to be.
Make sure the new sides extend at least 50% of the height of the engine box into the remainder of the existing sides as a "doubler". Also let the new sides extend a little past where you want the firewall to end up - you can trim that off later.

Epoxy the new sides into place, clamp them and let the epoxy set.

Epoxy the firewall into location, clamp it and let it set.
Add Tri stock at the joint between the firewall and the side.
I like to put a couple of dowels in the sides where they are doubled up between the old and the new sides Others use Screws or bolts. Once the glue is dried on the dowels, sand them flush.
Now install the top and the bottom of the box - again doubling up if there is anything to double up to and using tristock on the joints.

Once that has all set, place a layer of fibreglass around the sides and across the front of the box.

That oughtta work - works for me.