The International Cessna 170 Association

Bruce, you're slowly (and you know why) becoming an originality nut.

The early upper winterization plates pictured above are 4-5/8" from the left edge to the right not including the bend lip. From top to bottom in 6" not including the lip. The lip adds another 1/8" to the length and 1/4" top to bottom. I made mine out of .030. The radius of the corners looks to be 1-1/4" without the lip.

Great timing as I just ordered some aluminum to make a new panel overlay for 81D and I need the cowl plugs as well.

Just a thought....... when I had the 0-300 "57" I had made some cowl plugs to restrict the intake.......in my Champ I'm making a restricting plate on the lower cowl for exit air. Suppose to induce more air into the scat tube for cabin heat.....don't know yet, but may work as well on a 170.....

W.

I just found these in the deepest recesses of the garage. Do you still need these outlined, scanned or otherwise? Hopefully not too late....

Yes I still need these which are for the later cowl design. A good scan with a ruler in the scan for size can work. A good photo of it straight on on top of graph paper so we can count the squares for size might work. Or lay one of them on a piece of paper a trace it closely them flip it and trace it for the outline of the folded edge then scan again with a ruler. Also if you could mic the thickness of the aluminum and take a nice closer straight on shot of the decal that would be great.

Will do, Bruce. It may be a few days...

Have a renewed interest in manufacturing these winterization plates. I'm set for the dimensions of the grill plates for the '52 and earlier cowl as well as the lower sump plate. There is one exception. Arash, since you have one of these plates could you measure the distance the 3 rivets are spaced from the edge. I think the measurement I have is a bit tight.

As for the later '53 and on cowl grill plates I have no pattern or dimensions. I'm looking for someone who has a set of these to either scan the actual part or take straight on pictures with a ruler in the picture so I can scale the plate. Also some critical dimensions to double check scale. I also need the material thickness to confirm that but it's probably .032.

No promises when I might have some plate sets available. And unless I can figure out how to form the grill plates faster, there may not be many sets that I even make. The lower plate I've got set up to cut on my CNC router. Still takes time to set up and then deburr and assemble.

Hope someone can come up with that later style grill plate picture and data.

Thanks

Added detail for others.

I used nut plates and fashioned aluminum sheet into a J which is held to the plate with 10/32 Phillips head screws. This is not shown in the pictures A screw driver and a few minutes installs and removes the plates.

The basic dimension of my plates not including the raised lip is 4.5 wide by 6 tall. The lip is 1/2".

Bruce, have you managed to find a set of winter plates for the later model C170B's to copy?

I'm looking for a set and would happily pay someone for a original or fabricated set expecially for the upper cowl.

She's pretty cold up in Northern Canada and the old girl is freezing.....

No I have not had any luck with anyone coming forward the later cowl plates they can take a off picture and give dimensions.

Over 5 years ago I decided to build myself a set of real winterization plates. This thread (and a few others I think) document what I built for myself. My plates where for the '52 and earlier cowl. At the time and maybe a few times since we have asked for someone to take pictures of their later ('53 and newer) plates with a ruler for scale and maybe document a few measurements for others.

All this time I've not been able to get my hands on pictures and measurements. That is until last week. One of the 170 owners on the Facebook site said he had one plate and needed another. I asked him to measure it and post the info. He offered to just send me the plate so I could measure it. I offered if he sent it I'd attempt to duplicate it for him. It arrived yesterday. I duplicated it today. Can you tell which one I built?
This plate is easier to hammer out than the earlier version cause the flange isn't as large and shrinking the aluminum around the flange is easier. However it does have two parts and slots. I believe the original is made from 2024 and my duplicate is made out of 3003-H14 so I can anneal it so it's workable. Tomorrow I may try to make one out of 2024-T0 as I think I saw a sheet large enough in my stuff. The color might match the original better. The 3003 is perfectly fine for the application however as I've learned not to anneal the entire sheet, only those parts I'm working. By the time the aluminum is formed it has work hardened again.

One last pieces of this puzzle is the length and width of the straps this later plate uses to clamp onto the center grill. I could figure it out but I have to get some time with a new cowling and there isn't any currently in my travels. I wonder if anyone has any of these straps they could measure for me.

Since starting this project 5 years ago I thought if I could figure out how to make these things a little more professional looking, and faster to produce so I wouldn't have to charge so much for the time, and I'd offer to make them for others. I'm very close I think and will likely be posting in the TradeMart soon.

Nice Bruce. Did we ever get the early covers documented as far as the dimensions? I saw the oil cooler picture at the beginning of this thread. I'm looking for dimensions for the 52 B model.

Bruce, the talents you have and the workmanship you accomplish are good enough that I don't think you could ever be accused of selling owner-produced parts. I don't think bluEldr's "fuzz" could tell the difference from OEM.

Very nice work. If I lived up "nawth" I'd seriously consider it.

Mike, I thought I had posted the dimensions but when I went looking for them I couldn't find them so maybe I did not. I then started through my computer looking and did not come up with a clean drawing. Started to work on one and didn't complete it. I'll work on that for you.