Firewall depression at motor mount
Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:41 pm
Hi all,
I am a relatively new owner of a MT7-235 and am looking for some advice/recommendations. I took my plane in to get some avionics work done and an annual at the same shop at the same time.
However, the A&P pointed out a depression in the firewall at the lower motor mount on the copilot's side. He emailed Maule and sent some pictures. Maule recommended we unrivit the skin under the firewall and remove the flooring at the front to get a better idea what may be going on. However, when we did this, there are no bent tubes in this area. After sending pictures to Maule, they replied that sometimes the firewall needs to be bent at the engine mount point during install and that there was no structural damage they could see.
However, the A&P is now unwilling to sign off the plane and has proposed that we get a ferry permit to Maule to sign off. Has anyone in this forum had a similar issue with the firewall being depressed at the engine mount but no visible damage to the frame tubes at the front? The depth of the depression is about 1/2 inch, which to me initially indicated a wheelbarrow landing (even when I was a student I never landed nose first), but there is no damage to the front gear or engine mount. The one item to me that indicates the frame has not moved is that the aileron pulley and cable show no indication of being unaligned. Also the tubing at the front is square.
The A&P indicated that maybe the bent tube is behind this area, but Maule seems to think this is very unlikely.
Attached are some pictures for reference. Any ideas or recommendations for a second opinion that may be able to take a look? I am located in North Texas about 60mi east of Dallas.
I am a relatively new owner of a MT7-235 and am looking for some advice/recommendations. I took my plane in to get some avionics work done and an annual at the same shop at the same time.
However, the A&P pointed out a depression in the firewall at the lower motor mount on the copilot's side. He emailed Maule and sent some pictures. Maule recommended we unrivit the skin under the firewall and remove the flooring at the front to get a better idea what may be going on. However, when we did this, there are no bent tubes in this area. After sending pictures to Maule, they replied that sometimes the firewall needs to be bent at the engine mount point during install and that there was no structural damage they could see.
However, the A&P is now unwilling to sign off the plane and has proposed that we get a ferry permit to Maule to sign off. Has anyone in this forum had a similar issue with the firewall being depressed at the engine mount but no visible damage to the frame tubes at the front? The depth of the depression is about 1/2 inch, which to me initially indicated a wheelbarrow landing (even when I was a student I never landed nose first), but there is no damage to the front gear or engine mount. The one item to me that indicates the frame has not moved is that the aileron pulley and cable show no indication of being unaligned. Also the tubing at the front is square.
The A&P indicated that maybe the bent tube is behind this area, but Maule seems to think this is very unlikely.
Attached are some pictures for reference. Any ideas or recommendations for a second opinion that may be able to take a look? I am located in North Texas about 60mi east of Dallas.