SCS carpet kit 77J

[Grant_Waite]

I’m thinking about getting the nylon carpet kit for my 77J while it’s down for maintenance. I ordered some samples but wanted to see what others have to say. Good quality final product, easy to install, fitment? How did you clean and get all the old gunk off the floor from the old stuff? I’ve already removed my existing carpet and cleaned it up some. But it could still use some love. I want ti get the floor like it’s bare aluminum just don’t know how yet. Also I’ve tried but didn’t get very far with removing the rear seat in my plane. It’s the one piece bench so I don’t how it comes out. I was possibly thinking about replacing all the old insulation with a kit from Soundex. Anyone have any experience with it? 

[jetdriven]

Put snaps in the floor and then snap it to that. Also, a little pissed at SCS because the carpet they have used to be high-quality but now it’s literally cheap Home Depot carpet with the heavy jute backing and only comes in about two different gray colors super light and super dark and then black and then there’s not really a lot of usable color choices here.

[Grant_Waite]

24 minutes ago, jetdriven said:

Put snaps in the floor and then snap it to that. Also, a little pissed at SCS because the carpet they have used to be high-quality but now it’s literally cheap Home Depot carpet with the heavy jute backing and only comes in about two different gray colors super light and super dark and then black and then there’s not really a lot of usable color choices here.

I was thinking about just doing the hook and loop on the bottom. Snaps are quite the labor extensive thing aren’t they? I don’t disagree I think snaps are far superior and look good. Just not sure if I want to do it to this plane. It seems Airtex and SCS are the only 2 options for kits. I’d like to hear from people who have used both. 

[MikeOH]

I've looked at both but don't see nearly $400 in value from either company.

My plan is to buy carpet, with burn certs, from an auto shop. Then use the old carpets as templates and cut my own. Under $100

[jetdriven]

45 minutes ago, Grant_Waite said:

I was thinking about just doing the hook and loop on the bottom. Snaps are quite the labor extensive thing aren’t they? I don’t disagree I think snaps are far superior and look good. Just not sure if I want to do it to this plane. It seems Airtex and SCS are the only 2 options for kits. I’d like to hear from people who have used both. 

If you’re gonna use Velcro, you might as well just save the money and not do anything. Because the Velcro glue either will come off of the floor or it’ll come off of the carpet the first time you pull it up. And both pieces will be still be stuck together on one side of the other. The factory solution was worse. They just glued down some foam and then glued the carpet to that with spray glue, which is really a pretty awful idea. Snaps may not be the only way to do it, but it’s the only way I’ve seen that does it right. It retains the carpet keeps it from skidding around and ripping the screws out of the trim Ring off of your fuel selector or when passengers get in the carpet skids forward bunches up in front of the copilot seat. but you gotta pull the belly panels off so you don’t drill through wiring harnesses and then you screw the suds into the floor and then you peen the snaps into the carpet 

[amillet]

When I replaced the carpet after my grandson barfed on the way home from Oshkosh I used the SCS with foam backing. It is thick and stiff enough that I just laid it in without gluing and it has remained in place just fine 

[LANCECASPER]

18 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

I've looked at both but don't see nearly $400 in value from either company.

My plan is to buy carpet, with burn certs, from an auto shop. Then use the old carpets as templates and cut my own. Under $100

Unless you serge or bind the edges after you cut the carpeting, the edges will fray and look bad soon. 

[EricJ]

34 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

I've looked at both but don't see nearly $400 in value from either company.

My plan is to buy carpet, with burn certs, from an auto shop. Then use the old carpets as templates and cut my own. Under $100

+1 to have the same auto shop finish the edges.   Makes a big difference.

 

15 minutes ago, amillet said:

When I replaced the carpet after my grandson barfed on the way home from Oshkosh I used the SCS with foam backing. It is thick and stiff enough that I just laid it in without gluing and it has remained in place just fine 

The previous owner of my airplane did the same, and it's been fine.   Super easy to remove/replace, no need for fasteners.

 

[PT20J]

I ripped up the factory carpet with no problems. The Airtex carpet comes with foam backing. I just put down a light coat of 3M spray upholstery adhesive and glued the new carpet down. I had to lift portions a couple of times: once to get to the bolts that go through the floor pan to attach the gear up/down relays when I replaced them, and once to remove the gascolator. I just used a putty knife to separate the foam from the floor. It didn’t even damage the foam. The secret is to not use too much glue. 

[Grant_Waite]

2 hours ago, amillet said:

When I replaced the carpet after my grandson barfed on the way home from Oshkosh I used the SCS with foam backing. It is thick and stiff enough that I just laid it in without gluing and it has remained in place just fine 

That’s exactly what I was planning on doing. I think the idea of having the foam backing to help with vibration and sound dampening. 

[Grant_Waite]

2 hours ago, jetdriven said:

If you’re gonna use Velcro, you might as well just save the money and not do anything. Because the Velcro glue either will come off of the floor or it’ll come off of the carpet the first time you pull it up. And both pieces will be still be stuck together on one side of the other. The factory solution was worse. They just glued down some foam and then glued the carpet to that with spray glue, which is really a pretty awful idea. Snaps may not be the only way to do it, but it’s the only way I’ve seen that does it right. It retains the carpet keeps it from skidding around and ripping the screws out of the trim Ring off of your fuel selector or when passengers get in the carpet skids forward bunches up in front of the copilot seat. but you gotta pull the belly panels off so you don’t drill through wiring harnesses and then you screw the suds into the floor and then you peen the snaps into the carpet 

Good to know! I was leaning towards doing nothing and just seeing how it works out. Right now I have nothing holding my carpet in place and it stays alright. I have mats over the carpet and those things stay great, because of the left over adhesive on the back of them. It was an absolute mess when I took them out. Should I really worry that much about cleaning the floor until it’s bare aluminum or just make sure all the old adhesive it gone? Not like one sees the floor when the carpet is down. I just want to clean the seat rails real good, since that’s all you see. I got them pretty clean from last time. 

[Shadrach]

4 hours ago, Grant_Waite said:

I was thinking about just doing the hook and loop on the bottom. Snaps are quite the labor extensive thing aren’t they? I don’t disagree I think snaps are far superior and look good. Just not sure if I want to do it to this plane. It seems Airtex and SCS are the only 2 options for kits. I’d like to hear from people who have used both. 

I tried Velcro on the center piece that sits under the Jbar. It was a waste of time.

[C.J.]

5 hours ago, Grant_Waite said:

How did you clean and get all the old gunk off the floor from the old stuff? I’ve already removed my existing carpet and cleaned it up some. But it could still use some love. I want ti get the floor like it’s bare aluminum just don’t know how yet.

If the old gunk is a black asphalt type of adhesive like was on my 65C, use mineral spirits, a stiff nylon bristle brush and a lot of paper towels to mop up the resultant mess. It took a lot of effort to get most of it off. For what didn't come off I removed with a grey scotch-brite wheel pad on a DeWalt drill.  Afterwards I applied zinc chromate in a rattle can to the now, bare aluminum floor. 

If the old gunk is a yellow/green adhesive, acetone is very effective and removal near immediate for thin patches of adhesive. For thicker patches of gunk saturate a thin piece of cloth and let it sit on that area for a few minutes.

In either case I strongly recommend using a respirator, safety goggles, neoprene gloves and knee pads.

[Grant_Waite]

41 minutes ago, C.J. said:

If the old gunk is a black asphalt type of adhesive like was on my 65C, use mineral spirits, a stiff nylon bristle brush and a lot of paper towels to mop up the resultant mess. It took a lot of effort to get most of it off. For what didn't come off I removed with a grey scotch-brite wheel pad on a DeWalt drill.  Afterwards I applied zinc chromate in a rattle can to the now, bare aluminum floor. 

If the old gunk is a yellow/green adhesive, acetone is very effective and removal near immediate for thin patches of adhesive. For thicker patches of gunk saturate a thin piece of cloth and let it sit on that area for a few minutes.

In either case I strongly recommend using a respirator, safety goggles, neoprene gloves and knee pads.

Thank you, for that informations. I was going over in my head all the stuff you mentioned as necessary items. Just need a drill brush, a lot of acetone, knee pads, and the will. I have to wait a while till I get my plane back. I did as you did, in the baggage compartment and rattle canned zinc phosphate primer. Not sure why they don’t come that way from the factory. Not sure if I’ll do the main cabin. I have my ac in the back so I didn’t want any chance of water causing corrosion.  Here’s what my floor looks like. It’s a picture of something else with the floor in the back ground

Edited July 5, 2024 by Grant_Waite

[jetdriven]

You don’t need to chromate primer the floor, the alclad aluminum is fine. Just make sure it’s mostly cleaned off. Also, there should be a plastic trim ring around your fuel selectior and there should be screws going through the carpet through the trim into the metal to keep that area clear. As others have said, any screws or anything else can jam the fuel selector. 

[Z W]

I did a wool carpet kit from SCS last year.  They were great to work with and custom-cut a few of the pieces for me. After you pay they'll send you shop drawings of the kit so you can go measure the plane and make sure you're getting a good set.  Everything came surge or edge bound so it won't fray.

I tried to use some of the velcro it came with but couldn't get it to stick with the spray 3m adhesive I had.  I ordered some rubber cement which is the proper stuff to use.  However, in the meantime, I just put the kit in, and so far it stays in place just fine, so I haven't got around to trying the rubber cement.  I have some doubts it would work anyways.  Byron's snap suggestion is probably the proper way to do it if you want it locked down.

We used Peerco 321 adhesive remover and some scotch brite pads to get most of the yellow gunk from the factory glue off the floor.  Didn't get it quite back to shiny aluminum but good enough for me, for under the carpet.  Probably would have had to go at it with acetone or MEK and that stuff is pretty toxic inside the cockpit.

[phxcobraz]

I have had the featherweight SCS kit in mine for a few years now. I agree with others, the velcro was a lost cause. I couldn't get it to stick well on the carpet or the floor, and sitting in the heat it just melted the glue and pulled apart every time it got moved. The only part that is an issue is the copilot seat. Passengers always get it bunched up. 

I will say that it isn't the highest quality(it was cheap and it fits, I can't really complain) and I am going to try out their vinyl floor kit next, omitting the ensolite backing. 

[Grant_Waite]

8 hours ago, jetdriven said:

You don’t need to chromate primer the floor, the alclad aluminum is fine. Just make sure it’s mostly cleaned off. Also, there should be a plastic trim ring around your fuel selectior and there should be screws going through the carpet through the trim into the metal to keep that area clear. As others have said, any screws or anything else can jam the fuel selector. 

That picture, is quite old. I stripped the paint around the selector and had the black valve painted red with a white stripe pointing to what tank I’m on. Still have yet to get the trim piece on. Any advice on how to get the holes drilled for the screws? I guess using some butcher paper and tracing it? I have a place near me that makes decals for aircraft and is the oem supplier for piper, making me all new decals for the plane. I’m thinking about having the auto upholstery shop near me, redo my seats and cushioning. The seats bottom out when I sit in it, and I don’t weigh all that much. It would only be 1000 per front seat and probably a little less for the back bench. I got a quote to redo the whole interior from an aircraft interior place and it was 22k. Yeah no thanks, not on this plane.