Installing a Bob Fields inflatable door seal. “Highly Recommended!!”

[Schllc]

If you are interested in reducing wind noise in flight there really is no better option than installing a Bob Fields inflatable door seal. 
There has been a lot of discussion regarding this modification and I wanted to dispel some myths and clarify a few other items. 
 

The most difficult part of this process is the removal of the old seal.  For this task I would recommend a brass wire wheel for a drill or hand grinder. Remove as much of old the seal as you can by hand and with a plastic  scraper prior to using the brush.  I would recommend that you open the door, remove your interior door panel, and remove the arm closer. This makes it much easier to get to everything for the install. The install directions say to remove the door from the airplane. This may make it a bit easier but is completely unnecessary. 
With the wire wheel, it’s important to use brass to prevent damage to the back sides of the rivets, you can clean the entire door in less than 30 min.  Tape off the cabin, and mask the painted edges of the door to prevent accidental damage with the brush, and keep the debris from getting in the plane. If I ever do this again, I will do this part outside the hangar!
After removing the old seal, clean the door with acetone, and then grease and wax remover. This ensures good bond with the adhesive. 
The directions suggest the inflatable nipple of the seal, be placed on the front side of the door but this isn’t possible with the door on the plane. I elected to drill the hole on the bottom forward corner of the door, where I could reach with a drill . 
With the interior of the door panel off, drill the hole for the nipple to pull through for connection of the pump bulb. 
Once again, I am going to contradict the instructions, install the interior door panel BEFORE you glue the seal in place.  The reason for this, is that there are areas where the door seal actually laps over panel, which is important for the seal to completely contact the door jamb. The instructions also suggest trimming the door panel. I do NOT recommend this, at least not for the newer style panels. 
The door seal comes with a long section of hose which allows a lot of options for placement of the hand bulb. Connect this hose to the door seal and bulb while the glue is still wet and get inside the plane with the baggage door open, you will exit this way after installing the door seal. 
The adhesive sets rather quickly, so be prepared to move quickly. The only three really important points to monitor, one is where the nipple enters the door, two is the stud clamp at the top of the door and three, the bottom of the door where the door closer arm must pass between the door and the seal.  Be careful when setting the seal that these areas won’t chaffe or pinch the seal. 
With the seal all glued, immediately get into the plane and slowly close the door making sure there are no pinch points or areas chaffing. Close and latch the door and then pump the ball about three or four times.  This basically forces the seal into a tight fit. 
At this point, the ball is not mounted and has the long hose attached, so you can drape the hose with the extension out the vent of the pilots window and climb out of the baggage door. 
Allow a few hours for the glue to set, release the pressure of the seal and open the door.
Now choose your mounting point, screw it down and you are finished. 

Geebee aeroproducts has mentioned on several occasions that this seal can damage door hinges. 
I can say with 100% certainty that this is not possible with the non electric model. 
Not only do you not need this  much pressure to create the seal, it’s not possible to put much more than probably 10-15psi by hand with this equipment. 
I do believe it has a high likelihood of leaking while deflated in the rain, so if you are permanently on a ramp and do not have a water tight cover, this will be a big consideration.  
Some have said, just give it a few pumps prior to closing and this isn’t an issue. I don’t believe I will use this method.  One because my plane is hardly ever on a ramp overnight, and two, I will do what I have always done with my Mooney, which is carry a roll of blue tape and cover the door gap and fuel caps if I’m on a transient ramp. 
I did not do a very good job documenting my work with photos, so I’m sorry I don’t have good visual aids, but I do have photos of the completed install and will be happy to discuss with anyone considering the install.  The pics show some areas where the seal laps over the panel. What I found was that these areas had excessive gaps between the door and jams and laying on top of the panel helped fill the void. NOTE:  I did NOT glue the seal to any part of the interior panel. 
Lastly, while some models are not listed on the STC, it is acceptable to install as a minor modification logged by your IA. 
This is a really easy install if you know the right process.  I sure hope you find this helpful!

One final note, don’t worry if the seal isn’t perfect and needs to be adjusted after install.  
It is not difficult to break the bond and re-glue!

[Oscar Avalle]

5 minutes ago, Schllc said:

If you are interested in reducing wind noise in flight there really is no better option than installing a Bob Fields inflatable door seal. 
There has been a lot of discussion regarding this modification and I wanted to dispel some myths and clarify a few other items. 
 

The most difficult part of this process is the removal of the old seal.  For this task I would recommend a brass wire wheel for a drill or hand grinder. Remove as much of old the seal as you can by hand and with a plastic  scraper.  I would recommend that you open the door, remove your interior door panel, and remove the arm closer. This makes it much easier to get to everything for the install. The install directions say to remove the door from the airplane. This may make it a bit easier but is completely unnecessary. 
With the wire wheel, it’s important to use brass to prevent damage to the back sides of the rivets, you can clean the entire door in less than 30 min.  Tape off the cabin, and mask the painted edges of the door to prevent accidental damage with the brush, and keep the debris from getting in the plane. If I ever do this again, I will do this part outside the hangar!
After removing the old seal, clean the door with acetone, and then grease and wax remover. This ensures good bond with the adhesive. 
The directions suggest the inflatable nipple of the seal, be placed on the front side of the door but this isn’t possible with the door on the plane. I elected to drill the hole on the bottom forward corner of the door, where I could reach with a drill . 
With the interior of the door panel off, drill the hole for the nipple to pull through for connection of the pump bulb. 
Once again, I am going to contradict the instructions, install the interior door panel BEFORE you glue the seal in place.  The reason for this, is that there are areas where the door seal actually laps over panel, which is important for the seal to completely contact the door jamb. The instructions also suggest trimming the door panel. I do NOT recommend this, at least not for the newer style panels. 
The door seal comes with a long section of hose which allows a lot of options for placement of the hand bulb. Connect this hose to the door seal and bulb while the glue is still wet and get inside the plane with the baggage door open, you will exit this way after installing the door seal. 
The adhesive sets rather quickly, so be prepared to move quickly. The only three really important points to monitor, one is where the nipple enters the door, two is the stud clamp at the top of the door and three, the bottom of the door where the door closer arm must pass between the door and the seal.  Be careful when setting the seal that these areas won’t charge or pinch the seal. 
With the seal all glued, immediately get into the plane and slowly close the door making sure there are no pinch points or areas chaffing. Close and latch the door and then pump the ball about three or four times.  This basically forces the seal into a tight fit. 
At this point, the ball is not mounted and has the long hose attached, so you can drape the hose with the extension out the vent of the pilots window and climb out of the baggage door. 
Allow a few hours for the glue to set, release the pressure of the seal and open the door.
Now choose your mounting point, screw it down and you are finished. 

Geebee aeroproducts has mentioned on several occasions that this seal can damage door hinges. 
I can say with 100% certainty that this is not possible with the non electric model. 
Not only do you not need this  much pressure to create the seal, it’s not possible to put much more than probably 10-15psi by hand with this equipment. 
I do believe it has a high likelihood of leaking while deflated in the rain, so if you are permanently on a ramp and do not have a water tight cover, this will be a big consideration.  
Some have said, just give it a few pumps prior to closing and this isn’t an issue. I don’t believe I will use this method.  Once because my plane is hardly ever on a ramp overnight, and two, I will do what I have always done with my Mooney, which is carry a roll of blue tape and cover the door gap and fuel caps if I’m on a transient ramp. 
I did not do a very good job documenting my work with photos, so I’m sorry I don’t have good visual aids, but I do have photos of the completed install and will be happy to discuss with anyone considering the install.  The pics show some areas where the seal laps over the panel. What I found was that these areas had excessive gaps between the door and jams and laying on top of the panel helped fill the void. NOTE:  I did NOT glue the seal to any part of the interior panel. 
Lastly, while some models are not listed on the STC, it is acceptable to install as a minor modification logged by your IA. 
This is a really easy install if you know the right process.  I sure hope you find this helpful!

One final note, don’t worry if the seal isn’t perfect and  ends to be adjusted after install.  
It is not difficult to break the bond and re-glue!

It works really well. The noise difference is amazing.

[rturbett]

Nice write up!

[GeeBee]

1 hour ago, Schllc said:

If you are interested in reducing wind noise in flight there really is no better option than installing a Bob Fields inflatable door seal. 
There has been a lot of discussion regarding this modification and I wanted to dispel some myths and clarify a few other items. 
 

The most difficult part of this process is the removal of the old seal.  For this task I would recommend a brass wire wheel for a drill or hand grinder. Remove as much of old the seal as you can by hand and with a plastic  scraper prior to using the brush.  I would recommend that you open the door, remove your interior door panel, and remove the arm closer. This makes it much easier to get to everything for the install. The install directions say to remove the door from the airplane. This may make it a bit easier but is completely unnecessary. 
With the wire wheel, it’s important to use brass to prevent damage to the back sides of the rivets, you can clean the entire door in less than 30 min.  Tape off the cabin, and mask the painted edges of the door to prevent accidental damage with the brush, and keep the debris from getting in the plane. If I ever do this again, I will do this part outside the hangar!
After removing the old seal, clean the door with acetone, and then grease and wax remover. This ensures good bond with the adhesive. 
The directions suggest the inflatable nipple of the seal, be placed on the front side of the door but this isn’t possible with the door on the plane. I elected to drill the hole on the bottom forward corner of the door, where I could reach with a drill . 
With the interior of the door panel off, drill the hole for the nipple to pull through for connection of the pump bulb. 
Once again, I am going to contradict the instructions, install the interior door panel BEFORE you glue the seal in place.  The reason for this, is that there are areas where the door seal actually laps over panel, which is important for the seal to completely contact the door jamb. The instructions also suggest trimming the door panel. I do NOT recommend this, at least not for the newer style panels. 
The door seal comes with a long section of hose which allows a lot of options for placement of the hand bulb. Connect this hose to the door seal and bulb while the glue is still wet and get inside the plane with the baggage door open, you will exit this way after installing the door seal. 
The adhesive sets rather quickly, so be prepared to move quickly. The only three really important points to monitor, one is where the nipple enters the door, two is the stud clamp at the top of the door and three, the bottom of the door where the door closer arm must pass between the door and the seal.  Be careful when setting the seal that these areas won’t chaffe or pinch the seal. 
With the seal all glued, immediately get into the plane and slowly close the door making sure there are no pinch points or areas chaffing. Close and latch the door and then pump the ball about three or four times.  This basically forces the seal into a tight fit. 
At this point, the ball is not mounted and has the long hose attached, so you can drape the hose with the extension out the vent of the pilots window and climb out of the baggage door. 
Allow a few hours for the glue to set, release the pressure of the seal and open the door.
Now choose your mounting point, screw it down and you are finished. 

Geebee aeroproducts has mentioned on several occasions that this seal can damage door hinges. 
I can say with 100% certainty that this is not possible with the non electric model. 
Not only do you not need this  much pressure to create the seal, it’s not possible to put much more than probably 10-15psi by hand with this equipment. 
I do believe it has a high likelihood of leaking while deflated in the rain, so if you are permanently on a ramp and do not have a water tight cover, this will be a big consideration.  
Some have said, just give it a few pumps prior to closing and this isn’t an issue. I don’t believe I will use this method.  One because my plane is hardly ever on a ramp overnight, and two, I will do what I have always done with my Mooney, which is carry a roll of blue tape and cover the door gap and fuel caps if I’m on a transient ramp. 
I did not do a very good job documenting my work with photos, so I’m sorry I don’t have good visual aids, but I do have photos of the completed install and will be happy to discuss with anyone considering the install.  The pics show some areas where the seal laps over the panel. What I found was that these areas had excessive gaps between the door and jams and laying on top of the panel helped fill the void. NOTE:  I did NOT glue the seal to any part of the interior panel. 
Lastly, while some models are not listed on the STC, it is acceptable to install as a minor modification logged by your IA. 
This is a really easy install if you know the right process.  I sure hope you find this helpful!

One final note, don’t worry if the seal isn’t perfect and needs to be adjusted after install.  
It is not difficult to break the bond and re-glue!

So how do you do the paper work since to my knowledge it is only good to K models and not beyond.

[Schllc]

It was explained to me that it is a minor mod that does not require the stc. That’s how it was logged in my logbooks. But to be honest I wouldn’t care how it was logged or even if it wasn’t logged.   This is such an insignificant change that has zero affect on airworthiness….
I will never own another Mooney without this mod. 

[LANCECASPER]

When I did mine on a Bravo that I had, the IA just signed off as replaced door seal, as he would if he had replaced it with any other door seal, since there are several different manufacturers of door seals. He just happened to have replace it with the best door seal. After that door seal was installed and tweaked a little after a couple flights, it was the quietest single engine piston non-pressurized airplane that I have been in. Priceless!

[Danb]

Agreed I had one on my Bravo which was real quiet, now my Acclaim not so much, shame Mooney makes such poor doors and frames. 

[Schllc]

8 minutes ago, Danb said:

Agreed I had one on my Bravo which was real quiet, now my Acclaim not so much, shame Mooney makes such poor doors and frames. 

Well, the additional noise is speed related!! 
never had the bravo but the lycoming in my Aerostar runs great low rpm and are quieter. 
do you have the inflatable seal in the acclaim?

[Danb]

No I don’t bought one then sold it here no one wanted to install it, now I wish I did, but the acclaim is fast the engine is smooth as butter a I really liked the Bravo especially the Lycoming, Mooney should have pumped up the Lycoming a little bit and put it in the Acclaim. My Bravo wasn’t that much slower than the Acclaim and was bullet proof