Jim Mantyla wrote: Guys,
You should be aware that zip ties have calcium carbonate (ground up marble) in them as a flow enhancer. They will cause wear grooves in metal parts if they are allowed to move with vibration. If they need to go on an engine mount tube, use a piece of hose over the tube first and then the zip tie on that.
Regards,
Jim
Just as a matter of conversation, I don't think this is fully accurate. The principal reason that wear can occur with good quality wire ties that have been installed or become a little loose is dirt, or most specifically silica (sand) in the air/environment. There are many materials that can be added to nylon to modify properties, but I don't believe calcium carbonate is one that would be commonly used or found in the material used in high quality ties and then would somehow be a factor in its abrasive qualities. I'm a fan of wire ties and have used them extensively in the airplanes I built, specifically Thomas & Betts "Ty-Rap". They have an unlimited tensioning range due to the small embedded stainless steel tab in the design. This makes it a little easier to get just the right amount of tension when installing. They're more expensive than many other brands, but worth it to me. Their common MX series are made of Nylon 6/6 and are good for use up to 185 deg. F. I use the UV/weather resistant black ones, all over the airplane, including the engine compartment, and never experienced any kind of failure or problem in the 28 years that I owned the T-18 that I built. They are also available in many different configurations and types including Nylon 6/6 that is heat stabilized and good to 221 deg. (or even 302 deg. with the TYHT series). Like Bob said, lacing is a PITA and makes the job of cleanly adding wires to a bundle much harder. I believe absolutely in protecting tubing or other structure, sometimes including the wire bundle itself with something like Jim suggests. I like to use a thin layer of clear, abrasion resistant polyurethane tape. If you buy common, cheap wire ties made in China or somewhere else, who knows what they might have in them.
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