ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 1 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
SUBJECT:

Retrofitting Brackett Foam Air Filter to Existing Ram Air Systems

MODELS:

All AT-502A, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A aircraft with offset engine
mounts and with Air Tractor Ram Air Inlet System

REGULATORY APPROVAL:

The modification in this service letter represents a change in the

aircraft’s Type Design. When accomplished in accordance with this
document, this change is “FAA Approved”.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this service letter is to provide guidance for

modifying the Air Tractor ram air system to allow installation of a
Brackett Aircraft BA-413E air filter in place of the existing
Donaldson P609713 filter. The BA-413E filter is a flexible oil-
coated foam filter that has demonstrated better sealing, filtering,
and airflow properties. This filter requires the installation of a
filter frame in the engine plenum.

PROCEDURE:

It is estimated that this retrofit will take approximately 6-8

manhours to complete. If existing aircraft modifications or repairs
require departure from the steps listed in this service letter or for
any questions or concerns, please contact the Air Tractor Customer
Service Department at (940)564-5616.

Use the methods outlined in FAA Advisory Circular AC43.13-1B for all
aspects of this installation.

Install covers over all engine intakes or exhausts and cap any open
connectors or fittings to prevent debris from entering any part of
the engine, hoses, or electrical connectors. Keep the engine and all
parts free of debris and metal shards.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 2 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
1. ORDER KIT
The first step in this installation is to order the appropriate parts
kit for your aircraft. When ordering your kit from your dealer,
please specify the following items:
 Aircraft model
 Engine model
 Inlet tunnel type: Flanged or Slide-thru

There were two types of fiberglass inlet tunnels installed on factory

and retrofit ram air installations: flanged and slide-thru. The
flanged tunnel was installed on early ram air installations and has a
large flange on the aft end of the tunnel where it attaches to the
front engine bulkhead. The slide-thru tunnel does not have a flange
but slides thru a band in the front engine bulkhead. See pictures
below for both types of tunnel.

Tunnel
flange visible Tunnel slides thru
bulkhead here
Figure 1 - Flanged Tunnel Figure 2 - Slide-thru Tunnel

2. REMOVE COWLING
 Remove side cowl skins and the lower cowl skin.
 Remove the lower corner cowl skins.
 Remove the upper and lower engine plenum covers by loosening the
four worm drive clamps.

3. REMOVE EXISTING FILTER AND FILTER BRACES

 Remove the existing filter by loosening the four worm drive clamps
and removing the filter thru the lower bulkhead.
 There are 3 diagonal braces that are bolted between the forward
and aft engine bulkheads: one in the lower center of the plenum
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 3 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
and one on each side. Remove all three of these diagonal braces
by removing the AN3 bolts holding them in place. See below.

Diagonal Diagonal
brace brace
Figure 3 - Lower Diagonal Brace Figure 4 - Side Brace (L/H shown)

4. REMOVE THE LOWER FORWARD BULKHEAD

 On both sides of the forward bulkhead, remove the bolt shown in
Figure 5 below. Keep this hardware to reuse.

Forward
Bulkhead
Splice

Remove this bolt.

Figure 5 - Forward Bulkhead Brace
 Remove all of the screws attaching the fiberglass inlet tunnel to
the forward bulkhead. Save this hardware.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 4 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
 On both sides of the forward bulkhead, remove the lower two bolts
of the bulkhead splice (shown in Figure 5). Save this hardware.
This will free the lower half of the forward bulkhead.
 Remove the lower half of the forward bulkhead and remove the
fiberglass inlet tunnel.

5. REMOVE THE LOWER AFT BULKHEAD

 Reach into the cockpit and open the engine alternate air door.
 Remove the entire alternate air door assembly from the aft
bulkhead. Save the hardware.
 On both sides of the aft bulkhead, there are clamped support
assemblies that attach the bulkhead to the engine mount tubes.
See Figure 6. Leaving the clamp in place, remove the eyebolt and
spacer stackup that goes through the bulkhead. Save the hardware.
Mark these two holes so you can transfer them to the new bulkhead.

Remove the AN3

bolt, the eyebolt, and
the spacer stackup.

Leave this
eyebolt tight.
Figure 6 - Clamped Support on Aft Bulkhead

 On the aft bulkhead, remove the orange seals and seal plates that
seal around the engine mount tubes. Keep all of this seal plate
hardware to reuse when the seals are reinstalled. (Note: It is not
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 5 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
necessary to remove the seals and seal plates around the upper two
tubes. The upper half of the bulkhead will not be removed.)
 Disconnect the combustor drain tube from the aft bulkhead. See
Figure 7. Remove the bulkhead fitting and save for reuse.

Combustor
Drain Tube

Figure 7 - Combustor Drain Tube

 Remove the lower aft bulkhead from the upper aft bulkhead by
removing the bolts attaching the bulkhead splice plates. Save the
hardware for reuse and leave the splice plates attached to the
upper half of the bulkhead.
 On the original aft bulkhead, carefully measure the location of
the two support holes (see Figure 6). Transfer these holes to the
new aft bulkhead that is included in the kit. These holes need to
be located as close as possible (at least within 1/16”) to the
same location on the new bulkhead. Drill these holes #11.
NOTE: To transfer these holes to the new part, the old bulkhead may be used as a pattern or
you may make measurements from any easily repeatable point on the bulkheads.

6. ASSEMBLE NEW BULKHEADS

 Test fit the new lower forward bulkhead. Cleco it in place using
the two open holes around the engine cutout. The bulkhead should
be on the aft side of the engine flange and should have adequate
clearance around any engine components such as the oil lines, but
there should be no gaps that could let unfiltered air enter the
plenum. After test fitting, remove the lower bulkhead.
 Similar to above, test fit the new lower aft bulkhead. The aft
bulkhead should be located on the forward side of the aft engine
flange. The bulkhead should clear the engine mount tubes by at
least 3/8”. Grind the bulkhead to obtain this clearance if
necessary. After fitting, remove the lower bulkhead.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 6 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
 Install the 53076-1 filter frame on the two lower bulkheads per
Drawing 53083 using the MS20470AD4-6 rivets included. For easier
access, the three center support rods on the filter frame can be
removed by removing the screws from the forward end of the rods.
Do not insert the filter at this time.
 Build up and attach the side seal plates per sections A-A and B-B
of Drawing 53083.
 Seal the perimeter of the engine side of filter and seal plates
with PR1422-B2 sealer. Before applying the sealant, thoroughly
clean the area to be sealed with a good solvent such as MEK.
Apply the sealer with a “less is more” attitude and ensure there
are no clumps of sealer that may break loose and be ingested in
the engine. Smooth the sealer with a finger or a stiff brush.
 Install the combustor drain bulkhead fitting in the aft bulkhead.

7. INSTALL LOWER BULKHEAD ASSEMBLY

 Scrape off the excess sealer (if any) on the fiberglass tunnel.
 Fit the new lower bulkhead assembly and the fiberglass tunnel in
place on the airplane. Remember the bulkheads fit between the two
flanges on the engine. Cleco the bulkhead assembly in place using
the holes provided around the engine cutout.
 Ensure there is at least 3/8” clearance around all of the engine
mount tubes and engine components.
 Reconnect the upper bulkheads to the lower bulkheads using the
splice plates and the original hardware.
 On both sides, reinstall the eyebolt that braces the aft bulkhead.
See Figure 6 above. These holes were drilled in the aft bulkhead
in a previous step.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 7 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models

Push brace against bulkhead and

drill #11 to match. Install AN3-5A
bolt, AN960-10 washer, AN365-
1032 nut. Bolt head must be
located on inside of plenum.

Figure 8 - Forward Bulkhead Brace

 Drill the forward bulkhead to match the brace strap and install
hardware per Figure 8.
 Remove the clecos that are holding the bulkhead assemblies to the
engine flanges. Apply a bead of RTV-133 where the bulkheads lay
against the engine flange. This sealer should be on the outside
of the plenum, not on the inside.
 Reinstall the alternate air door assembly on the aft bulkhead.
 Reinstall the combustor drain line to both sides of the bulkhead
fitting in the aft fuselage.
 Reinstall the fiberglass tunnel to the nose bowl and the forward
bulkhead. Use the original hardware. If the tunnel is the
flanged type, use RTV-133 to seal the flange to the forward
bulkhead.

8. INSTALL NEW FILTER (BA-413E)

 Check the plenum interior to ensure that all systems are properly
installed and that all temporary engine covers or plugs have been
removed.
 Ensure there are no drill shavings or debris inside the plenum.
 Using a short Phillips screwdriver, remove the three screws that
hold the center support rods in place (if this hasn’t been done
already). Remove these rods by sliding them out of the brackets
on aft end of the filter frame.
 Remove the new filter from its packaging. The filter is a three-
stage foam filter coated in a special oil. This oil is the key to
the filters ability to clean the air. Do not try to wash the
filter or it will remove this oil and prevent the filter from
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 8 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
functioning properly. After handling the filter, the oil residue
can be removed from your hands and clothing with normal washing.
 Through the front of the filter frame, install the filter. The
dark, coarse side of the filter will be facing forward and the
light colored side of the filter will be against the screen.
Maneuver the filter into place and ensure that it fits tightly in
all of the corners.
 Replace the three support rods in their brackets and reattach them
with the 90013-7 screws.
 Inspect the filter from above and below to ensure that the filter
fills the frame completely.

9. REINSTALL COWLING
 Recheck everything inside the plenum to ensure that all systems
have been properly reinstalled and there is no debris present.
 Perform an operational check on the alternate air system by
operating the control inside the cockpit to ensure that the door
opens and closes smoothly.
 Reinstall the plenum covers and tighten securely with the worm
drive clamps. (Hint: It is helpful to spray the plenum seals and
P-seals liberally with Formula 409 cleaner or soapy water when
installing the plenum covers. This acts as a lubricant to ease
the installation of the covers.)
 Inspect the edges of the plenum covers for any gaps that may allow
unfiltered air into the plenum. Seal these gaps with RTV-133.
 Reinstall the cowling corner skins and reinstall all equipment and
drains that attach or penetrate these skins.
 Inspect the entire engine installation to ensure that everything
is installed properly and that no other problems exist. Ensure the
entire engine compartment is clean and free of debris.
 Reinstall the lower cowl skin and the side cowl skins. Ensure
that all hoses and wires are reconnected as necessary.

WEIGHT AND BALANCE INFORMATION:

The weight and balance change for this retrofit is as follows:

Subtract 11.2 lbs at Station -57.6 for AT-502A/602 aircraft.

Subtract 11.2 lbs at Station -62.0 for AT-802/802A aircraft.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 9 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
CONTINUED AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION:

NOTE: Air Tractor recommends that the owner/operator make changes to the Owners Manual
and Parts Manual, as applicable, to reflect these changes. This may be accomplished by inserting
the needed pages from this Service Letter into these manuals at the appropriate location.

These BA-413E filters are throw-away filters. There is no procedure

for cleaning and reinstalling the filter. If cleaned, the filter may
lose its ability to stop contaminants from passing through.

The engine air filter should be checked during every pre-flight

inspection. Visually inspect the filter by looking into the engine
inlet. Check the filter to ensure it is correctly seated in place
and check the face for excess dirt caked on the face of the filter
element. Excess dirt can be easily brushed off with a bristle brush
and removed from the plenum with a vacuum hose or swept out of the
plenum through the access cover in the bottom of the plenum cover.

As with any air filter, the length of service life for these filters
depends entirely on the operating conditions. When the filter
becomes dirty enough to illuminate the warning light, take it out and
replace it as follows:

1. Remove the lower and side engine cowls and the lower engine
plenum cover.
2. Remove the three center filter support rods by removing the
screw on the forward end and sliding them out of their
retaining brackets on the aft end.
3. Remove the old filter element from the filter frame.
4. Clean the filter frame and engine compartment as necessary.
WD-40 does a good job of cleaning any residual filter oil.
5. Install the new filter element per Section 8 above.
6. Reinstall the three center filter support rods by sliding the
aft end into their retaining brackets and installing the
screw into the forward end.
7. Replace the lower plenum covers and seal any gaps with
RTV-133.
8. Replace the side and lower engine cowl skins.

The foam filter element is required to be replaced at least every 12

calendar months regardless of actual flight time. The reason is to
ensure acceptable levels of oil remain in the filter to adequately
capture dust and debris.
 ENGINEERING NUMBER

SNOW ENGINEERING CO.

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS #289 Rev B
ORDER X
MODEL

TITLE BY CHK’D
See Below
SERIAL
Kyle Schroeder JH
SERVICE LETTER #289 DATE See Below
PAGE OF

1/12/11* 10 10
*Rev A -3/3/11 – Made clarifications per FAA request
*Rev B – 6/14/11 – Added AT-502A to applicable models
APPENDIX A –
Ram Air Filter Retrofit Kit Parts List
The retrofit kit for this modification consists of the following
items:

For all models

 All of the components shown on Drawing 53083
 A copy of Drawing 53083
 One tube of PR1422-B2 Sealant
 One tube of RTV-133 Sealant
 One AN3-5A Bolt
 One AN960-10 Washer
 One AN365-1032 Nut

For AT-802/802A only

 One 52413-21 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(slide-thru tunnel)
 One 52413-22 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(flanged tunnel)
 One 51990-25 Aft Bulkhead Assy (lower half only)

For AT-502A/602 with PT6A-60AG engine only

 One 52463-19 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(slide-thru tunnel)
 One 52463-20 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(flanged tunnel)
 One 52465-20 Aft Bulkhead Assy (lower half only)

For AT-502A/602 with PT6A-65AG engine only

 One 52463-19 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(slide-thru tunnel)
 One 52463-20 Fwd Bulkhead Assy (lwr half only)(flanged tunnel)
 One 52518-18 Aft Bulkhead Assy (lower half only)