Remote Mount Oil Cooler - Need Help

[Flyyak]

I have an RV 7 with 150 hours on I0360 A1A vertical draft. I have had oil temp issues from the beginning. I replaced the Niagara 20002A oil cooler from Vans and replaced with SW 10877A which was the same width but 1? longer. It was represented to be about 30% more efficient. I made a 1/8? stand off to allow a little more airflow to the bottom of the oil cooler. This helped a little and I could cruise at 185-190 but still had issues with climb and especially taxi. Temp often will climb to 230 when on the ground especially in the hot summer months in Alabama. I also added a cowl flap whit helped a little.

To make matters worse, I just checked and my baffle mount is cracked pretty much from the top rivet to the bottom rivet in the corner even though I had reinforced the corner significantly and the 1/8 stand off was a 2024 solid piece to match the extended oil cooler baffle opening.

I think my only option at this point is to remote mount the oil cooler but like many, I cannot determine where and how since the area behind the engine and forward of the firewall is jammed packed.

Anyone with photos of remote mount oil cooler in an RV 7 will be greatly appreciated.

[upperdeck]

I used Van’s RV10 part to mount a larger oil cooler to the firewall. They sell a 4” diameter ring to mount on the traditional baffle location. There’s a picture of a portion of this https://jeffsrv7ablog.wordpress.com/...ewall-forward/
And https://jeffsrv7ablog.wordpress.com/category/engine/

[BillL]

There are several threads that show how to strengthen the oil cooler. There are three areas to change. 1. link over to the forward top screw on the head, 2. a piece of angle on the corner, and 3. a brace to the center of the cooler from the head or the case, I did the head. I can send pictures later.


On the options - firewall mount might be the only way, but do some research on the baffle sealing. Reduce the losses. Start with the underside for the cylinder intersection baffle. They usually are very bad. Then reduce blast tubes, make sure there is full contact with the cowl for the upper rubber seals. Reduce your heat tube to 1" for an experiment. There is no reason a tightly sealed engine/baffles won't provide enough air for good cooling unless the timing is too advanced, or the cooler way too small. You won't know about the cooler until the sealing is done.

A rough way to measure upper and lower pressures is using some aquarium foam rocks with an electronic manometer. It will tell you exactly what you need to do.

Check the underside really carefully, make/use a 5/16-3/8 tube extension for the caulking gun to get the stuff in there. All the way around.

The fact that your lower cowl flaps provide any relief is there is too much air creating pressure in the lower cowl. That is direct evidence that the flow across the engine is too high and all f it is not going in the right places.

I'll bet you could hop down to Montgomery and DanH would be happy to look at your baffles and make some suggestions for improvement. An expert right in your back yard!

[n18pf]

Originally Posted by upperdeck

I used Van?s RV10 part to mount a larger oil cooler to the firewall. They sell a 4? diameter ring to mount on the traditional baffle location. There?s a picture of a portion of this https://jeffsrv7ablog.wordpress.com/...ewall-forward/
And https://jeffsrv7ablog.wordpress.com/category/engine/

I did the same thing - RV10 oil cooler mount on the firewall fed by a 4 inch scat tube. I built an adapter out of fiberglass from the original hole in the baffle to the scat tube.

My engine is the same as the original poster and I had exactly the same problem. I tried a lot of things, but the 13 row cooler on the firewall finally fixed it!

[Maxrate]

I?ve been looking at the new remote mount oil cooler just put out by showplanes. It mounts on the right side which may require some mods to your baffles. Worth checking out. Showplanes.com.

[Champ]

Not on a RV-7 but also used the RV10 firewall mount and a Niagara 20006A 13 row cooler. 3 1/2" scat off Cyl 3 baffle to a 3 1/2" to 4" DIY fiberglass transition/elbow to a 4" B-fly on top of the cooler mount. Hot summer cooling has been great as well as keeping oil temps up in -20C winter conditions with the B-fly damper.

[Flyyak]

I am hoping that I can remote mount the cooler to the engine/ gear mounts. Has anyone had success mounting on engine support forward of area where brake lines exit the fuselage.

I can use scat to get air flow from baffle but it will be very difficult for me to remote mount to firewall. I have insulated the firewall and I would do more damage than good.

[erich weaver]

I have a -7A and mounted a new, larger oil cooler on the engine mount. The engine mount tubes are a bit different on a -7, but maybe this will give you some ideas.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ighlight=Erich

Call Bill at Airflow Systems and I?m sure he can help out or point you in the right direction

Erich

[N908RV]

Here's an alternative remote mount - similar to what others have done. It is tight, but can be done: http://www.mykitlog.com/users/displa...=255627&row=32

Just realized you have a-7A. There is actually more space in that same area on the firewall for a -7A. So depending on unused firewall area that may be the easiest method of mounting it.

[Flyyak]

Erich and Rob
Thanks for photos. I do have a 7 and the engine frame is different. I do not have enough room to mount as Erich did. I have my wiring access and prop gov control cable through the firewall that interfere with even the small Nigara cooler. No way I can get a 13 row in between the engine frame tubing toward the center of firewall. I think I can design a mount that will attach a couple of support tubes from the bottom cross frame tube and a couple of support tubes off of the center cross engine frame tubing. I am about to try to make a mock-up to see if it will fit.