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  #11  
Old 06-02-2020, 07:46 AM
rgroiss rgroiss is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Germany
Posts: 2
Default

Cooling is difficult...
Have an RV-7 with IO360-M1B and the showplanes mod you are asking for. I intended to tow gliders, so the mod is in from the beginning - have no comparison to the "normal" oil cooler configuration.
The mod itself looks good, decouples the weight of the cooler from the baffles.
In the winter (about 30F this year) I had to close the air inlet to the oil cooler completely to have the oil above 160F.
Therefore I added an additional oil thermostat in spring.
After opening the air inlet to the oil cooler completely I got troubles with my CHT's - looks as the cylinders did not get enough air as too much was flowing through the oil cooler. Therefore I closed the air inlet to the oil cooler except a 1*6cm open area. With that configuration, the CHT's are still hot but acceptable (430F@120kt climb 80% power LOP, OAT 70F on the ground), oil temp max. 185F which equals the control temperature of the thermostat.
Therefore I thought of going to the standard cooler but did not manage to do so far - would be a big issue.
Have electrically operated cool flaps (similar to the antisplat ones but much bigger), all the numbers above are with them closed.
With the cool flaps open have CHT 430F oil 185F @75kt OAT 70F and full power full rich.
Maybe your hot days are hotter than ours...
Ren
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  #12  
Old 06-02-2020, 11:55 AM
wilddog wilddog is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: va.
Posts: 523
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Are you going to tow at 120 kts?
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  #13  
Old 06-02-2020, 09:02 PM
Frogman208 Frogman208 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego,ca
Posts: 24
Default Showplane

Rene, I believe your engine is a parallel valve 180 hp without piston squirters but maybe I?m wrong. I?ve gone with the showplane configuration because I have a IO 360 a1a that is 200 hp and oil squirters. The 8, 9, or 10 row was not enough so I have the 13 row set up with the showplane. Will know by tomorrow how it handles the heat. Just wanted to put out there that the IO variants have different cooling requirements. You can get by with smaller cooler if you have 180 hp configuration without modifications but not with the angle valve. The trade off is with piston squirters I hopefully don?t need as much air to the cylinders so the big opening for the showplane hopefully won?t affect my #4 cylinder. My cylinders never get above 350 but my oil temp was in the 220s in cruise, not acceptable. To each his own
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  #14  
Old 06-04-2020, 11:28 AM
Frogman208 Frogman208 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego,ca
Posts: 24
Default Showplane update

For those that are interested,

Got the Showplanes installed with the Vans 13 row cooler with a hugh thanks to Donny Eccker who masterfully post build installed the cooler. Two days worth of work but really worth it. Yesterday was extremely hot day for southern California with temps at 8k in the high 70's. Initial and follow on flight tests to 10K resulted in oil temps staying in the 180-190's on climb out and cruise. That was 25/2500 on climb out with NO stair stepping. It was a dramatic difference from the previous 8 row. This really worked for my situation ( IO-360, angle valve, 200hp, piston squirters) so your mileage may vary. Also this install is not necessarily straight bolt-on as some modifications are needed to fit your engine design, mostly fitting and routing of lines but well worth it. Again, my credit goes to Donny Eccker for doing this post build. NO more pull backs or stair stepping to cooler air. I may need to block off in the winter but that is better than living with cruising temps of 220 in the summer time. I believe my engine will thank me.
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  #15  
Old 06-11-2020, 10:14 AM
flybywire flybywire is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 31
Default

Great post. I'm going to start the mod on my IO-360
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  #16  
Old 06-11-2020, 12:38 PM
Frogman208 Frogman208 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego,ca
Posts: 24
Default Last update

For those still interested,

After another 25hrs with the Show plane oil cooler configuration, I am seriously impressed. I've had no oil temps above 200 and I've pushed the engine hard for the last week. Im in SOCAL, so the Santa Ana winds have been blowing and I've had 85 degrees air temps at altitudes (around 6K) and the oil always settles down to 180 degrees. Pushed out the other day with 100 degrees on the ramp, typical fuel boiling during taxing, oil temp around 190. Took off with hard climb, oil temp goes up to 200, piston squirters keeping CHT's below 350 and leveled off at 6.5K. I pushed a 90KT climb (2000+ foot/minute climb) all the way. Couldn't get oil temp over 200 and I was trying. On the other side, around 7:00 am, I ran the San Diego bay bridge/San Diego coast route at 500 ft and oil temp leveled at 178 degrees. So I'll probably have to block off during winter months but I can live with that. Conclusion: I have full use of my power (200hp) during extreme heat events. Best modification that I could have made, this was after checking all baffling, leaks, etc...Again, my shout out goes to Donny Eccker for the install. So those that have heat trouble with Angle Valve, 200 hp engines and can't use all your power due to temps, please consider the Show planes engine mount solution. No long 3" or 4" tubes trying to direct air to the back of the firewall mounted oil cooler, the show plane sits back about 45 degrees off #3 with rubber seal to allow for the violent engine shaking that Angle valves are known for during start up. Happy camper here......
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  #17  
Old 06-11-2020, 11:26 PM
dreed dreed is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Camas, WA
Posts: 370
Default

Scott- are you running a 13 row cooler? I installed a 10 (maybe 11) on my 390 that has yet to fly (close though!) . Easy to move to a 13 if I need to based on oil temps.
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  #18  
Old 06-12-2020, 10:47 AM
flybywire flybywire is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 31
Default

No, I think it's a 9 row, but definitely the small one that Van's recommended. After reading a recent post using a Showplanes mod with high success, I'm excited to make the mod to my IO-375 and upgrading to a 13 row cooler! The question is, should I also add the flapper to reduce airflow for the winter months which is almost non-existent here in SoCal?
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  #19  
Old 06-12-2020, 10:37 PM
Frogman208 Frogman208 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego,ca
Posts: 24
Default Clarification

Sorry just saw this, it?s the Vans 13 row. I had the Vans smaller one on first, the one recommended by Vans for the 180 hp engines. It was off the #4 cylinder with angle bracket for the vibration. IT was not enough so I ordered the show planes engine mount kit and Vans 13 row cooler. That is what I have now. I know there is a lot of talk about which 13 row cooler to go with but checking show planes website, they recommend Vans 13 row but I?m pretty sure other 13 row coolers will work with the kit. Another quick point, I think showplanes also offers engine mount kits for the 9 row also, so make sure you know which one your ordering. My experience is only on the 200 hp, angle valve engine. Most parallel engines can get by with smaller cooler but I think the show plane engine mount kit which tilts the air flow 45 degrees behind the baffling gives you full use of any cooler your using. On my old 9a, I had a bracket the builder fabricated to tilt the oil cooler back 45 degrees. I now know why he did that to direct as much air as possible to the cooler, problem was it was mounted on the baffling and kept cracking every 300 hrs but I never ran hot on that engine. So the concept is sound and Show plane design is based on the same concept without shaking the baffling to death. Anyway, hope that clears up any confusion.
Scott
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  #20  
Old 06-12-2020, 10:43 PM
Frogman208 Frogman208 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: San Diego,ca
Posts: 24
Default Also

Flybywire- also recommend installing the butterfly valve now during your install. Flying the coast down low and pulled back put my oil temp at 178 and it was 65 degrees out so I?m also installing the butterfly valve for flying up north and Midwest this fall. Just my thought as butterfly valves are easy compared to trying to keep oil Temps below 220 on a hot cruise day.
Scott
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