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12-23-2010, 09:54 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Visalia, CA
Posts: 31
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SW style oil cooler
Ive been reading the posts and am about to order the firewall forward package from vans for my 7a. I have an IO-360 Aerosport 180 hp CS with Superior cold air sump and horizontal induction. Is it best to stay with the Stewart Warner seven-tube style cooler or should I maybe go to the IO-360(200hp) that vans offers? Any experience with fit for the larger vs smaller unit. Thanx guys and Merry Christmas all! Keep on keepin' on. gary
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12-23-2010, 10:19 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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There is also an Aero Classic 10-row cooler that's about the same external size of the SW 9-row 10599R for literally half the cost. Another RV-7 builder here on the forums, "lostpilot28" recently upgraded to this cooler on his IO-360 RV-7 and is getting about the same results as we are with the SW10599R on the ECI IO-360 RV-8 in my avatar (pics of our oil cooler installation in this thread http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=65412 )
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Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
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12-23-2010, 04:42 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Posts: 466
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standard is fine
we have a mattituck tmx-io360 180hp with lycoming based cylinders.
the stock oil cooler is just fine, in our case it's actually too efficient.
we are just about to retrofit the van's oil cooler shutter, which would have been much easier to install right from the beginning. but we figured, rather not to block anything for the first few flights since we can always go the other route. but if we glaze the cylinders with too high of an oil temperature it might get expensive. turns out we would have been perfectly fine.
my only complaint about the default oil cooler is the quality of threads and flanges. the first one that we got actually had what turned out as a slightly oval thread, which lead to an aluminum fitting galling up and we had to replace the cooler.
the second was better, however we could only get the npt threads to seal using titeseal in what was about the third attempt. before there would always be small drops of oil (using ez-turn fuel lube initially) at the fittings. never lost much, but enough to not tolerate/leave it.
also you will find the whole discussion about whether to use aluminum or steel fittings heavily debated. we got to the point where we had the steel fittings ordered, but then got the aluminum ones tight, so we opted not to replace them for now (why fix if not broke ;-)
right now, having to retrofit the oil cooler shutter is a pain in various ways.
for one, the shutter needs to be between the cooler and the baffling, mounting it behind the cooler is widely reported as ineffective.
but in the baffling there are rivet heads protruding as well as the oil cooler doubler with the bent-back flanges that have to be made to fit. then there's the question whether we'll possibly need special bolts, one size longer (if we end up having to make a doubler for clearing the rivet heads). which is extra expense and another mail order item from the u.s.
also the actuation is debatable. right now we are leaning towards a short push-pull type cable which remains firewall forward and can be set through the oil dipstick door, with fixed notches. there's also a possibility to just lock the shutter it in one position per season. or making actuation from the cockpit possible, either through some kind of electric servo or yet another firewall pass-through for yet another push-pull cable dedicated to the oil cooler shutter.
what is everybody else doing?
reading very little about the shutter online.
if there's threads it's mostly about alternative oil coolers / not enough cooling, which totally doesn't apply in our case.
one thing that probably helps with cooling in our case (and what we would do again) is the two louvers on the bottom of the cowling.
rgds,
bernie
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Bernie Daenzer, Alex Lichtensteiger
www.flyvans.com
RV-7A
S/N 72072, Flying!
HB-YMT (Switzerland)
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12-23-2010, 05:22 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: KSLC
Posts: 4,021
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Quote:
also the actuation is debatable. right now we are leaning towards a short push-pull type cable which remains firewall forward and can be set through the oil dipstick door, with fixed notches. there's also a possibility to just lock the shutter it in one position per season. or making actuation from the cockpit possible, either through some kind of electric servo or yet another firewall pass-through for yet another push-pull cable dedicated to the oil cooler shutter.
what is everybody else doing?
reading very little about the shutter online.
if there's threads it's mostly about alternative oil coolers / not enough cooling, which totally doesn't apply in our case.
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You'll need longer bolts, unless the originals had too many washers to begin with. Washers need to be installed on both sides of the shutter, to prevent the cooler fins or baffles from rubbing. The actuation of the shutter should be very easy to push/pull.
I used the Van's black knob cable, they sell for heat & carb heat. It replaced a somewhat lighter, but flimsier cable from Autozone. Personally, I'd much rather have the option to adjust from the cockpit, than a requirement to be on the ground. Where we fly in the winter, has quite a temperature change. I also have the standard Van's cooler. It's been fine.
Lycoming 0360AIA
L.Adamson --- RV6A
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12-23-2010, 07:03 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Howell, MI
Posts: 297
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Need for the shutter
I thought the oil coolers have a thermostatic controlled valve that opens when the oil temp rises to a set point, closes when too cool. The valve when closed would prevent the oil from going thru the oil cooler, that is, the oil would bypass the finned part of the cooler and go around the perimeter. So why the need for the shutter to block out the cold air when oil may not even be going thru the cooler? I have yet to see one on a O320 powered Skyhawk (OK maybe this is a bad example-we are supposed to make them better).
If there is a need, I'll put one on but not just to add weight. Even when the shutters are fully open the setup would block some air out when air flow capacity is needed on those hot summer climb outs.
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12-23-2010, 07:08 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Seattle, wa
Posts: 679
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The early positech coolers had poor cooling performance. They improved their core and now have excellent performance, a more robust build than the others, and a very good price. IMO best bang for the buck on coolers. The old rep of poor cooling performance lives on so it is hard for many to accept these coolers as a good choice.
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12-23-2010, 07:10 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Seattle, wa
Posts: 679
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo
I thought the oil coolers have a thermostatic controlled valve that opens when the oil temp rises to a set point, closes when too cool. The valve when closed would prevent the oil from going thru the oil cooler, that is, the oil would bypass the finned part of the cooler and go around the perimeter. So why the need for the shutter to block out the cold air when oil may not even be going thru the cooler? I have yet to see one on a O320 powered Skyhawk (OK maybe this is a bad example-we are supposed to make them better).
If there is a need, I'll put one on but not just to add weight. Even when the shutters are fully open the setup would block some air out when air flow capacity is needed on those hot summer climb outs.
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It is not supposed to close enough to block all the oil from going through the cooler.
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12-23-2010, 07:49 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: KSLC
Posts: 4,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo
If there is a need, I'll put one on but not just to add weight. Even when the shutters are fully open the setup would block some air out when air flow capacity is needed on those hot summer climb outs.
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The cooler's fins, takeup quite a bit of the free area, when it comes to square inches. I assume this is thought of, in the shutter design. Never the less, the system worked well on a friends 9A this summer. I didn't get enough air time during the hottest months, due to various non-aviation accidents here and there. But mine did work well through the middle of July, where temps were in the 90's.
L.Adamson --- RV6A
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12-23-2010, 08:31 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo
I thought the oil coolers have a thermostatic controlled valve that opens when the oil temp rises to a set point, closes when too cool. The valve when closed would prevent the oil from going thru the oil cooler, that is, the oil would bypass the finned part of the cooler and go around the perimeter.
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There is no valve in the cooler itself. The valve, called a vernatherm, is actually in the engine (oil filter adapter). Even when the vernatherm is completely retracted, a significant amount of oil still circulates thru the cooler at all times the engine is running.
__________________
Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
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12-24-2010, 06:27 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Newport, TN
Posts: 7,496
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Stock cooler here. Temps 180-190 cruise depending on OAT.
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