What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Oil cooler

S

SteveMc

Member
I have an RV-8A with the 0-360/ C/S prop. My oil cooler is on the #4 baffle per Van's instructions. My oil temperatures are still running a little warmer than I like at 215 to 220 degrees F at high power. I would like to modify the oil cooler at this position to improve the cooling. Any good and easy to change ideas?

Thanks
Steve McDonald
 
Not Bad

Those really aren't terrible temps if your OAT is plus 100. I've noted before that I fly to work every day. When I work night shift and leave for work at 6:15 PM it is still over 105. Yesterday it was 110. I only climb to 2900 ft because of the Class Bravo airspace. My oil temps got to 220 on the last 5 minutes of the flight yesterday.

I would look to see if you have as much space open as possible to the cooler. I'm going to cut a little bigger opening next week. Hopefully, I can get another few degrees of cooling.

What are your CHT's doing?
 
oil temps

Steve,
I had the same problem on my -6! I put on a new engine over the winter along with new baffling. The vans baffling kit is all prepunched so it really only allows the oil cooler to be mounted in one spot which I found out to be way to low. Only the top 1/3rd of the cooler was above the cylinder. I relocated my cooler to the left front baffle and mounted it laying down just like a Piper or S-1 Pitts. This knocked 30 deg. off of the oil temps. I am now running 185-190 in cruise. The problem that I had was when I took off and landed then took off again with the engine heat soaked the temp. would go thru 240F and climbing if I did not back off of the power and lower the nose. The easy thing to do would be to rebuild the L.H. rear baffle and mount the cooler as high as possible with at least 2/3rds of the cooler above the cylinder. I hope that helps!
 
Steve,

I was getting way too high oil temps with my FADEC 180HP IO-360 in my -8A. I was getting around 230?F at 24"/2400 at ~55?F OAT. I tried the Setrab -113 based on other success stories and it made no difference:(. I finally gave in and installed the Stewart Warner 8432R. I had to use a longer hose on top of the cooler expense. It dropped my oil temp 30-35?F. I mounted it in the same location as the original NDM cooler, except that I had to cut the opening bigger to accommodate the larger face area.
 
SteveMc said:
...I would like to modify the oil cooler at this position to improve the cooling. Any good and easy to change ideas?....
Click to expand...
Maybe. Although my RV-8 is as yet untested, I anticipated potential cooling problems because unlike the SBS models, the oil cooler has to be mounted much lower to adequately clear the upper cowl. What I did to compensate for the lower position was to take a tip from other builders who have gone before. I added a spacer between the baffle and cooler. Can't remember offhand but I think it is pnenolic material purchased from Wicks.

1szlm1.jpg
 
To that end...

...We mounted ours on the firewall using the diagonal reinforcement angles to mount on. Van sells a 3" flange that can be added to the baffling and run a scat hose to an oil cooler adapter. This way, 100% of the cooler is exposed to the air. Ours might get to 195 on a really hot day....and that's with the cheapie Van's cooler.

Regards,
 
I have mine mounted in the same spot (behind #4) and bought the
SW clone from Van's. My temps are always below 200, even after
a quick turn. What cooler are you running? Have you checked the accuracy
of the gage? I would do that before making any mods.
 
A stewart warner 10599R will fit. That is both a bigger and higher quality oil cooler than stock. I don't have any comparison data--this is the only oil cooler I've ever installed. My oil temperatures have never broken 200 in cruise. In fact I have a hard time getting them up above the desired 190F in the winter. I believe both Jim Daniels and Randy Lervold had similar success with this setup.

361781268_JDzCd-L.jpg
 
RE:pictures

Jon

Do you have any pictures of your install

Frank @ 1L8 ...RV7A... Phase 1

n700jl said:
Steve,
I had the same problem on my -6! I put on a new engine over the winter along with new baffling. The vans baffling kit is all prepunched so it really only allows the oil cooler to be mounted in one spot which I found out to be way to low. Only the top 1/3rd of the cooler was above the cylinder. I relocated my cooler to the left front baffle and mounted it laying down just like a Piper or S-1 Pitts. This knocked 30 deg. off of the oil temps. I am now running 185-190 in cruise. The problem that I had was when I took off and landed then took off again with the engine heat soaked the temp. would go thru 240F and climbing if I did not back off of the power and lower the nose. The easy thing to do would be to rebuild the L.H. rear baffle and mount the cooler as high as possible with at least 2/3rds of the cooler above the cylinder. I hope that helps!
Click to expand...
 
pierre smith said:
...We mounted ours on the firewall using the diagonal reinforcement angles to mount on. Van sells a 3" flange that can be added to the baffling and run a scat hose to an oil cooler adapter. This way, 100% of the cooler is exposed to the air. Ours might get to 195 on a really hot day....and that's with the cheapie Van's cooler.

Regards,
Click to expand...

Mine is mounted likewise except with 4" scat flange like the RV-10. Oil cooling is so excellent, it is too cool.
 
First off, the oil temps are not bad at all. Lycoming says in a SB I believe that you should have oil temps above 210 F for at least an hr to get rid of all the water that collects inside the engine and oil. I like to see my engine on my float plane run about 220.
But I too agree that running the oil cooler on the firewall is a good place. First the oil cooler doesn't get shaken apart by the engine and like the other gent said it will get all the air to the entire surface, this is the way I installed it on my PA22/20 amphib.
 
Notes From The Field

The oil temperature in my O-320 with its rear baffle mounted oil cooler has always been on the cool side, possibly caused in part by efficient baffling. Even on the hottest days at sustained cruise, the oil temperature remains around 160? as displayed on the VM-1000 engine monitor. Because of that, I made up three cover plates with a pattern of holes of various number and diameter. This one is currently fitted and at present am seeing 170? at sustained cruise.

24evmdy.jpg


The Lycoming engine operators manual indicates 180? is the ideal oil temperature and that is the target temperature I constantly seek. Still, Lycoming Service Instruction No.1094D says in part the following:

For maximum service life, maintain the following recommended limits for continuous cruise operation:

Oil Temperature- 165?F.-220?F.

Hardly tempermental, that bulletproof Lycoming engine sure gives us a lot of leeway to work with.
 
The idea that you must raise oil temperature above 212F to eliminate water is one of the great myths of the engine world.

Water evaporates just fine at room temperature. It merely evaporates faster at higher temperatures. You don't have to reach boiling point, and anyway, boiling point is reduced with increased altitude. It's about 195F at 10,000.
 
Rick6a said:
The oil temperature in my O-320 with its rear baffle mounted oil cooler has always been on the cool side, possibly caused in part by efficient baffling. Even on the hottest days at sustained cruise, the oil temperature remains around 160? as displayed on the VM-1000 engine monitor. Because of that, I made up three cover plates with a pattern of holes of various number and diameter. This one is currently fitted and at present am seeing 170? at sustained cruise.

24evmdy.jpg


The Lycoming engine operators manual indicates 180? is the ideal oil temperature and that is the target temperature I constantly seek. Still, Lycoming Service Instruction No.1094D says in part the following:

For maximum service life, maintain the following recommended limits for continuous cruise operation:

Oil Temperature- 165?F.-220?F.

Hardly tempermental, that bulletproof Lycoming engine sure gives us a lot of leeway to work with.
Click to expand...

A friend of ours, who likes to tinker, is working on a cable operated-- double vane system that attaches to the back of the cooler. When perfected we'll copy of course. :) The advantage is full open, rather than restricted like the slider unit Van's sells, as well as not having a full size door slide beneath. --Note: the slider is restricted when it's directly against the cooler. If there is a space between, it's better. But we don't have extra space.

This oil cooler dilemma is something I hate, because in the late fall and early spring I travel from a cold area to warm in just a few hours. I'll have metal duct tape stuck to the front of the cooler in various sizes, but remove it before flying south. Having a cable operated device, and not having to pull the cowl will be great.

L.Adamson -- RV6A
 
L.Adamson said:
A friend of ours, who likes to tinker, is working on a cable operated-- double vane system that attaches to the back of the cooler. When perfected we'll copy of course. :) The advantage is full open, rather than restricted like the slider unit Van's sells, as well as not having a full size door slide beneath.
L.Adamson -- RV6A
Click to expand...

Not that this style wont have some effect, but it has been found that blocking the rear of the cooler allows the cooler to still do a lot of cooling just from air blowing on the front side of the cooler. Even though air is not flowing through it.
 
I dont know that it is a myth, but I know that Lycoming recommends higher oil temps for that reason. The worst thing for a engine is a quick trip around the pattern and then sit for another month. I have torn apart many corroded lycomings for that reason.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top