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Louvers Where to buy or make 4 oil cooler RV-9A

ron sterba

Well Known Member
So I mounted my oil cooler on the firewall because of the cracking on the corner angle of the oil cooler mounting as reported. Now I have a 3" scat tubing running from the rear baffle plate to the firewall mounted oil cooler. I would like to install air louvers at the rear baffle plate rather than the bottom of the oil cooler. Thinking if the louvers are at the bottom of the cooler would make the scat tubing always under pressure. Course not sure it even makes a difference so Iam asking your thoughts on the subject.Thanks guys

Ron in Oregon QBRV9A N421HJ
 
Ron, what kind of louvers are you thinking of???

I have a spare set of louvers that Alex De Dominicas makes.

http://www.rvtraining.com/html/atp/html/products_pics.html#louver11

I can bring them to the Homecoming if you are going to be there.

Top_View_copy1.jpg
 
oil cooler

Ron
I'm flying a 9 with a firewall mounted oil cooler fed by 4" scat. I have tried both restricting the air flow with aluminum tape on the face of the cooler and a louver at the baffles. In my experience, there is no problem with the scat tubing under constant air pressure, if that was your question. I fly in the cold northwest like you and adjust my oil temp now just with tape. When the season changes it is relatively quick to pull one end of the scat off and add or remove tape from the cooler.
 
After reading the last post, I think you are looking for the oil cooler shutter, not for louvers.

Here is a photo I "borrowed" of a shutter installed on the baffling, with a cooler mounted on the baffling also. The same shutter should also work with a remote mounted oil cooler.

oil%20cooler%20shutter.jpg


You can also buy a section of round alum tubing with a butterfly valve in it, and insert that into your SCAT tube run.

The shutter shown above is a standard part from Vans.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...01188-8-78&browse=engines&product=oil_shutter
 
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After reading the last post, I think you are looking for the oil cooler shutter, not for louvers.

Here is a photo I "borrowed" of a shutter installed on the baffling, with a cooler mounted on the baffling also. The same shutter should also work with a remote mounted oil cooler.

oil%20cooler%20shutter.jpg


You can also buy a section of round alum tubing with a butterfly valve in it, and insert that into your SCAT tube run.

The shutter shown above is a standard part from Vans.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...01188-8-78&browse=engines&product=oil_shutter
Thanks Mike, You are right I'm looking for a shutter rather than the louvers. Thanks for the offer I'll pass.. I liked what Mark brought up with the butterfly valve that is very workable.Now Matthew brought up using tape on the oil cooler during the colder months and its funny because a guy at Vans said fly first without the valve and check the temps. If there ok now, don't fix it! When the temps are cooler and you don't like what you see sit down and use TAPE! So the verdict is in, I'll just connect the scat tubing and see how it runs. I'll keep the website handy for the butterfly valve. Ill be working the kitchen at Vans home coming this weekend so I'll see you guys there. Come up and ask for me. Again guys thanks a bunch for the direction here.You got me over the hump! Much appreciated!!!!!!! RON STERBA
 
Mark,

Thanks for posting the info about this fitting. I've been looking for something like this since my RV flew two years ago. I had a set of Van's shutters mounted next to the oil cooler on the firewall, but the temps got too high. I removed the shutters, but that didn't help. Turned out I needed louvers on the bottom of the cowling, but now the temps were a bit too cool. I really didn't want to reinstall the shutters because they look too restrictive so I thought a butterfly valve arrangement would be the way to go. I ordered one this morning.

Jim Bower
RV-6A N143DJ
St. Louis, MO...flying since 2011
 
I didn't find a very good picture on my build site of the install but here is one just before I connected it to the collar.
6zsbuw.jpg
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It adds about 2.5" to the length of the collar. Well made piece and worth the effort.
 
I didn't find a very good picture on my build site of the install but here is one just before I connected it to the collar.
6zsbuw.jpg
[/IMG]
It adds about 2.5" to the length of the collar. Well made piece and worth the effort.
Thanks Mark, I slept on it and decided to order the vale and get it over with in the build process. Nice picture! Its very workable. Ill order this morning. I too have the catto prop. I can hardly wait to get my flying. Hoping for start up in a couple of weeks. Thanks again and much appreciated! Ron in Oregon
 
Here are a couple of mine.
536btc.jpg
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2q2iv6f.jpg


3/4" angle on top and bottom with 3/4" angle used for a doubler on the backside. Two of the bolts are in the stiffener. Collar adapter and collar at the baffle are available from Van's as a firewall oil cooler install kit. About 36 bucks.
 
Is there any support on the hose fitting end of the oil cooler, or is the only support coming from the firewall and structure behind it?
 
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Mark,

Thanks for posting the info about this fitting. I've been looking for something like this since my RV flew two years ago. I had a set of Van's shutters mounted next to the oil cooler on the firewall, but the temps got too high. I removed the shutters, but that didn't help. Turned out I needed louvers on the bottom of the cowling, but now the temps were a bit too cool. I really didn't want to reinstall the shutters because they look too restrictive so I thought a butterfly valve arrangement would be the way to go. I ordered one this morning.

Jim Bower
RV-6A N143DJ
St. Louis, MO...flying since 2011
HEY Jim you mentioned the high temps. I had a fellow RV9Aer come to me and said that the opening at the rear of the lower cowling is really not big enough for the air that comes in the inlets then EXPANDS and that volume of air is more than the the opening can handle on a flow through basis.( I'm not a engineer.) He trimmed a 1/2" off the aft edge of the that lower cupped cowl area on his 9A (thru where the exhaust goes out ). He has a 0-320 in his 9A and mention that the area of that rear opening needs to have the area of the exhaust pipes subtracted then refigured for exit air expansion (CFPM)thus revealing the open area needed at max cruise power. He said his 9A cooling problems are gone. He said he trimmed a 1/8th inch at a time to achieve his desired temps. All all its worth. My two cents. Anybody else do this?
Ron in Oregon QBRV9A N421HJ
 
Is there any support on the hose fitting end of the oil cooler, or is the only support coming from the firewall and structure behind it?
Bubblehead Hi, I have installed per Vans plans for the firewall kit. Mounted the oil cooler flanges (top & Bottom) to 3/4" angle on the horizontal line on the firewall with a backing plate inside the firewall. Mines installed just like Marks above posted picture. If I did it again on mounting the oil cooler it would be 30 degrees angled away from the firewall (at the top of the cooler) and aimed at the rear baffle opening. Right now its a tight squeeze with the 3"scat tubing having a 90 degree bend around one of the engine mount tubes.
Ron in Oregon.
 
Thanks Ron. That is great information to have. I'm planning on going to the other side of the engine to do it because I have more room available on the firewall. I think aiming it a little toward the baffle is good and aiming it toward the exit would be good too. I will try to do both.

I am not having oil temp problems but the more heat I can get out the better in the 100F+ days we have in Texas. Keeping the oil warm enough is rarely an issue.
 
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