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RV-8 Heat Diverter: Solution to a Nonexistent Problem?

goatflieg

Well Known Member
When I installed Van's cabin heat selector box on my RV-8 firewall I saw two potential problems. The first was routing the push-pull cable; with ground adjustable rudder pedals set full-forward I saw the potential for getting the top of a pedal caught behind the cable during brake actuation with rudder deflection; definitely NOT a good scenario. I decided to modify the flapper lever and route the cable directly from the left gear tower to the lever. This would reverse the operation to push-to-open/pull-to-close, but that's no big deal to me. The other issue was that it looked like the hot air would be blowing directly into the left corner in front of the gear tower; less than ideal, with wiring, cables, fuel pump, fuel lines and brake lines there. I thought a heat diverter would help reduce those issues and redirect the hot air straight aft. So I made this up out of scrap aluminum. It was eyeball-engineered and took some fiddling, but I believe it will help. Having to route the cable through the diverter was a pain, but it works without any interference. Just wondering if any other RV-8 builders had similar thoughts. Did I solve a nonexistent problem?
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What Heat?

I wish I had your dilemma of how to direct the heat. My -8 has no heat at all. When I joined the project partnership the airplane was about 80% complete and my partner had decided against adding heat.
I think the deflector you added is a good idea. If the heat is not where you need it, what good is it?
 
Guess I'm not sure what to say... :)

I think it will help direct the air back a little. I installed some scat and routed the heat to an eyeball vent attached to the gear tower. That way I can direct it towards the passenger legs, or up at the pilot as needed. Just another idea.
 
+1 ... What Andy said. I originally installed two heater valves to two different heat muffs. One was right of center on the floor abd the other was plumbed to an eyeball vent attached the baggage compartment wall. Boden cables ran through the right gear tower, through the bottom of the front baggage compartment, through the firewall to the heater valve. With heated seats and two heater valves I had more than enough heat for flying in 0 degree weather. I have since removed the heater valve, muff and scat tube connected to the heater valve on the floor and now just go with the eyeball vent for heat. A lot less clutter.
 
I also made a simple deflector like you did and it helps to get warm air to the rear instead of the corner in front of the gear tower. So for me it works. The control cable makes a loop on the firewall. Sorry - can?t post pictures.
I also have a second heater valve with an outlet on the forward baggage area like Mike described and so get warm air even to the backseater. Coldest OAT I had was -8F and I didn?t fully open the heater valves - however with electric seat heaters.
 
Heat Diverter

This has been a dilemma for me too. I prefer the simplicity of having the cable on the left tower and pushing to open and pulling to close the heat valve. There is no way to attach scat tubing without making your own metal collar around the heat vent. Andy- what is on the firewall end of your tubing at the valve?
Goatflieg- It looks like your diverter is held in place by the bracket that holds the Boden cable. Correct?

Thanks, Rich
 
This has been a dilemma for me too. I prefer the simplicity of having the cable on the left tower and pushing to open and pulling to close the heat valve. There is no way to attach scat tubing without making your own metal collar around the heat vent. Andy- what is on the firewall end of your tubing at the valve?
Goatflieg- It looks like your diverter is held in place by the bracket that holds the Boden cable. Correct?

Thanks, Rich

Yes, mostly. There is a second bracket at the top, secured by a screw and nut that also secures the EIS wire harness retainer clip I fabricated.
Andy, I like your setup... but doesn't that eyeball vent bracket bother your left leg? Years of motorcycle riding have left me a bit bowlegged. When designing the layout of my manual elevator trim vernier bracket and the layout for my heater Bowden cable, I had to make sure I wouldn't end up with my left leg resting on a bothersome bracket. It's an issue with the cars I drive, too... if I take a road trip in my wife's Subaru, I have to have some padding to put between my right leg and the edge of the plastic center console bezel... doesn't take too many miles to start feeling an annoying pressure point.
 
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You have just spent a gazillion on building your most awesome RV8.

Spend a few more bucks and get heated seats - they really are the solution to the talking freight moaning incessantly. Oh and buy them a scarf :D

Seriously, the car type seat warmers slip under the covers, use a reasonable amount of electricity and keep your tush and back warm.
 
To hookup the scat tube I had to install a different heat control diverter box that had a scat output on the inside of the firewall. Got it from one of the normal suppliers. Also made it all stainless while I was at it.

As for the location, yes you have to confirm where your leg will be with your final seat location and finished cushions. Agreed that you don't want to be hitting it. You can move it up and down a bit to see if that helps, or you could even move it up to the panel location as another option I guess.
 
I relocated the heater valve to the right hand side of the firewall, in line with a large eyeball vent on the aft wall of the front baggage area.
This provides a bit more control on where you want to direct heat.
Note seat heater switch on gear leg tower. As others have stated seat heaters are a must.

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I had the option of heated seats when I placed my Classic Aero Designs order... regretfully, I didn't. I was thinking heated riding suit; something with its own internal power supply. Done a fair amount of cold-weather motorcycle riding in a snowmobile suit. Hoping that, and my current set up, will suffice. We'll see...
 
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