Show Planes RV-8 Oil Cooler Mount Solution

[Chkaharyer99]

The 9 row Niagara oil cooler mounted to my cooling shroud on my RV-8 equipped with a IO-360 is causing problems. The cooler is mounted too high causing it to rub the inside cowl while the engine runs. The aluminum baffle supporting the cooler is developing cracks despite reinforcement. I have a plenum. My oil temps are satisfactory except during prolonged aggressive climbs in hot conditions. A little more margin would be good. No issues with CHT's.

While doing research on remedies, I spoke with a gentleman at Airflow Systems who told me he was working with the folks at Show Planes on an oil cooler solution for the RV-8. I am expecting an email from him within a day or two with additional information.

http://www.showplanes.com/ecom-prodshow/OCM-8.html

Here are some pics I found of what appears to be the Show Planes RV-8 solution on Google:

[IMG][/IMG]





I realize the design is intended for an angle valve Lycoming but I think it will work with a parallel valve engine.

At my fabrication skill level this looks like a pretty neat offering. I can't really see any downside but I'm not as experienced as most. I've read nearly every thread concerning oil coolers and mounting solutions. There are a few systems I've seen that I really like. Those are from DanH and Bubblehead.

Does anyone have direct experience using the Show Planes RV-8 cooler?

Any thoughts or observations you can share about a solution like this for a parallel valve engine?

Your comments are sincerely appreciated.

Thank you

[Ironflight]

Hmmmm....I'm sure this must be tested and working, but it looks to me like it ties the baffles to the motor mount. Wonder how long that lasts with the Lycoming moving around at start-up and shut-down? Yes, it's got rubber mounts where it clamps to the motor mount, but still - Lycs move around quite a bit!

[DanH]

I don't think the fiberglass duct is fastened to the engine baffle wall. Looks like a foam seal between the baffle and the glass flange.

The duct in the photo of the unmounted parts doesn't have the flange. Perhaps it is a builder-fabricated detail.

[Carl Froehlich]

Mount the cooler on the firewall. Run a 3" or 4" SCAT hose from the baffle. Mount a butterfly valve in line. For a 180HP engine 3" is fine. Mount the cooler on the lower half of the firewall, and perpendicular to the wall (so the air comes down straight to the cooler and out the bottom of the cooler toward the cowl air exit).

Too much cooler to be bouncing around with the engine.

Carl

[rvisnext]

Originally Posted by Chkaharyer99

The 9 row Niagara oil cooler mounted to my cooling shroud on my RV-8 equipped with a IO-360 is causing problems. The cooler is mounted too high causing it to rub the inside cowl while the engine runs. The aluminum baffle supporting the cooler is developing cracks despite reinforcement. I have a plenum. My oil temps are satisfactory except during prolonged aggressive climbs in hot conditions. A little more margin would be good. No issues with CHT's.

While doing research on remedies, I spoke with a gentleman at Airflow Systems who told me he was working with the folks at Show Planes on an oil cooler solution for the RV-8. I am expecting an email from him within a day or two with additional information.

http://www.showplanes.com/ecom-prodshow/OCM-8.html

Here are some pics I found of what appears to be the Show Planes RV-8 solution on Google:

[IMG][/IMG]





I realize the design is intended for an angle valve Lycoming but I think it will work with a parallel valve engine.

At my fabrication skill level this looks like a pretty neat offering. I can't really see any downside but I'm not as experienced as most. I've read nearly every thread concerning oil coolers and mounting solutions. There are a few systems I've seen that I really like. Those are from DanH and Bubblehead.

Does anyone have direct experience using the Show Planes RV-8 cooler?

Any thoughts or observations you can share about a solution like this for a parallel valve engine?

Your comments are sincerely appreciated.

Thank you

I have it, it is awesome. I am running the 13 row cooler on my angle valve 400 with no cooling problems whatsoever. I even have the vans oil cooler shutter on the back of the engine baffle that feeds into the duct so that I can use less cooling when needed.

Where the fiberglass cooling shroud contacts the back of the engine baffle, a rubber seal(included in kit) similar to what we use on our wing root seals is used. This isolates the movement of the engine from the shroud/cooler. Like all Showplanes products the kit includes everything you need to install and the quality is second to none.

[rvisnext]

Originally Posted by DanH

I don't think the fiberglass duct is fastened to the engine baffle wall. Looks like a foam seal between the baffle and the glass flange.

The duct in the photo of the unmounted parts doesn't have the flange. Perhaps it is a builder-fabricated detail.

Yes, Dan is right with his steely eyes. I believe the installed pics are early/prototype. The unmounted photo of the duct is what I received along with the rubber seal

[Chkaharyer99]

Originally Posted by rvisnext

....Where the fiberglass cooling shroud contacts the back of the engine baffle, a rubber seal(included in kit) similar to what we use on our wing root seals is used. This isolates the movement of the engine from the shroud/cooler. Like all Showplanes products the kit includes everything you need to install and the quality is second to none.

Thank you all for your responses! Just what I was looking for.

Neil,

Do you have any photos you can share depicting where the fiberglass cooling shroud contacts the back of the engine baffles using the rubber seal to isolate the movement between the engine from the shroud/cooler?

How long has this option been around?

I notice Show Planes is out of stock on this item. It must be in wider use. Anyone else out there using the Show Planes RV-8 Oil Cooler Mount?

Thanks again everyone!

[rvisnext]

Originally Posted by Chkaharyer99

Thank you all for your responses! Just what I was looking for.

Neil,

Do you have any photos you can share depicting where the fiberglass cooling shroud contacts the back of the engine baffles using the rubber seal to isolate the movement between the engine from the shroud/cooler?

How long has this option been around?

I notice Show Planes is out of stock on this item. It must be in wider use. Anyone else out there using the Show Planes RV-8 Oil Cooler Mount?

Thanks again everyone!

I bought this about a year ago during initial construction, I think it was a new product at that time. I can get text you some cell phone pics tonight if you PM me your phone #.

[Chkaharyer99]

Originally Posted by rvisnext

I bought this about a year ago during initial construction, I think it was a new product at that time. I can get text you some cell phone pics tonight if you PM me your phone #.

Thank you! PM sent.

[Chkaharyer99]

Showplanes is now producing the oil cooler mount depicted in the first post of this thread for RV-8 equipped with Lycoming 360 parallel valve engines using the AirFlow Systems 2006X Oil Cooler.

The first iteration of this solution by Showplanes was for the RV-8 using a angle valve engine.

The two systems offered are nearly identical in that the chrome moly mounts are identical for both parallel and angle valve applications. The differences are in the composite shroud. The parallel valve has a joggle or offset.

I?ll be installing the parallel solution.

Thanks to Neil for showing me this system on his beautiful RV-8 at Reno this year. And thanks to Showplanes for offering it as a solution for parallel valve RV-8?s.