[pauldan181]

I have a baffle mounted Niagra 20002A and looking through the archives it seems some have gotten better cooling installing a more efficient (and expensive) SW 8406. My oil cooler has always been marginal in summer but today at 4500 ft. with an OAT of 90 my oil temps got too high for me.

Question is, is the 20002A to 8406 a direct plug-n-play or is there some sheet metal work involved?

Paul Danclovic
Jamestown NC
RV-8A N181SB

 

[drill_and_buck]

Paul,

I recently installed a SW8406R on my RV-8. It was a direct replacement for the oil cooler shipped from Vans. Installed quickly without any issues.

When i started my phase 1 testing in November my oil temperatures were ~ OAT plus 150 degrees. I addressed a lot of leakage issues with my baffling, cut the bottom of my cowl so it was flush with the firewall (I had left it long), added a two inch dam on the bottom of the cowl and adjusted the timing on my Pmags so that they now emulate standard mags (will switch to the advance timing curve after summer). As a result of all the changes my CHTs are in the mid 300s and I can climb all day without CHTs exceeding 400. My oil temps are now ~ OAT plus 130 degrees.

Acceptable but I wouldn't want to fly into TX or Az in the summer with this setup. I am in the early stages of planning to install a larger oil cooler which will require that I fabricate a new baffle mount with new oil lines.

I would suggest that, if you haven't already, check your baffle fabric with a light, close off the ramp opening in the upper cowl, close up the gaps in the inter-baffle areas and seal the gaps on the nose of the cowl at the joint, just forward of the hinge pins. You could probably drop your temps a few degrees while you ponder an 8406R replacement.

If you can wait a few weeks I'll give you a great deal on an slightly used SW8406R.

 

[pauldan181]

If you can wait a few weeks I'll give you a great deal on an slightly used SW8406R.

A few weeks? I guess timing is everything. In a few weeks with any luck I'll be dragging myself across the Wisconsin countryside at about 90 Kts. on a hot summer day.

Anyway, thanks for the good info Mike.

Paul Danclovic
Jamestown NC
RV-8A N181SB