Recommended Upgrades for the Firewall Forward Kit (Part Number FF-10 IO-540 W/CT10-3)

[cobra967]

As I prepare to purchase the Firewall Forward Kit from Van’s (Part Number FF-10 IO-540 W/CT10-3), I compared the listed parts against recommendations I received from ChatGPT regarding possible upgrades and the reasoning behind them. My plan is to pair this kit with a YIO-540-D4A5 engine for my RV-10.

I’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences with the suggested upgrades. Do you agree with the recommendations? Is there anything else I should consider upgrading?

VAN'S List: https://store.vansaircraft.com/rv-1...ver-quadrant-ff-10-io-540-w-ct10-3.html?qty=1

For context, I’ll be flying primarily in the Carolinas, where summers are hot and humid.

Below is what I got back from ChatGPT:

Great question — the firewall-forward (FWF) kit for the RV-10 comes pretty complete, but there are a few well-known areas where many builders choose to upgrade parts for durability, cooling, or reliability. Let’s break down your list and highlight where upgrades are worth considering (and where the stock kit is already fine).

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Common Upgrade Candidates in Your List​

1. Oil Cooler – EA OIL COOLER 20006A​

• Stock: NDM 20006A (basic cooler).
• Upgrade: Airflow Systems 2006X, or Aero Classics HE Series.
• Why: RV-10s with IO-540s can run hot on oil temps, especially in climb and in warm climates. The upgraded cooler has much better efficiency without a pressure penalty.
  Strongly recommended upgrade if you fly in hot weather or want margin.

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2. Engine Mount Bushings – EA DYNA VI I(O)-540 BARRY​

• Stock: Barry mounts.
• Upgrade: Lord mounts (e.g., J-9613-40).
• Why: Lord mounts are more expensive but better at vibration isolation and last longer. Barry mounts work fine, but many report more cabin vibration over time.
  Worth upgrading if you value smoother operation.

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3. Exhaust – EA EXH 10 I(O)-540​

• Stock: Vans-supplied exhaust.
• Upgrade: Vetterman Exhaust (custom tuned for RVs, stainless).
• Why: Vetterman’s systems have better fit, flow, and durability. Some builders retrofit down the line when cracks or poor fit arise with the stock exhaust.
  If budget allows, upgrade now instead of later.

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4. Alternator – ES ALTERNATOR DELUXE​

• Stock: Vans “Deluxe” Plane-Power alternator.
• Upgrade: B&C alternators (e.g., BC460-H or BC462-H).
• Why: B&C has a stellar reputation in the experimental world—robust, field-proven, and easily serviceable. Plane-Power is fine, but some report failures around 400–600 hrs.
  If electrical reliability is mission-critical (IFR, glass panel), upgrade.

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5. Prop Governor – PROP GOV HZ IO-540​

• Stock: Hartzell governor.
• Upgrade: MT or PCU5000X governor.
• Why: PCU5000X is lighter and has smoother response. That said, the Hartzell works fine and is well supported.
  Optional upgrade — more of a refinement than necessity.

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6. Control Cables – CT A-740 BLACK​

• Stock: Standard cables.
• Upgrade: Custom-length McFarlane cables (Teflon-lined, higher quality).
• Why: Vans cables are serviceable, but McFarlane’s are smoother, last longer, and have better fire-sleeve options.
  Good upgrade for smoothness/reliability.

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Parts Usually Kept Stock​

Most of the bags, ducts, clamps, FAB (filtered air box), and brackets (BAF, BAG, DUCT, VENT SCAT, VA parts) are standard hardware. Unless you’re customizing your setup (e.g., different intake, custom cooling ducts, or alternate baffle kits like Sam James cowl), they’re fine to keep as-is.

Examples from your list to leave alone:

• BAF-10-540, BAG 518–526 series → standard baffling hardware.
• FAB-360/540 → stock filtered air box works well unless you want cold-air induction.
• DUCT, SCAT, VENT hoses → standard, easy to replace later if needed.
• Brackets (VA-xxx series) → functional, no need to upgrade.

Summary: Recommended Upgrade Shortlist​

If you want the “high-value” upgrades from the start:

1. Oil Cooler → Airflow Systems 2006X (biggest improvement for most RV-10s).
2. Engine Mounts → Lord mounts for smoother operation.
3. Exhaust → Vetterman for durability & fit.
4. Alternator → B&C for rock-solid reliability.
5. Control Cables → McFarlane for smoother feel and longevity.
6. (Optional) Prop Governor → PCU5000X if you want lighter/smoother operation.

Everything else is fine to build stock and upgrade later if you find a limitation.

 

[kirkbauer]

I'm just getting to this stage now so I may not be of much help, but my thoughts:

1) The use of alternate oil coolers wasn't on my list and I wasn't able to find much info on it.
2) I have heard limited complaints about the stock engine mounts and good things about Lord but nothing definitive
3) I may be wrong but I think my FF kit came with a Vetterman exhaust already
4) I think B&C is a much better choice than the Van's alternator
5) I'm already planning on ordering these because I need longer push/pulls due to the use of the Aerosport instrument panel
6) No idea about the prop governor

 

[flywithayres]

I'm just getting to this stage now so I may not be of much help, but my thoughts:

1) The use of alternate oil coolers wasn't on my list and I wasn't able to find much info on it.

Same.

2) I have heard limited complaints about the stock engine mounts and good things about Lord but nothing definitive

Worth noting that Van’s has been back ordered with no clue as to when they’ll be back. Spruce expects the Lord mounts in early September.

3) I may be wrong but I think my FF kit came with a Vetterman exhaust already

It did.

4) I think B&C is a much better choice than the Van's alternator

Agreed.

5) I'm already planning on ordering these because I need longer push/pulls due to the use of the Aerosport instrument panel

Same.

6) No idea about the prop governor

Went with PCU-5000 after discussions with the folks at Barrett.

 

[rocketman1988]

I'm just getting to this stage now so I may not be of much help, but my thoughts:

1) The use of alternate oil coolers wasn't on my list and I wasn't able to find much info on it.
2) I have heard limited complaints about the stock engine mounts and good things about Lord but nothing definitive
3) I may be wrong but I think my FF kit came with a Vetterman exhaust already
4) I think B&C is a much better choice than the Van's alternator
5) I'm already planning on ordering these because I need longer push/pulls due to the use of the Aerosport instrument panel
6) No idea about the prop governor

1. Recommend the Airflow-Systems 20007X oil cooler. It adds two rows and is a very simple mod, basically just a piece of aluminum angle.

2. Used the Lord mounts, no issues.

3. I used the Custom Aircraft Exhaust product with my Showplanes cowl. Works great, sounds better! Only note is that you make sure you get the heat muffin studs.

4. B&C all the way.

5. Control cables were custom for the Aerosport symmetrical panel.

6. I went with the Hartzell governor. It is rock solid. Two notes: Make sure you get the proper governor for your engine, ie narrow deck or wide deck. The Hartzell governor will not govern below about 2000 rpm...I think the PCU5000 will go a bit lower but it hasn't been an issue for me.

 

[flysrv10]

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Common Upgrade Candidates in Your List​

1. Oil Cooler – EA OIL COOLER 20006A​

• Stock: NDM 20006A (basic cooler).
• Upgrade: Airflow Systems 2006X, or Aero Classics HE Series.
• Why: RV-10s with IO-540s can run hot on oil temps, especially in climb and in warm climates. The upgraded cooler has much better efficiency without a pressure penalty.
  Strongly recommended upgrade if you fly in hot weather or want margin.

I have this oil cooler. It only helped marginally. I am still working on a better solution. Recommend more research before you commit to this cooler.

1. Recommend the Airflow-Systems 20007X oil cooler. It adds two rows and is a very simple mod, basically just a piece of aluminum angle.

2. Used the Lord mounts, no issues.

3. I used the Custom Aircraft Exhaust product with my Showplanes cowl. Works great, sounds better! Only note is that you make sure you get the heat muffin studs.

4. B&C all the way.

5. Control cables were custom for the Aerosport symmetrical panel.

6. I went with the Hartzell governor. It is rock solid. Two notes: Make sure you get the proper governor for your engine, ie narrow deck or wide deck. The Hartzell governor will not govern below about 2000 rpm...I think the PCU5000 will go a bit lower but it hasn't been an issue for me.

I have the 2007X oil cooler installed. Only made marginal improvements over Vans. Recommend doing more research before committing to this oil cooler. Others such as rockeman report better performance than mine. Still trying t o figure things out.

 

[chris1seto]

Just a note: I recently went through the same analysis. It was really grating doing this without a spreadsheet of the FF kit contents, and Vans (strangely?) wasn't able to give me a reasonable contents list. For the sake of my sanity and others, I made this spreadsheet.

I hope this helps others.

As far as deletions go, I ended up with a similar list to what's been discussed here for my Barrett IO-540 with CAI.
* Delete prop gov (I'll buy through Barrett, undecided on prop yet)
* Airflow systems 2007X
* No contactors (I'll use gigavac parts)
* Lord # J-3804-28
* Custom Aircraft Components Exhaust
* B & C primary and standby backup alternators
* Undecided on throttle location/type so I deleted the throttle quadrant and cables
* Steel firewall cabin heat valves

 

[rocketman1988]

Just a note: I recently went through the same analysis. It was really grating doing this without a spreadsheet of the FF kit contents, and Vans (strangely?) wasn't able to give me a reasonable contents list. For the sake of my sanity and others, I made this spreadsheet.

I hope this helps others.

As far as deletions go, I ended up with a similar list to what's been discussed here for my Barrett IO-540 with CAI.
* Delete prop gov (I'll buy through Barrett, undecided on prop yet)
* Airflow systems 2007X
* No contactors (I'll use gigavac parts)
* Lord # J-3804-28
* Custom Aircraft Components Exhaust
* B & C primary and standby backup alternators
* Undecided on throttle location/type so I deleted the throttle quadrant and cables

Get stainless heater vent valves and dump the aluminum ones…

 

[chris1seto]

Get stainless heater vent valves and dump the aluminum ones…

Oh! I did that too! Totally forgot about that

 

[kirkbauer]

Yes, I upgraded to stainless steel heater vents as well. I also purchased a steel passthrough for the fuel line (versus the aluminum with the kit). As already mentioned I'm also going to be using a Gigvac contactor for the starter instead of the Van's one and that will mount different.

Now I'm going to get a bit off-topic and talk about other upgrades forward of the firewall that don't directly affect your kit purchase but you still might want to think about:

• Consider heat protection forward of the firewall like this
• Consider how many alternators you are going to have and if you need any ANL fuses mounted on the firewall and/or how you'll be doing battery passthoughs (just cables or posts?)
• Some people put extra stuff on the firewall: oil separator, battery, remote oil filter, shelf for mounting GPS antennaes
• Do you want to use Skybolt fasteners instead of some or all of the piano hinge?