I'm considering a cold air induction system from Raven for my RV10 with a OI-540. I'm wondering about the exhaust the mods as well as cowl mods I may have to do. Also, I'm considering a James Aircraft cowl. So, if you have any of the cold air systems, please let me know if/what you had to modify to make it work. Lots of moving part, just trying to get a bead on it. Thanks
Van's Air Force
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Cold Air Induction on a RV10
- Thread starter N787KV
- Start date
Showplanes cowl works with CAI.
I’ve been thinking about James cowl with CAI but I think it’s an uphill climb. Few ahead of us. When will you start engine and cowl? I’m at least a year out. I believe Carl F on here is in the process of the same. He’s also trying to redesign the plenum to use the Vans stock baffling. You can Google and/or ask him.
Maybe he and you can get together and put out a “how I did it” song and dance. That would be great for others including me.
Maybe he and you can get together and put out a “how I did it” song and dance. That would be great for others including me.
Carl Froehlich
Well Known Member
Yep - the James Cold Air Sump cowl is in the hangar (along with the long awaited Thunderbolt CAS engine). I’ll be working the cowl fit over the next several weeks.
The plenum is in the hangar as well. Looking at it I suspect minor modifications to make it work with the stock Van’s side and cylinder aluminum baffles.
I did contact Vetterman exhaust. First take from Clint is this should not be a problem but I owe him some sump measurements.
Carl
The plenum is in the hangar as well. Looking at it I suspect minor modifications to make it work with the stock Van’s side and cylinder aluminum baffles.
I did contact Vetterman exhaust. First take from Clint is this should not be a problem but I owe him some sump measurements.
Carl
I’m also interested if someone can spell out the major differences between Thunderbolt, Raven, Barrett, and (maybe) wrapped-inlets “poor man’s” CAI in terms of inlet temperatures and weight changes. Is there anything good about oil warming the air or air cooling the oil in the standard sump?
Thanks for the replies. The reason that I'm going with the CAI is more about making the engine breathe better. By going with the Raven. I get a true horizontal servo to take advantage of ram rise and there are less air restrictions. I'm doing a LyCon port and polish and up grading to a Airflow Performance FM-200 from the standard RSA-5. Again, that will reduce any air restrictions. Some will put on a RSA-10, but for my purpose the FM-200 will do. I too talked with Clint and all I need to do is send him the Raven and he'll build the Exhaust. so, It comes down to the cowling. BTW, if you are thinking about a Barrett CAI, be warned, you have to cut the lower mount cross bar off and weld on one that they will supply. I turns out that the lower cross bar on a RV10 mount needs to drop down about 2" so as not to interfere with the back of the sump. I'm not willing to do that.
Richard Connell
Well Known Member
Sounds interesting. I’d be interested to see how your intake works out.
I have an FM300 on a Barrett CAI and spent many weeks trying to build a FAB/ram air setup.
Eventually I decided there just wasn’t enough room at the bottom of the cowl in front of the servo to fit everything in so installed the show planes snorkels - which work fine.
On the subject of cross bars, in the good old days Barrett would do that cross bar mod for you after vans shipped them the mount. Then they’d ship the mount with the engine. Easy. Not sure whether that’s still an option.
When vans redesigned the engine mount for the new elastomer holder pivot setup in around 2019 that cross member lowered and moved forward by about 1.5” so I’d double check that it’s necessary now before modification.
I have a lowered bar on a new style mount and there’s miles of clearance. I’ll measure it next time the cowls off.
As far as I’m aware the TB CAI has the same depth issue as the Barrett.
Someone may have done it more recently than me and can chime in.
I have an FM300 on a Barrett CAI and spent many weeks trying to build a FAB/ram air setup.
Eventually I decided there just wasn’t enough room at the bottom of the cowl in front of the servo to fit everything in so installed the show planes snorkels - which work fine.
On the subject of cross bars, in the good old days Barrett would do that cross bar mod for you after vans shipped them the mount. Then they’d ship the mount with the engine. Easy. Not sure whether that’s still an option.
When vans redesigned the engine mount for the new elastomer holder pivot setup in around 2019 that cross member lowered and moved forward by about 1.5” so I’d double check that it’s necessary now before modification.
I have a lowered bar on a new style mount and there’s miles of clearance. I’ll measure it next time the cowls off.
As far as I’m aware the TB CAI has the same depth issue as the Barrett.
Someone may have done it more recently than me and can chime in.
Attachments
Barrett will still do the mod for you.
I need to look into that and thanks. I understand that the Barrett sump drops lower then the standard Lycoming sump, which may cause the RSA-10 room issues. Raven has a fairly low profile intake box that attaches to the bottom of the original sump. Rob said that he can deliver the forward plate of the intake box at an upward angle, making it easier to fit the lower cowl contour and to connect to the intake snorkel. He can also move it fore or aft. Not sure I need to do that.
Richard Connell
Well Known Member
Ah yes - that reminds me. The adapter plate that connects my FM300 to the sump also has a 4 degree up angle too.
Hard to know exactly what to expect with a James cowl raven combo but I imagine no matter what it’ll be tight. An FM-200 though should give you a fair bit of extra room to play with.
Without the angle the front of the FM300 is just touching the inside of a SP cowl. Here’s a picture from when I was in ram air design mode. That hole got filled and the cowl split in the end.
Do you have a pic of you cowl split? That's on my list.
Richard Connell
Well Known Member
Nicely Done!
