What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Oil cooler on Baffles

Tbone

Well Known Member
For those that have a oil cooler on the baffles, what cooler did you use and do you have any pictures of the installation? I have a 7 taildragger with a 180 hp Superior IO360. I live in the humid south with summer temps close to 100 degrees and humidity levels 95% and up. Those that are familiar know how hot those days take the get up and go out of you! I have a new SW8432R (FOR SALE) but find no way to use it due to the outlet configuration. My theory is bigger the better but looking for insight. I would like to get feedback from those that have installed theirs on the baffle with type and what are your results? Pictures would be great. PM if needed.
 
oil cooler

Hi Terry, there are a lot of pictures of other's installations - just google image search for "oil cooler on baffle". For the RV8 I found that following the plans exactly does not work well. The oil cooler needed to be lowered a bit and shifted inboard.

I copied Randy's design which he nicely documents here:

http://www.romeolima.com/RV8/FirewallForward.htm

Here's mine:

img_8989.jpg


YMMV on the RV7.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Mickey,

I have looked at his configuration but that is for an 8. The 7 motor mount is configured differently and i guess the question is mostly for the -7 drivers. I have searched the google and several great ideas but most are wrapped around initial build and they may have had cooling issues during flight testing and changed after the fact. Im looking for tried and true data on the 7 taildragger (motor mount extra tubing near cooler location). 7A drivers can also respond if it is pertinent to cooling issues or ideas.
 
Terry, I found the "standard" Niagara oil cooler I installed SW 10599R cooler.

It has slightly more cooling capability than the Niagara and has worked out fine here in the South.

The only problem with it is the holes are just a touch wider than the Niagara cooler and I believe that caused my baffle to crack.

Take a look at this page and scroll down a few posts, you will see some pictures of my solution to the cracks. I widened the plate nuts slightly when I installed the new baffles and the stiffener. I'm talking about an 1/8" wider, not much at all.

I see you are concerned about your -7 engine mount; although this is on a -9, it is a taildragger and that is an O-360.
 
My setup

The reason I ask is that I have a piston squirters on my deal and I am running a 3" scat tubing to a firewall mounted oil cooler. The cooler came off a Robinson and its rather large and takes up a lot of space as well as several quarts of oil. I was thinking about going the baffle route and maybe save some weight. I didn't know if the 10599r on the baffle would handle mine. There are a lot of posts about different oil coolers but not sure if anyone preferred one over another. Interesting note, my twin commanche has baffle mounted oil coolers and they have not shown any evidence of cracking. Simple and effective.
 
Craig, how are you fabricating your firewall cooler mount. I haven't found a way to do it effectively on the taildragger? Any pics?
 
I have an RV-7 powered by a Superior XP IO-360 (vertical draft, P/A fuel injection, dual Lightspeed Plasma III ignitions, 8.5:1 compression, ignitions timed per LSE specs and verified at every ci) with stock Van's cowl, stock Van's baffling and the factory-supplied oil cooler mounted on the baffles. I bought my firewall forward kit in 2010, so the cooler is the model they supplied then. I beefed up the cooler mounting to avoid the cracking problems others had reported (410 hours later, no cracks). Prop is a Hartzell B/A.

Our summer temperatures here in the Sacramento Valley can match those in Mississippi, though not the humidity. The only oil temperature issue I experience is failure to warm up adequately in the winter. During slow flight on really hot days I've seen 210 degrees, but more typically on those days it's in the 190 degree range. I also rarely see CHTs trending toward 400 except on the hottest of days during max power climb. My performance numbers tend to match or slightly beat Van's published values.

I got totally OCD on cowl and baffle sealing and added a small half-round lip at the bottom of the firewall at the cowl exit in the hopes of smoothing airflow over what appeared to me to be an ugly transition. Otherwise I guess I just got lucky.
 
I have come to the conclusion that I will sell my SW8432R cooler and purchase a SW8406R and install on the baffle. The firewall would be ideal but the configuration of the TD motor mount and what I already have on the firewall. Thanks for the ideas.
 
Oil cooler

The RV7 I purcased with IO-375 has no oil cooling problems. The builder indicated that cooling was a problem and was solved by remotely mounting cooler. My suspicion is a lack of differential pressure. Letting the wright amount of air needs to be balance with the wright amount out. I am building stainless cowl Louvers to increase outflow from the cowl thus increase differential pressures. Adding the Louvers was also done to improve effectiveness of Pmag blast tubes. CHT's also appear more even. The bigger picture may be worth looking at.
 
whatever you do make sure it is 4 inch Scat tube. My 7 has 195 hp with piston squirters and i fought high oil temps for a long time. mine is 10.5 to 1 and I also fly near Sacramento. 3 inch was not even close to adequate or was the stock cooler. I also have a Sam James plenum so that makes it even harder to keep the temps down
 
Back
Top