Oil Cooler location for an IO540

[Bprion]

I am building a 4-place quick build and am using a Lycoming IO540 engine. I bought an engine baffle kit from Van’s aircraft.

Bearhawk Aircraft recommended a 17-row oil cooler from Airflow Systems because of its ability to dissipate heat adequately. It is their part number 2008X.

My problem is finding a way to mount the oil cooler and providing enough air flow to it. I would like to put a flange on the RIGHT rear wall of the baffling but the space on the Van’s baffle in that area won’t accommodate the 5-inch flange for SCAT tubing that is recommended.

The 4-place with an IO540 seems to be a common combination but I can’t seem to find pictures of the oil cooler location that works best. Does anyone have a setup that they are happy with and could send pictures?

Is a 4-inch diameter flange/tubing combination adequate to supply enough air to the 2008X?

Bill

 

[svyolo]

Vans RV-10 oil cooler mount/shroud is pretty tough to beat.

 

[jaredyates]

That's a big cooler. Do you have angle valve cylinders?

 

[Bprion]

No, I have the parallel valve version.

 

[rodsmith]

I dont think you need that large a cooler. I say that because that is what I installed with a 4" duct and I have run all summer with the inline butterfly set at 75%. The vernatherm controls the oil temp at 180deg and hasn't exceeded that. In winter I set it at 60%. I have cold air induction which puts more load on the oil cooler. If your engine has piston cooling jets that is an additional load on the cooler. The size of this cooler makes placement problematical. Mine is mounted horizontally on the firewall behind and below #5 cylinder. I used airflows inlet shroud and built my own mount out of aluminum angle. Finding a spot where it didn't interfere with anything else was difficult. One of the oil lines nearly interferes with getting the oil screen out of the engine but I am able to do it.

 

[jaredyates]

I'm using a 3" duct and a Positech P20006C cooler on a parallel-valve 540.

 

[Bprion]

Rod and Jared,

Based on what you both are telling me, I should be able to use a smaller oil cooler.

Rod, you use 75% of the 4-inch duct (in the summer) and Jared is using 3 inch. The 17-row 2008X unit I was planning on seems to always be mated with 5-inch tubing so going to 4-inch tubing and a 15 or 13-row cooler should be a good match.

I really appreciate the pictures, Rod. I’m sure that I’ll wind up with something pretty much the same as what you did.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[huntaero]

I used a 9 row oil cooler with no problems on cooling, it has cracked so im installing a 13 row cooler mounting directly to the RH rear baffle.

 

[Bprion]

I have come to understand that suitability of a specific oil cooler and the air delivery to it varies substantially based on the environment in which the plane operates. It isn't quite as simple as sizing those based solely on engine size.

For my Pennsylvania based Bearhawk, I’m convinced that a 15 row cooler and 4 inch duct with no butterfly restriction to airflow will work just fine, especially since I don’t plan to fly this fabric covered fuselage much in very cold temperatures.

I appreciate the input of those that replied to my message.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[Bcone1381]

An overview on oil coolers and Packaging....Coolers reject heat. Coolers consume Space. Different coolers have different heat rejection capabilities. The next time I am in need of an oil cooler I will call and talk with a tech guy at Pacific Oil Cooler Sercvice. I believe they can offer a variety of coolers that have the same size footprint. But they have different heat rejection abilities.

A good friend on this forum worked at a very high level in the auto industry. He has mentioned to me a term called "Packaging" the firewll forward. It how it all fits together. A Packaging problem exists when a big cooler wont fit, or its placement causes me to dread doing an oil change. A higher efficiency cooler (A higher cost oil cooler) might give the ability to use a smaller footprint cooler and package just fine and meet the heat rejection needs.

 

[U2fletch]

We operate out of Phoenix year round, and oil temps are a constant battle. For our SDS equipped IO-580 we are trying a different approach. Setrab makes performance oil cooler for the race and offroad vehicle market. They work very well, and are about half the cost of traditional coolers and have gorgeous AN-6 fittings with o-rings. We are mounting one on each side of the cowl with exit slits like a shark. The goal is to isolate the airflow going to the cooler, and exit the cowl, as much as possible. May be overkill, but I am curious to see how it performs. Other aircraft have used this style of cooler with great success.

 

[svyolo]

We operate out of Phoenix year round, and oil temps are a constant battle. For our SDS equipped IO-580 we are trying a different approach. Setrab makes performance oil cooler for the race and offroad vehicle market. They work very well, and are about half the cost of traditional coolers and have gorgeous AN-6 fittings with o-rings. We are mounting one on each side of the cowl with exit slits like a shark. The goal is to isolate the airflow going to the cooler, and exit the cowl, as much as possible. May be overkill, but I am curious to see how it performs. Other aircraft have used this style of cooler with great success.

Interesting idea. But will this require breaking the oil cooler lines to remove the cowl?

 

[U2fletch]

Interesting idea. But will this require breaking the oil cooler lines to remove the cowl?

Not at all. The oil coolers are attached to the firewall with support from the engine mount. They just sit fairly flush with the cowl with minimal gap.

 

[Battson]

I used a 9 row oil cooler with no problems on cooling, it has cracked so im installing a 13 row cooler mounting directly to the RH rear baffle.

With greatest respect to Hunter's experience, I would not recommend this setup. I had this exact install and had to remove it for two reasons.

1. My baffles continually cracked with the heavy cooler installed in that location
2. I have struggled to keep the engine cool with a 12-row cooler. A cooler with 9-rows is probably not enough for a -540 in many climates

I think a 12 row cooler is adequate for temperate climates up to 30*C, provided it's fed with a very large duct and good air pressure. Above 30*C some extra cooling would be good. It will not work for prolonged slow flight, regular extended climbing operations >75% power. Running ROP would really make this worse, I run LOP everywhere including cruise-climbs.

 

[Bearhawk Aircraft]

Another consideration here from our experience and why we recommend larger coolers than historically thought necessary is the high altitude operation side of things. When operating at 10-15k feet, which we routinely do in the Five, air gets thin and when running high EGTS ROP oil temps can creep pretty high in cruise even when the airplane cools whell at low altitudes. If you are running oil temps of 205 or more down low, you will likely be in the 220+ range at high altitude.