Gentlemen, I hate asking these kind of questions after building V-8 powered SkyBolts and Prowlers but I am in a "need-to-know" mode and I "needtoknow" a lot more about air cooled engines.
The accepted cooling senario seems to be - mount the oil cooler in the engine compartment then draw air from the rear of the cooling baffle to go through the oil cooler. In many instances more air is drawn away from engine cooling and directed to cool the battery, cool the fuel pump or anything else that needs cooling.
There will be many more questions but todays are;
#1) Is cooling done this way for efficiency, convenience, aerodynamics, all the above, what?
My SkyBolts used a cowling mounted radiator and remote mounted oil coolers. The Prowler used remote (under wing ala bf109's and Spitfires) mounted oil coolers and radiators. These worked exceptionally well because they were not in the high heat environment of the "engine room" and they were fed much cooler air which made them much more efficient.
In my "uneducated" mind I can use a smaller 'more efficient' cooler putting less load on the oil pump, my engine will cool better because all available cooling air will be going through the cylinder fins and not directed elsewhere and I can move the battery and fuel pump about 3" and put them on the backside of the firewall keeping them cooler without having to direct air to them.
Which leads into question #2) - a pilot operated cowl flap on the top of the cowl would let the engine cool much more quickly after shutdown vs. letting the engine 'heat soak' inside the cowl. Why does no one use them ?
I take constructive criticism extremely well - mostly because I already realize I know nothing about air cooled engines
To all of you who will willingly take the time to educate me - thank you
The accepted cooling senario seems to be - mount the oil cooler in the engine compartment then draw air from the rear of the cooling baffle to go through the oil cooler. In many instances more air is drawn away from engine cooling and directed to cool the battery, cool the fuel pump or anything else that needs cooling.
There will be many more questions but todays are;
#1) Is cooling done this way for efficiency, convenience, aerodynamics, all the above, what?
My SkyBolts used a cowling mounted radiator and remote mounted oil coolers. The Prowler used remote (under wing ala bf109's and Spitfires) mounted oil coolers and radiators. These worked exceptionally well because they were not in the high heat environment of the "engine room" and they were fed much cooler air which made them much more efficient.
In my "uneducated" mind I can use a smaller 'more efficient' cooler putting less load on the oil pump, my engine will cool better because all available cooling air will be going through the cylinder fins and not directed elsewhere and I can move the battery and fuel pump about 3" and put them on the backside of the firewall keeping them cooler without having to direct air to them.
Which leads into question #2) - a pilot operated cowl flap on the top of the cowl would let the engine cool much more quickly after shutdown vs. letting the engine 'heat soak' inside the cowl. Why does no one use them ?
I take constructive criticism extremely well - mostly because I already realize I know nothing about air cooled engines
To all of you who will willingly take the time to educate me - thank you
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