I am looking at mounting a remote oil cooler on my VW 2180. This is a large oil cooler much like the one that Revmaster sells but I got it from Great Plains. I only have one place that I can find enough room to mount it and that is under the sump using a pair of bent aluminum channels that I made. It will be plumbed from the return line of the remote oil filter and then a return line plumbed back into the engine oil return line. The cooler measures 7 in X 11in.
My question is this. Will it be ok to mount the cooler such that the cooling fins will not be parallel to the running length of the plane and the incoming airflow? The cooling fins would actually be such that they would be perpendicular to incoming airflow. I am referring to what I would considering the incoming air flow from my lower cowling intake scoop ? It seems that I have seen people mount them on the fire wall and other areas where airflow would not be the most ideal and I am wondering if air flow is that critical or if most of the cooling will come from all the circulation of oil via the large number of cooling fins. My concern is that if I turn the oil cooler 90 degrees or lengthwise, I will have lower cowling clearance issues and I really don't want to cut on my cowling again. It will also cause some very close clearance issues with my air box and carb heat controls if I mount it length wise. Ideas or can anyone point me to pictures or their remote oil cooler installations. Especially those who have mounted a large oil cooler under the sump. Jeff York Georgetown Scott County FAA airport of the year 2010 KR Gathering Peoples Choice and Best Interior 2011 Air Fest Best Experimental, Best Instrument panel
