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My idle thoughts on 582 cooling system


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Posted

While I'm working on my wings, I sometimes start to think ahead to the engine. Since I'm new to Rotax 2 stokes I've been digging around for information to educate myself. My wrecked project came with the MK4 style cheek radiators. One of them is a bit damaged though, so I'll have to have it repaired or find a new one. The bottom cowl is destroyed, so that will need to be fixed.

I came across this article though, and it got me thinking:

 Avid_Speedwing_Mk_4_Flyer__G-LORT_02-11_accident_report.pdf

It seems to me after reading the report that the single radiator down low like the earlier Avids might be less prone to overheating if you loose a little coolant. The earlier style also seems closer to what Rotax suggests for a layout:

radheadowndiagram.thumb.jpg.52b1716d5654

I really like to looks of this setup:

What do you guys think?

 

Avid_Speedwing_Mk_4_Flyer__G-LORT_02-11_accident_report.pdf

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Posted

Belly set up is easy to do. May be a little more draggy. I know quite a few who have battled cooling issues with the MK4 set up and it is a bit more complex to plumb and mount. Do you have a non MK4 cowl you could use? 

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Posted (edited)

No, I've got an uncut MK4 cowl, and a wrecked one. Thought I might modify one of those.

I don't mind a little extra drag if I can trade it for a simpler system. The other thing I want to think about is easy access for preflight stuff and occasional maintenance. I'm guessing I need to be able to check coolant level, check plugs. What else? I was thinking of a small hinged door.

Edited by Luked

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Posted

The small external Kitfox style radiator works great. I have mine blocked 1/3 off during the winter.

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Posted

If you have the MK IV rads they work.  I put some baffles around them to force all incoming air through the rads and not around them.  Exit air is probably more important.  I had cut the bottom lip off my cowl when I had the belly radiator on mine and I had to glass it back on when I put the in cowl radiators on.   I would still be running the belly rad, but it gets in the way of my redneck belly pod (snow sled ratchet strapped under the plane).  :lol:

 

:BC:

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Posted

While I'm working on my wings, I sometimes start to think ahead to the engine. Since I'm new to Rotax 2 stokes I've been digging around for information to educate myself. My wrecked project came with the MK4 style cheek radiators. One of them is a bit damaged though, so I'll have to have it repaired or find a new one. The bottom cowl is destroyed, so that will need to be fixed.

I came across this article though, and it got me thinking:

 Avid_Speedwing_Mk_4_Flyer__G-LORT_02-11_accident_report.pdf

It seems to me after reading the report that the single radiator down low like the earlier Avids might be less prone to overheating if you loose a little coolant. The earlier style also seems closer to what Rotax suggests for a layout:

radheadowndiagram.thumb.jpg.52b1716d5654

I really like to looks of this setup:

What do you guys think?

 

Avid_Speedwing_Mk_4_Flyer__G-LORT_02-11_accident_report.pdf

If you Notice, Rotax sends the Water from Radiator to the Case 1st. It took the Auto Industry a 100+ Years to Reverse the Cooling to the Heads First, then to the Block. Also, it looks like a Single Pass Radiator. Racers make Chambers on the Ends of the Radiator, so the Water Pass's through (3) Times. Using the Ceramic Coatings on Piston Tops, Cylinder Exhaust Ports, Head Combustion Chambers, and Wye Pipe can lower your over all Temps by 20%. Use an Inline Thermostat.

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Posted

I for one am not convinced that the mk4 cheek rads are any less draggy than a well-sized bellyrad.  One plus: the bellyrad slows the airflow over the landing gear struts tucked up against the belly, reducing their drag contribution.  These LG struts are not streamlined like the wing struts, so their contribution is likely not negligible.  FWIW.

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Posted

FWIW here is my feedback on belly mounts vs cheek mounts.

I currently fly a MK4 with a Jabiru 2200 so no water issues, but prior to the MK4 I flew a model B that came with a side mounted cooler that neve quite made the grade so I installed a belly mount in series with the side mount which cooled properly. Here's what you need to consider...

Usually the belly mount is mounted somewhere between the main gear or maybe even a bit forward. 

You will have to deal with the fact that the hot air from the muffler goes directly back to the belly radiator and so does not cool as well as it could.

What I did to solve this issue was to mount the belly radiator 2 inches below the fulelage and then fabricated a sheet of aluminum that directed the heat from the muffler up over the cooler.

A year back a friend bought a MK4 nose dragger with a belly mount encased in a plenum like a P51. We could never get the heat down to an acceptable level and then I remembered the issue with heat from the muffler. Fortunately another friend had removed his 582 and installed a Jabiru 2200 so he had two cheek radiators for sale. 

We removed the belly mount and installed the cheek cooler.Problem solved along with drag reduction which gave us an extra 2-3 MPH cruise.

The belly mount will need more coolant (weight) due to the extra length of the hoses.

Stay with the cheek mount for a simpler solution.

John M

 

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