Setrab Oil Cooler

Anyone got any experience of the small Setrab oil cooler than Ken Scott mentioned in the RVator 2nd issue 2000?

Clearly it does the job of cooling - see his article - but my interest is longevity and overall satisfaction. Also, I have been trying to identify the part number from the dimensions quoted. Also the weight? Anyone know?

Thanks, Steve.
#4478

This is an automotive oil cooler and not nearly as robust as the various aviation options. True, it is lighter and smaller, but I have heard of a couple of failures also. I can't provide factual data on this just anecdotal info I picked up along the way. Personally, I wouldn't use one.

Don't use it. I know of two that have failed soon after first flight. They are great oil coolers but are not robust enough for our application.

Z

setrab oil coolers

The matronics list had quite a discussion several years back on oil coolers and I believe this one was also mentioned. I would do a search on the matronics page if I were you, as I recall there was a lot of info there regarding this issue.

Oil cooler

We use a Mocal oil cooler for a Searey amphib. (Rotax 912S) It is smaller in size for the cooling capacity of an equivalent AC cooler. It has more than 300 hrs to date, and had exibited no adverse effects. The Sterab, is of similar construction (or vice versa), and both are found in a significant number of race cars, whose abuses and temperatures far exceed that of our flyers.
T88

Thanks for all the comments on oil cooolers. Overall I guess I have to go with SW or Positech for peace of mind against that background though I dont quite believe that the automotive coolers would be of a lesser quality. (I have to say that I find it hard to see that the aircraft world is harder on stuff than the racetrack world. I think the Setrab is used in Porsche.)

I am in the (cool) UK so heat dissipation is the minor issue. I am more concerned about weight and just left puzzling why in the VANS catalogue the SW cooler is so much lighter than the Positech. Any one know the answer to that one?

Thanks again.

#4478

Automotive engines run much lower oil pressures than your average Lycoming. Burst pressures for automotive oil filters are usually less than 50PSI, aviation engines regularly make 70-90PSI on startup.

Edit: I should re-read my posts...

osxuser said:

Burst pressures for automotive oil filters are usually less than 50PSI

Click to expand...

The SBC 350 in my K5 Blazer makes nearly 70psi on cold mornings... no popped oil filters here.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that automotive oil filters are certified to 300psi. Don't recall where I read that, though. I'll look into it...

jarhead said:

The SBC 350 in my K5 Blazer makes nearly 70psi on cold mornings... no popped oil filters here.
I seem to recall reading somewhere that automotive oil filters are certified to 300psi. Don't recall where I read that, though. I'll look into it...

Click to expand...

The SAE test requirement for oil filter burst is 200 psi. Most brands make that and more. A few of the really cheapies fail around 150 psi. I think the Mobil 1 and K&N filters fail around 550 to 600 psi.
-mike
edit: That is burst of the cannister, not failure of the filter media.

I'm using Bosch filters on my car, and the wall is 1/2 to 1/3 the thinkness of aviation filters. I know of a guy that was using automotive filters on his Lancair that switched back to aviation filters because of the burst pressures. I don't know numbers, but was told (by him) that the burst pressures were lower in those filters than the operating pressure when his Lyc was cold. I stand corrected.