I had my non-certified oil cooler sent to Pacific Oil Coolers (POC) for test/ overhaul. Received the oil cooler looked pretty, install the cooler and flew for .5 hrs. Prior to next flight removed cowling to inspect the cooler, looked bit damp thought it was residual oil. I completed my runup for T/O. Performed a 360 to clear traffic and saw a huge oil puddle. Shutdown, to investigate saw the cowling and fuselage dripping with oil. Towed the aircraft back to the hangar, pressurized the oil cooler and discovered the leak was in the finned area, lost 4 qts. Call POC they said it was an experimental A/C with a non-certified oil cooler, not their problem. I explained POC provided a RETURN TO SERVICE statement and insisted they are responsible. NOPE your experimental. FAA HQ agreed, it is an experimental and POC did nothing wrong. RETURN TO SERVICE statement is meaningless. Side note, POC only pressure test oil cooler to 100 psi.
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Pacific Oil Coolers
- Thread starter x55pilot
- Start date
gmcjetpilot
Well Known Member
Sounds like POC is a PO#... Ha ha.I have used POC before. I had no issues, so this is disappointing to hear. They did not provide you with a FAA Form 8130-3, Airworthiness Approval Tag, nor could they. They gave you a work order.
To be clear it was NOT leaking (that you know of) when you sent it but was leaking when you got it back? Why did you send it in to them in the first place? Even if it can be repaired I would toss it. A failure of this important component in flight would ruin your day of course. Fuel and oil are two things I don't compromise on. This could be a blessing in disguise. I don't know what brand cooler you have, age, condition, but may I suggest you replace it with a S&W "certified" model. That is what I did. I got it from an aircraft salvage company. Of course I had it cleaned and tested. I sent it to POC.
(It has been awhile, not sure since I shopped for oil coolers. Newer build S&W quality or even availability may be an issue I recall. Could be wrong. I found an old school built S&W . I seem to recall older S&W coolers were of better quality and efficiency. Again I could be wrong... You might consider seeing of POC will cut you a deal on a replacement cooler based on this issue?)
If I take my S&W cooler off my RV-7 and send it to POC, will they call it an experimental oil cooler? The World were certified parts on experimental planes is a bit murky. They should provide a 8130-3 if the part conforms to the "type spec". However as I understand it once it goes in an experimental it is no longer certified and can't go back on a Piper or Cessna, until it has been "conformed" and gets a 8130-3. Regardless "certified" service with 8130-3 will be more expensive than a clean and check on a non certified cooler I would assume.
I avoid "experimental" stuff involving Prop, Engine, oil and fuel system components.
To be clear it was NOT leaking (that you know of) when you sent it but was leaking when you got it back? Why did you send it in to them in the first place? Even if it can be repaired I would toss it. A failure of this important component in flight would ruin your day of course. Fuel and oil are two things I don't compromise on. This could be a blessing in disguise. I don't know what brand cooler you have, age, condition, but may I suggest you replace it with a S&W "certified" model. That is what I did. I got it from an aircraft salvage company. Of course I had it cleaned and tested. I sent it to POC.
(It has been awhile, not sure since I shopped for oil coolers. Newer build S&W quality or even availability may be an issue I recall. Could be wrong. I found an old school built S&W . I seem to recall older S&W coolers were of better quality and efficiency. Again I could be wrong... You might consider seeing of POC will cut you a deal on a replacement cooler based on this issue?)
If I take my S&W cooler off my RV-7 and send it to POC, will they call it an experimental oil cooler? The World were certified parts on experimental planes is a bit murky. They should provide a 8130-3 if the part conforms to the "type spec". However as I understand it once it goes in an experimental it is no longer certified and can't go back on a Piper or Cessna, until it has been "conformed" and gets a 8130-3. Regardless "certified" service with 8130-3 will be more expensive than a clean and check on a non certified cooler I would assume.
I avoid "experimental" stuff involving Prop, Engine, oil and fuel system components.
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