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High Oil Temps - Louvers?

R

rv4ator

Active Member
I have about 60 hours on a -7A, O-360 w/ mags, stock cowl configuration. My oil temps are higher than I like to see. For example at 8500 ft. OAT 63 F my oil temps in cruise at 65% power are running 210-215 F. The CHT's are 370-380. I switched to the SW 8406 oil cooler (mounted on baffel behind #4) which only helped slightly. The baffeling seems to seal well & I have RTVed all the little spots where air could leak. I haven't had a problem with CHT's only high oil temps.

I have ordered louvers from Avery but have not installed them yet. I am hesitant to cut holes in the cowl unless it will bring down the oil temps below 200 F.

Anyone who has installed louvers, have they helped? What has been your experience? Are you sorry that installed them? Any other suggestions before I cut?
 
What oil are you using and what is the PSI in cruise?

-If not already crank up the oil psi

-switch to multi grade

-run at 8 qts vs 6 and keep it topped off unless you are venting it out. Not all engines throw out oil between 6 and 8.
 
Hi,

We went through a range of similar symptoms early on (switched from 2002A to 8604 to positech 2414), ended up being a partially working Vernatherm - it all looked good - oil cooler got hot etc, but the flow was < 2 gallon per minute when it should have been > 12 gpm at 2500 rpm. If you have someone locally with another 360 - see if you can try there Vernaterm before you hack into your cowl.

Carl
 
asav8tor said:
What oil are you using and what is the PSI in cruise?

-If not already crank up the oil psi

-switch to multi grade

-run at 8 qts vs 6 and keep it topped off unless you are venting it out. Not all engines throw out oil between 6 and 8.
Click to expand...

Oil psi is around 70 in cruise
Using Aershell 100w - 7 qts
 
EH?

zkvii said:
Hi,

We went through a range of similar symptoms early on (switched from 2002A to 8604 to positech 2414), ended up being a partially working Vernatherm - it all looked good - oil cooler got hot etc, but the flow was < 2 gallon per minute when it should have been > 12 gpm at 2500 rpm. If you have someone locally with another 360 - see if you can try there Vernaterm before you hack into your cowl.

Carl
Click to expand...


Out of interest how did you measure this flow to the oil cooler?
 
You might consider giving Pacific coast Oil coolers a call I just overhead a conversation at Osh that they have a double pass cooler that cools on the order of 30% better and is a direct replacment for the standard cooler.
 
Oil flow rates

Hi Frank,

frankh said:
Out of interest how did you measure this flow to the oil cooler?
Click to expand...

Photos - sorry no words...
http://www.rvproject.gen.nz/dailylog/dailylog_2008-03-13.html

Plus lots of research and head scratching.....

Lots of back story here:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=28040
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=27659

It was a real knarly problem, everything 'appeared' to be working (ie. hot to the touch oil cooler but not 'enough in operations'). The flow when the oil was over 90C with vernatherm A was < 2 gallons a minute at all RPMs, with B it was maxed out when the oil temp got to 85C and over to 1100rpm.

With regard to pressures and cooling chambers some data / thoughts from http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=29536

Back to the original topic

TMX O-360 - The ECI case can have squirters (as me how I know!) - but depends on which case you have.

Louvers - I've heard unconfirmed mixed reports about side vs lower cowl locations (the later being 'better')

Carl
 
Wow

That was a lot of work..Glad you got to the bottom of that problem though.

Frank
 
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