Oil cooler air valve

tjyak50 · #1 10-13-2007, 08:52 PM

Does anybody sell an air valve for closing off cooling air supply to the oil cooler for Vans?

My application is for a different type of experimental, but somebody has probably already invented this wheel.

Need as big as possible, yet compact and light. (go figure..)

Thanks,

Tj

Mike S · #2 10-13-2007, 09:19 PM

Vans has one in the accessory catalog.

Do a search in these forums for more info on this unit.

gmcjetpilot · #3 10-14-2007, 04:22 PM

I never saw much value in a in-flight adjustable air-valve to the oil coolers air supply, but some guys do. The cooler has a vernatherm that controls oil flow based on oil temp. Before you add the cost and weight think about the cost/weight/benefit, plus installation of another cable control through the firewall. In the winter I would just block it off with some aluminum, summer, wide open.

Harvey L. Sorensen · #4 10-14-2007, 06:09 PM

I have one of Vans oil cooler shutters on my 9. I like it and use it when the weather is cool to warm the oil to 100 degrees before take off. Much less than 100 degrees and the oil pressure is over 100 pounds psi and that is too high. But if I pull the shutter closed when I start up and taxi out by the time every thing is ready to go so is the oil temp. You are right the veri therm controlls the oil temp but it always lets some oil flow through. That is what I was told.
I made a leverage arrangement by the shutter so that I could shorten the lever that came on the air valve and still come up with a three inch travel on the push pull cable that I ran inside the cabin. The original lever was to tall to fit under the cowl.

AlexPeterson · #5 10-14-2007, 07:07 PM

I built a simple plenum from aluminum sheet, with a 3" round inlet. This sits on top of the firewall mounted cooler. In the inlet, I have a simple cockpit controllable throttle. I fly all winter (Minnesota), and without shutting down the cooling airflow, oil temps would be about 130 to 140 F with OAT's of around 0F. With the air shut down, I'll see around 170 to 180 F with OAT's of 0F. During the winter, I regularly actuate the control in flight, as warmer air aloft is quite common.