nedrose

Member
I have been flying for 20 hours with the following configuration. ECI IOX-360 w/cold air induction/tapered fins and SJ cowl and plenum. I am suffering from high oil/cht temps. Oil temp at 25/25 is around 220 OAT 58-60. CHTs (within 20) are 380 rich, 425/430 leaned. I am curious if anyone else with similar configurations are having issues. Even more interesting would be to know if anyone has a similar configuration and not having heat problems. There are three other 7A's in flight testing on the field, one has the same configuration except the engine is a Superior (with Titan cylinders ) and a regular sump. His temps are too low. The other two are standard Vans - they also have low temp problems. I have tried everything I know to do. You can contact me off line.

Ned Rose
42TD
[email protected]
 
New engine?

Is this engine new..Is it properly broken in (I.e run HARD for a few hours full rich at low altitude?)...I would venture to say that your engine temps do not look that unusualy although I'm not sure my oil temp ran that high during break in..I too have a SJ cowl and plenum

Frank
 
My oil temps were in that range initially after rebuild. O-360, 9:1 pistons, standard everything else. I don't recall when they dropped but I deal with less than ideal break-in conditions (field elevation over 6800 feet).
 
My engine IO360 parallel valve, ECI cyl, 9.5-1 pistons and a James plenum with modified stock cowl with James inlets. My cyl head temps run great 375 rop on an 80 degree day and 340 lop. My oil temp has always been too warm, 235+ on a 80 degree day. Runs 200 on a 40 degree day. I replaced the Vans supplied cooler with a Stewart Warner and that helped a little. Moved the cooler down to the firewall with 3" scat from the baffles, no change. NACA duct on the side of the cowl, worse. I am just finishing up putting a Niagra 20006 cooler on the firewall with 4" scat hose from the baffles. At almost twice the area of the stock cooler it should do the trick. It is a very tight fit but once in it has plenty of clearance. Should have it done next week but with 20 degree highs it might take awile to see if it all works. Don
 
Its probably the

piston skirt squirters. You might check and see if you have them, I'll bet you do. I have a buddy with high oil temps and after MUCH trying of replacing oil coolers, vernatherms, etc. we found out that his ECI IO-360 engine has the piston skirt oil squirters. After some research, it seems that everyone that has these has high oil temp problems and we have yet to find a solution, basically just living with it.

I have the Superior engine and have the opposite problem, oil temps are too cool.

He is going to take them out at rebuild time.
 
I had piston squirters in my engine. I took them out and oil temps went down 6 or 7 degrees and oil pressure increased about 10lbs. Don
 
ECI Installation Manual says to use bigger cooler

Just read the ECI installation manual, http://www.eci.aero/exp/RV8-8A.pdf, page 18 section 9.0, but only references the coolers already mentioned above.

I was sold on the idea of the squirters, just seems to make sense, but, was advised against by an aircraft engine builder for just this reason. I plan to call ECI directly and get their technical input.
 
For the angle valves it calls for the 20006A. The picture they show is a smaller cooler. The 20006A is almost twice as big as the standaed Vans Cooler. My temps never went over redline but 235-240 on a 80 degree day is just too warm. Now if it would quit snowing and the OAT would get over 20 I could see if this installation works. Don
 
high temps

I had high CHT but not oil temp, after much checking I found the engine timing was off. After adjusting the timing the CHT runs less than 300. some of this can be credited to engine break-in. I bought the engine used with 21 hours on it. It is a factory new Lycoming. So by the time I had another 20 hours on it the break in should have been well under way. However on the next flight after setting the timing the CHT was way down.
 
ECI Oil Squirter Info

Had a very informative conversation with Booby Looper of ECI. I believe he knows what he's talking about, seems very confident from extensive testing of various ECI engine, prop, injection systems, and oil cooler experience.

The short story is pistons squirters raise the oil temp about 20 degrees and reduce CHT about the same. When they removed the squirters, oil down 20 deg and CHT up 20 deg. He suggested the squirters are a good idea for high compression, high output applications.

Cam squirters also raise oil temp, but, I think he said a smaller magnitude. The cam squirters are kind of a copy of a Lycoming fix/salvation for a particular -320 model know to wear/corrode.

Assuming I stay with <=9.0 compression pistons, I won't be installing either squirter.