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Darren S

Well Known Member
Winter is approaching quickly up here North of the 49th. OAT's are about 30-40 degrees F and my inflight oil temps are around 150.

Today I partially covered over the oil cooler with an aluminum plate and this brought up the oil temps to 170.

I want to be able to adjust the oil temp while in flight with a cable, much like the cabin heater.

I saw somewhere, where a fella put some sort of a "T" valve in the line leading from the engine to the oil cooler. On to this he attached a cable where by in cold temps he can shut off the oil going to the oil cooler.

Will this wreck anything ? Anybody know where I can get such a "T" fitting ?
I checked Aircraft Spruce but don't see anything useful.

Thanks for the help.

Darren
 
There is a valve system designed by Larry Vetterman (I believe) who also makes the exhaust systems. I, and several friends use a sliding plate damper that Van's sells. It fits between the #4 cylinder baffle & the oil cooler. It's cable controlled. This has worked out well for us. I can bring winter temps up to the 200 F. range if I want. If you do install one of these, make sure you put a few washers on each side. Otherwise, the cooler fins push against the damper.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks. I didn't know Van's sells what I'm looking for. If anyone has any input on a fitting that goes on the oil cooler line, let me know, if not then I think I'll order this oil cooler shutter vent.

My only concern is that in the dead of summer it may be a bit restrictive even when fully open. If so I'll just remove it during summer months.

It don't get that hot up here anyways :)

Darren
 
Shutter

Darren, I'm not sure how exotic you need to be up dere in dat cold place where you live, eh? There are other RVers who probably know what you need to regulate your oil temps efficiently.

Down here in the Netherworld -- where temps can range from the 80s on the ground and the 50s up at altitude in the same day this time of year -- I found that having an oil shutter (Van's) installed with a trim servo controlling it to be a perfect solution for me. It may be overkill, but I was not successful with a push-pull cable, and ground-adjustablility just isn't good enough for this climate in the spring and fall.

Here's a thread that shows some options, including my servo hookup ...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=403701&highlight=shutter#post403701

Hope that helps.
 
I ordered the Van's oil cooler vent. I'll mount it with the washers as suggested and see if I can get it to work with an in cockpit cable.

Now if only my darn hanger wasn't so cold to work in :(

Thanks for all the suggestions,

Darren
 
Darren S said:
I ordered the Van's oil cooler vent. I'll mount it with the washers as suggested and see if I can get it to work with an in cockpit cable.
Click to expand...

At first I used a cheap flimsy cable from Autozone, as it was light. It worked, but needed more support. I replaced with the cable from Van's. The same one they use for carb heat. Mine connects from underneath, and works just fine.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Front versus back

Hi Darren,

Just another data point: I had a controllable door on the back of my oil cooler, which proved almost useless. It raised the oil temp by less than 5 degrees.

I recently changed to one on the Front of the oil cooler, and it is like night and day. Don't ask me why it makes such a difference, but if you're in a cold place like me (ottawa) you'll want that controllable door on the front, not the back. Now in winter I can keep it open, closed, or anywhere in between, and dial in almost any oil temp I want.

Matt

RV-7A (C-GIME)
Ottawa, Canada
 
LR2001 said:
Hi Darren,

Just another data point: I had a controllable door on the back of my oil cooler, which proved almost useless. It raised the oil temp by less than 5 degrees.

I recently changed to one on the Front of the oil cooler, and it is like night and day. Don't ask me why it makes such a difference, but if you're in a cold place like me (ottawa) you'll want that controllable door on the front, not the back. Now in winter I can keep it open, closed, or anywhere in between, and dial in almost any oil temp I want.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. I has to be on the front.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
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