[wera710]

I did not want to hijack the cowl vent thread. It reminded me about another topic I've been meaning to broach. The Oil Cooler Shutter Vans sells for $85 that attaches to the oil cooler. I was seeing oil temps no higher than 150 to 170 this past winter. This cooler vent seems like the ticket to help bump the temps up.

Has anyone any experience with this product on an O-360 in their RV-8?

I was going to fabricate one but did not want to bother IF it increases temps in summer in the open position, or did not increase them enough in winter.

 

[RobertD]

it works

I've got the shutter on my 0-360 and it has helped raise the oil temps nicely. Be aware that you have to space it back from the cooler with about a washer thickness or it will bind when you try to operate it. Even with spacing it back it doesn't work as smoothly as I'd like, but well enough.

 

[L.Adamson]

I've got the shutter on my 0-360 and it has helped raise the oil temps nicely. Be aware that you have to space it back from the cooler with about a washer thickness or it will bind when you try to operate it. Even with spacing it back it doesn't work as smoothly as I'd like, but well enough.

Get those washers on both sides, and some kind of seal around the edge, and they'll work very smoothly. I found that out, by trial and error myself. Mines on a 6, but it sure works well.

L.Adamson

 

[RV8TOR]

I have been looking at installing one of these as well. Even with our 100+ degree Texas heat this summer my oil temps never get above 185. I am OK with this but it takes forever to reach takeoff temps. I have seen a couple of installations where the shutter is behind the cooler, wouldn't it be better to restrict the front side instead of pressurizing the cooler?

Thanks

 

[GaryK]

Works well in Michigan

Ditto on the washers, both sides. Some run the cable through the firewall, I decided running it to the oil door was just fine. On a long trip with large variations in temperature I just adjust it when stopping for fuel.

Gary
N715AB

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[db8]

I installed a Vans oil cooler shutter when I built the plane. I used an 11 row cooler too (though the oil shutter valve is meant for a smaller cooler). I have the cooler angled back as much as possible with all 11 rows having access to air flow. I built an aluminum small wedge that existed between the shutter valve and the cooler (about a 1/2" gap at the bottom and about a 2" gap at the top).

The temps in the heat of summer would get up to 210 or so. I thought that was a little high, so I totally removed the shutter valve because with it full open, it's still blocking inflowing air. So what do you think might be the difference with the rectangular hole totally open (shutter not there)? ..........
Nadda, nothing, the same. That really surprised me.

I have just installed one of the very expensive coolers with the very thin fins, but I'll have to wait till the summer to see the difference. I can tell it has made a difference (cooler) on a not real hot day. Dave

 

[RV8R999]

I have been looking at installing one of these as well. Even with our 100+ degree Texas heat this summer my oil temps never get above 185. I am OK with this but it takes forever to reach takeoff temps. I have seen a couple of installations where the shutter is behind the cooler, wouldn't it be better to restrict the front side instead of pressurizing the cooler?

Thanks

the shutter will not affect the time to reach t/o temps because your vernatherm valve bypasses flow through the oil cooler until OT reaches about 175-180 or so...

I'd be surprised if it made any significant difference placing the shut off before or after the OC.

With a SW cooler I use a 50% blank-off plate all year long and OT never go above 195 summer or winter. The plate was to help with CHTs more than with OT.

 

[Neal@F14]

I built a Rube-Goldberg contraption with a door on a piano hinge, activated by a Ray Allen electric trim servo, detailed in this thread: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=66901

It works quite well in the wintertime, but we do remove the door for summertime flying to help keep the temps down.

As I posted in that thread, if I was doing it all over again, I'd instead use something like the 4" duct-type air valve from Nonstop Aviation.

But what we have works pretty neat, so we'll keep it

 

[L.Adamson]

I'd be surprised if it made any significant difference placing the shut off before or after the OC.

There have been numerous reports over the years, that it does make a difference. And as I remember, the instructions say the same thing. Otherwise, you could easily install a door behind the cooler.

So.........put the shutter in front of the cooler.

 

[RV8R999]

There have been numerous reports over the years, that it does make a difference. And as I remember, the instructions say the same thing. Otherwise, you could easily install a door behind the cooler.

So.........put the shutter in front of the cooler.

hence the word "significant"....

 

[Bavafa]

There have been numerous reports over the years, that it does make a difference. And as I remember, the instructions say the same thing. Otherwise, you could easily install a door behind the cooler.

So.........put the shutter in front of the cooler.

I had a home made shutter that was installed on the aft side of the cooler and even though it covered nearly all the back side, it was little effective, raising the temp only about 7-8 degree when fully closed and would fly fully closed in summer time or on long take offs with no issues.

Due to the fact that my temps would not reach the 180 degree, specially on cooler days, I installed a Vans's shutter in the front and can control it from the cockpit. I can now bring up the temp easily to 195 degree if I want to (fully closed) and usually control it from the cockpit to around 185. It will remain to be seen how it will be in summer heat as I am hoping it will not affect my temp too drastically.

good luck

 

[Neal@F14]

My hinged door contraption that covers (most of) the back side of the oil cooler is *extremely* effective. Before installing it, we could barely reach 150 degrees oil temp when it was under 50 degrees F outside, around 135 degrees if OAT was in the 20-30's. Now, if I forget to open the cooler door after takeoff/climbout until too late during the cruise climb, it'll blow past 200 degrees and go higher pretty easily even with OAT in the mid 30's. I usually start up with the door fully closed, and keep it closed for taxi, runup, takeoff and initial climbout and start opening it up a little bit at a time during cruise climb as soon as oil temp hits around 190, and then find the happy spot where oil temp settles around 185 give or take a little. If I plan to only fly for 15-20 minutes short pleasure flights around the airport, I'll let the oil temps go on up to closer to 200 to help get rid of any water condensation in oil, but if I'm flying much longer than that, I'll keep the oil temps down to around 185