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Lycoming O-320-D1A Piston Cooling

H

Hammertyme

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Good evening Van's brain trust. First time posting, long time reader of VAF. Currently building a RV-9A.
With that said I need some help. I am building a O-320-D1A and sent cases and rotating parts off to be checked out. The O-320-D1A is drilled and has provisions for piston cooling, though when dissembled it did not have the nozzles installed. If it makes any difference I am installing fuel injection.
Questions:
1. Is it advisable to install the piston cooling nozzles or nah?
2. What is the specification for the pipe plug for the piston nozzle ports in the case? The Lycoming Parts Manual nor the Overhaul Manual list the part that I can find.

Picture is attached.

Thanks in advance.
 

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If I recall correctly, O–320 engines have only been equipped with piston oil nozzles when installed in a helicopter.
Is yours an H series engine?
 
I think it's a 1/16 * 27 pipe thread. most o-io 320 do not have them. If you want, just plug them. Oil temperature will run just a bit hotter if you use the oil piston cooling nozzles. Pistons will stay a little cooler.
 
I added them to my build o-360 carb, several people tried to talk me out of it but im glad I didn't listen. Im in the hot south and with the piston squiters cht is never over 400. Detonation risk is lower as well especially if you run lower octane gas. I went to a p2006a cooler up from p20004 and went to a 4.5 in cooler air inlet. Oil temperature is 200 or so even on the hottest of days
 
Recommend against. I was helping a guy with a 360. Admittedly it had poor cooling. His oil temp in summer would go to 220 once 1000 agl after take off. Upraded to 9 row cooler with no improvement. Had to pull the jugs and no surprise to find squirters. Removed and plugged and now no problems. If you want squirters, be sure you have room for a 13 row cooler.
 
I had a 320 with squirter holes. I got the case from CSI, when my ended up being toast. I ended plugging the holes on that case. A lot of people don't realize that most of the cases out there are for 320/360's. And they are the same case. Sans your few engines that are special like the H2AD and some other odd-balls. The cases can house a 320 crank or 360 crank, it doesn't know the difference. The case does not know which engine it is, meaning aerobatic or other options. You can bolt on a 320 or 360 cylinder too. All you need is the correct connecting rods and rocker arm pushrods and so forth. After that, all the gears, camshafts, wrist pins, rocker arms and other small items all interchangeable. My next build is a 320 and I will add the squirts to it. It will have a good oil cooler in it for sure. So if you want to run the squirters, then add them in there, the engine doesn't care. IF you are going to be doing gentlemen aerobatics, or a lot of power cycling, then the squirs help. Sounds like they help with cooling too. And don't worry about the oil pump, its going to put out the flow and whatever the engine doesn't need, goes back to the sump via the pressure relief valve.
 
Thanks everyone for your input and response. Since this is a 9A and therefore not aerobatic, I am plugging the piston cooling ports.
 
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