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Oil Cooler

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paul330

Well Known Member
I've done a search but can't find an specific answer.

I am fitting the oil cooler box (VA186). Since this seems to be the plenum where the high pressure air comes in to go through the cooler, is it worthwhile filling the gaps in the corners to prevent air escaping?
 
Yes

Paul, also fill any corners in the engine baffles where incoming air might escape, with hi-temp silicone or similar.

I lowered both CHT's and oil temps a few degrees by doing so.

Best,
 
More on oil cooler sealing

I have sealed all around the oil cooler plenum and fitted the cooler. Along the vertical edges, there is a small (about 1/16") gap between the edge of the cooler and the housing. Because of the outer part of the cooler casing, it is impossible to get to it to seal with RTV. Is it meant to be like this for some reason? Or should I take it off again and seal the gap with a strip of baffle material or similar?
 
A piece of closed cell weatherstrip (hard black) foam on each side works perfect and looks nice.
 
Yes, you must seal that gap!

paul330 said:
I have sealed all around the oil cooler plenum and fitted the cooler. Along the vertical edges, there is a small (about 1/16") gap between the edge of the cooler and the housing. Because of the outer part of the cooler casing, it is impossible to get to it to seal with RTV. Is it meant to be like this for some reason? Or should I take it off again and seal the gap with a strip of baffle material or similar?
Click to expand...

I just posted a bit about this a few weeks ago. I just mounted the cooler and did not seal those gaps originally. On mine, it was not uniform gap, it was just the little semi-circular channels where the cooling fins end. Anyway, when I finally got around to smearing a big fillet of orange RTV along the vertical edges to seal those gaps, the oil temp went down quite a bit.

Weather strip material may work for a while, but it is pretty hot there, I don't know how long it will last. I just smeared a somewhat ugly fillet of orange RTV in there.
 
Wouldn't mind the ugly fillet if I could get in! Might try some RTV in a syringe. May get to the outer edge OK but the inner one might be a ........
 
yes, a syringe, and...

the inboard edge was pretty difficult.

I got the syringe at TAP plastics, with a fairly large tubular 'needle' that was able to pass RTV.

Ultimately though, I think I did better with a sharpened popsicle stick and just laying it in the slot between the cooler and the plenum and spreading it out.

It was difficult, but the results prove it was worth it. If I had done it before I mounted the engine, it would have been very easy.
 
Well, I'm not an aeronautical engineer but the weatherstrip I've used works fine. Your cooler shouldn't exceed 220 degrees and the heat at the rubber area will be less. If you want to make a mess, go ahead and goop it. What do I know?
 
Ugly red fillet with a popsicle stick it was......... :p Who's going to see it? Next job is to spoil my brand new gold painted engine by filling all the baffle gaps with more red goo.

Thanks for the help.
 
temp limit of weatherstrip foam

aerhed said:
A piece of closed cell weatherstrip (hard black) foam on each side works perfect and looks nice.
Click to expand...

Sorry Aerhed, I didn't mean to pull rank. But most all weatherstripping foam is PVC foam, and has a maximum service temperature of 180 F. Above that it will age and crumble fairly quickly.
 
Sorry Steve. I guess I was actually talking about neoprene bar and not the china foam. Should've been more specific.
 
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