what are 'normal' CHT's?

[rv7spokane]

I have an RV-7 with an IO-360 M1 180hp engine (horizontal induction) with P-mags and am wondering what the majority of people see as regards CHT's in climb and cruise.
I regularly get close to or exceed 400 degrees in the climb during summer and seem to be near 360 in cruise. I am concerned that I may need to go back and further seal up my baffeling if warranted. I know the limits to stay away from but am wondering what others are seeing in their similarly cowled engines.
Thanks,
Ron Rudnick

 

[n5lp]

...
I regularly get close to or exceed 400 degrees in the climb during summer and seem to be near 360 in cruise. I am concerned that I may need to go back and further seal up my baffeling if warranted. I know the limits to stay away from but am wondering what others are seeing in their similarly cowled engines.
Thanks,
Ron Rudnick

Sounds real good to me.

 

[bhester]

Same here

I see about the same here would like to see them a little cooler. I installed the vents in LWR cowl but they did not help at all. I have checked all my baffling and it is all good. I have not drilled my carb jet bigger yet, been thinking about it. I do not get a rise in RPM when I lean to cut off. Right now I'm just living with it. When I climb in the summer and temp get to 420 I reduce power and level off until it cools below 400 before continuing the climb.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

My airplane has an 0-320. The temperatures on the hot cylinder (#3) are identical with what you're reporting and I'm happy with 'em.

 

[tommylewis]

normal

I have the same engine with horizontal induction and two PMAGs, and I get about the same temperatures, until I go LOP and then they drop 30-40 degrees. I also have louvers in the bottom of my cowling. I am happy with these numbers. Now have 498 hours on this setup.

 

[Doug Knab]

CHT LEVELS

If you want to lower your CHTs, the best way is to add louvers on the lower
rear sides of the cowl. This is the area of lowest pressure. If you place louvers on the bottom of the cowl, there will be little reduction in CHT, since this is a high pressure area during climb. Your temps sound OK anyway.

 

[Adam]

Too Cold!

I have a Superior IO-360 and my concern is that my CHT'S are to low! In the Summer they are in the High 200s, 285 to 310. In the winter I will see as low as 240,s with an out side temp of 30 deg.

 

[AlexPeterson]

Seems typical, but...

If your IO360 is well balanced from a cylinder to cylinder mixture viewpoint, you can run LOP and cool things down in cruise if you wish. There are tons of posts on this topic, with graphs, etc.. You didn't say what the oat was for those numbers, only that it was summer. The cht's will track oat. If the oat was 80F out then you are fine, if it was 50 you may need to do something about it (red knob...).