Thursday, July 15, 2010

Beating the Heat

The temperature in the hangar has been in the high 90s for quite a while and I'm getting tired of it.

I was trying to fit an oil cooler somewhere into the mix a, but I really didn't have much luck. Maybe I didn't try hard enough. I know it's doable, since others have made it happen.



I always thought that a properly set up and baffled O-200 does not need an oil cooler. Once the ignition started working right, I think the oil temps got a little better.

I found a nifty adapter that will add a couple of oil cooler ports onto a spin-on filter adapter but when I tried it, one port pointed straight up and would interfere with the cooler itself.

For a cooler, I got hold of an Earls Performance, but again, not too much room.

At some point, I just decided "screw it". Fly with what you've got. I am getting tired of all the messing around. I'm just going to fly the race and if I have to throttle back to keep the oil temps below 240F, so be it. Right now I just want to be in it.

I do believe there are a lot of design improvements that could be made with the oil tank. For one, a more aerodynamic shape would help cooling air flow around it. I could also add heat sinks or cooling fins, but all that will be in sump design #2.


Right now, I am doing all the things I can to make the current system as efficient as possible, such as closing gaps in the plenum. Yesterday, I did a little streamlining on the snorkels and today I'm going to add a cooling hose and point it at the sump.

And for a special treat, my new Craig Catto prop will arrive today!


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