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winter oil cooler deflector IO-320?

daddyman

daddyman

Well Known Member
My oil runs too cool.
How cool is too cool?
It stabilizes at 153 degrees.
It does not heat up enough to boil off the excess moisture, so it gets "dirty looking" very quickly.

Is it OK to slip a temporary piece of aluminum between to #3 and the oil cooler (left side looking forward from the cockpit)?

Just an idea I had.

Daddyman
 
I ran an (I)O-320 for many years on my -8 and it was hard to get the temps over 170-175F. In your case at 153 - too cool for me personally - I'd blank off the air flow to the cooler first. I'd experiment with adhesive aluminum tape or something simple. Find out what works for you, then make a more permanent shield. Or install an air damper to control the air flow from the cockpit.

There's also the valve arrangement in the oil cooler supply line. A lot of work, but some speak highly of the mod. You can search the site and find info on this modification. Research thoroughly before modifying the oil system.

As for the dirty look, I'd personally bet this is a a blowby condition and likely not moisture alone.
 
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Blowby

I've seen the term "blowby" a couple times lately. Exactly what is it and what can be done about it?
 
pvalovich said:
I've seen the term "blowby" a couple times lately. Exactly what is it and what can be done about it?
Click to expand...

Piston ring blowby. Combustion gasses venting past the piston into the crankcase which contaminates the oil. What can be done is a whole volume of discussion. Search the internet for Lycoming blowby (blow by).
 
I added Van's oil cooler shutter last year. Now I can open/close the shutter to fine tune the oil temps.

IMG_6237-M.jpg


More photos of the process here.
 
bruceh said:
I added Van's oil cooler shutter last year. Now I can open/close the shutter to fine tune the oil temps.

IMG_6237-M.jpg


More photos of the process here.
Click to expand...

I put the shudder on mine last winter and even with it closed and on a 60*f day, I'm lucky to get 180 temp. On a 45*f day, my oil temps barely get over 140. The low oil temps is the only issue I've had and I'd be interested in any suggestions to get my temps higher.

In answering the posted question, prior to installing the shudder I used some aluminum tape and would tape off the face of the oil cooler completely in the winter months.
 
Infidel said:
I put the shudder on mine last winter and even with it closed and on a 60*f day, I'm lucky to get 180 temp. On a 45*f day, my oil temps barely get over 140. The low oil temps is the only issue I've had and I'd be interested in any suggestions to get my temps higher.

In answering the posted question, prior to installing the shudder I used some aluminum tape and would tape off the face of the oil cooler completely in the winter months.
Click to expand...

I am installing the shutters too, and I would be very surprised if they leak ( just an opinion). If too cool take the tape and put over the back of the cooler. Vlad style.
 
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In order to get the temps up on my O-320 in my -4 I completely block off the airflow to the cooler with a homemade piece of aluminum that pivots over the opening in the back baffle. I usually block it off in late December and open it up again in the spring. During cold weather my oil temps will stabilize around 190. Being I'm just north of you I would expect that you would see the same results.

Alan
 
Very similar to my Cherokee 140. I used aluminum tape to block off about 2/3 in the winter months to get the oil temp up above 180. Here in southern GA, we don't see many days below 40F so you may need to block off more for your locale.
 
sweet shutter

bruceh said:
I added Van's oil cooler shutter last year. Now I can open/close the shutter to fine tune the oil temps.

IMG_6237-M.jpg


More photos of the process here.
Click to expand...

Really cool set up.
Thanks for the picture as well.

My oil cooler is very tight to the engine, but I should be able to make that system work.

Thanks,
Daddyman
 
I made my own hinged door connected to a push-pull cable in the cockpit to close off airflow at the back of the oil cooler.
Didn't really do any good because on cold days, even with both front and back of my oil cooler completely covered up, I still can't get but 150-160 degrees oil temp in my O-320
 
Van's shutter?

I don't see anything on Van's website for the oil cooler shutter. Is it not available anymore or does someone else make one?
 
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