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Vans oil cooler shutter

theduff

Well Known Member
Anybody have some first hand experience using one of these to regulate oil temp. What is the actual thickness of the unit as I'm doing mockup today?
Duff
 
Without measuring i believe it to be about 3/16" thick and it is avery nice piece. I have used mine for several years and it works great to regulate the oil temps between summer and winter.
 
I have also used it for a few years now and love it. I can regulate the oil temp very closely and has had no issues with it.
 
I retrofitted with one because after operating for a few years it became clear that I need my cooler blocked in the winter not in the summer to keep oil temps where they should be. Works fine after several hundred hours of operations. Give some thought to how to control it but don't over-engineer either -- a simple bowden cable with a B-nut works fine. Mycockpit control, being retrofitted, is in kind of an awkward place (left side back and below the cockpit air vent) but on the other hand you don't want too many controls in your console cluttering up the more important stuff. One thing is the shutter a bit stiff but a little spray lube (just a little) now and then seems to do the trick.
 
Shutter thickness

Without measuring i believe it to be about 3/16" thick and it is avery nice piece. I have used mine for several years and it works great to regulate the oil temps between summer and winter.

Is 3/16" an estimate ? I've allowed 0.080" for mounting.,Sounds like I better make another spacer. I'm doing some custom ducting.
Duff
 
I'd wait

Seeing that you live in So Cal, I'd wait on it. I've had mine on and off during testing over the last few months. My oil temps get up fine in winter temps down to the teens, but I have piston oil squirters. A pretty easy install on a flying plane if you feel you need it. YMMV.
 
Oil cooler shutter

Seeing that you live in So Cal, I'd wait on it. I've had mine on and off during testing over the last few months. My oil temps get up fine in winter temps down to the teens, but I have piston oil squirters. A pretty easy install on a flying plane if you feel you need it. YMMV.
Yes I may bit optimistic but I just want to leave the option open. My oil cooler install has it sandwiched between an inlet and outlet duct so I want to have enough room to install it later by fabricating a spacer the same thickness as the shutter.
Duff
 
Seems to only make about 5 degrees difference....

Between open and closed, at least in the winter.

Oil temps still stay outta the bottom of the green (<165F) when it's fall/winter ops, even if fully closed.

I also used some metal tape to seal up the sides to keep air from leaking past, still...about five degrees is all she did.

Usually fly fully open this time of year.

It is a well-made piece of gear, and easy to install. Just not as effective as I had hoped...

Rob
 
Mine is very effective (IO-360-M1B, stock baffles, stock oil cooler location on the aft left baffle). I can control oil temp to within a degree or two by adjusting it via push-pull cable in flight, and I have about a 20-30 deg F range between open and closed. My oil temps have always been fine, usually on the cool side (low 180s even in warmer weather, 150-160 when it's cold, but closing the shutter brings it right up to 180 or so). Stock oil cooler, too, and I fly WOT pretty much all the time.

I'm very happy with it.
 
Mine is very effective (IO-360-M1B, stock baffles, stock oil cooler location on the aft left baffle). I can control oil temp to within a degree or two by adjusting it via push-pull cable in flight, and I have about a 20-30 deg F range between open and closed. My oil temps have always been fine, usually on the cool side (low 180s even in warmer weather, 150-160 when it's cold, but closing the shutter brings it right up to 180 or so). Stock oil cooler, too, and I fly WOT pretty much all the time.

I'm very happy with it.


Wow, that sounds great.

If you have any pics of your install, I would love to see them. Maybe I goobered something up and am letting air bypass or something.

I am not seeing anywhere near the result you are getting from it; same engine, same oil cooler, same location.

Thanks,

Rob
 
Wow, that sounds great.

If you have any pics of your install, I would love to see them. Maybe I goobered something up and am letting air bypass or something.

I am not seeing anywhere near the result you are getting from it; same engine, same oil cooler, same location.

Thanks,

Rob

Let me dig out my pics from the build, but there's not much to see...it's in the stock location, with the shutter between the engine and the cooler, mounted as low as possible without interfering with the cylinder (also to avoid contacting the upper cowling).

Oil temps on mine have always run cool, comparatively speaking...usually right at 180 or thereabouts.

I'll see what I can find.
 
Mine is very effective (IO-360-M1B, stock baffles, stock oil cooler location on the aft left baffle). I can control oil temp to within a degree or two by adjusting it via push-pull cable in flight, and I have about a 20-30 deg F range between open and closed. My oil temps have always been fine, usually on the cool side (low 180s even in warmer weather, 150-160 when it's cold, but closing the shutter brings it right up to 180 or so). Stock oil cooler, too, and I fly WOT pretty much all the time.

I'm very happy with it.

Exact same engine and same experience. When I installed mine, I was wondering if I would run into high temp in summer time considering I am in Sacramento but hardly. In summer time my shutter is fully open unless I am flying really high and in winter time I leave it just open enough to stay at 180-182. I can get it very exact.
 
I had to add the shutter in order to get my oil temps up high enough. I'm in SoCal also, so it isn't because it's not warm here. Photos from my install are in at my web site in the Phase 2 gallery.
 
oil cooler vent or shutter

vans no longer sells these sliding shutters for the 10 row oil cooler. However I would like to manufacture my own if I had some better pictures than in vans calogue. Anybody have some closeups or better yet pdf of some plans.
 
I have one that I haven't installed yet. I'll take several photos and post them for reference when I get back to the hangar this week.
 
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