REFLECTOR: Engine compartment oil cooler

[Brian Michalk]

I have a theory about air cooling.  Of course I could be wrong.

I think that having maximum vacuum in the cowling is the optimum solution.
Plug all of the leaks in the plenum such that all of the air entering your
intake scoops goes through the cylinders, and is "sucked" into the cowling.
It would therefore (assuming my first sentence is correct) seem reasonable
that any additional "leak" in the form of extra air routed through scat
tubes to cool the oil pan, oil filter, second oil cooler, or alternator all
results in higher pressure in the cowl, which results in less cooling of the
cylinders.

In my opinion, if you have to have secondary cooling in the cowling, provide
appropriate exhaust for this air.

How are his cylinder temps?

>From my limited experience, I've seen that oil temps lag cylinder temps.
Keep the cylinders cool, and the oil stays cool.

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Richard Riley
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:08 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Engine compartment oil cooler

I'm doing a little work on a friend's Velocity XLRG.  It's been running 
very high oil temps.  The reason may be that the very large oil cooler in 
the engine compartment isn't getting any pressurized air - it's just 
sitting in front of the forward right cyl, standing in the still air of the 
upper cowl.

I'm thinking it should get pressurized outside air to one side, then 
exhaust from the other into the engine compartment.

I'm figuring on doing a plenum on the back of the cooler, and getting 
pressurized air from the main plenum on top of the engine, or adding a 
scoop to the bottom cowl and running a piece of SCAT to a plenum on the 
front of the cooler.

Is there a standard way for this to be done on the XLRG, or do they 
normally have an oil cooler without any airflow?

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