REFLECTOR: Oil cooler VG photo

Scott Derrick scott at tnstaafl.net
Sun Jul 16 21:37:34 CDT 2006


Ron,

Your Cylinder head temps are much more in line to what I have.  When I 
had CHT's up in the high 300's I also had high oil temps.  It makes 
sense, our engines are not just air cooled, they are oil cooled also.  I 
can't believe Lycoming would suggest there is no correlation between 
CHT's and oil temps.. But then they also say that LOP is bad, heads 
firmly inserted mode.

I think if Dave got his CHT's under control its a high probability his 
oil temps come down to a normal range...

Scott

Ron Brown wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Here's another data point for you:  I have IO360 Lyc turning a Catto 66 x 
> 70" prop on a 173 Elite RG.  I have the top NACA scoops, front edge of prop 
> is 1" from rear of cowl, and I have cylinder wraps that go down below the 
> factory air plenum leaving only about an inch to 1.5"  gap for the air to 
> exit the bottom of the cylinders.  I also duct taped the engine crank case 
> and laid up 2 bid from the air plenum to the crank case to close up all of 
> those gaps Scott talks about.
>
> During our trip to the Symposium, I took a picture of my EIS and other panel 
> data:
>
> 174 kt IAS
> 2640 RPM
> 22.4 MAP
> 71 deg F OAT
> 320 hottest CHT
> 1362 hottest EGT
> 203 oil temp
> 11.8 GPH
> 29.91 Baro
> 3600 altitude
>
> I also have my oil cooler lines running down separate sides.
>
> The only time my oil temperature will go over 220 degrees is during a take 
> off after a quick stop on the ground.  Even on 90 degree days.  A cruise 
> climb 120 kts and reducing power a bit will lower the temperatures below 
> 220.
>
> Ronnie Brown
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2006 4:40 PM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Oil cooler VG photo
>
>
>   
>> Dave,
>>
>> There has to be things that are different as we are driving the basic
>> same machine.
>>
>> 400 degrees isn't really hot but my CHTs in the summer in cruise were
>> very close to 330-360 range. So I wonder about your overall engine
>> cooling. You say your taking some of your armpit cooling air and using
>> it for induction?  I do not. I have a separate ram scoop and use all the
>> arm pit air for cooling.
>>
>> You also didn't mention:
>>
>> Are you running LOP or ROP, makes a big difference in your temperatures?
>>
>> How unobstructed is your oil cooler duct?  If you also use that for
>> cabin heat how tightly does the diverter flap come up against the side
>> when cabin heat is turned off?  Are their bumps and angles near the
>> outlet that the air has to negotiate or is it a smooth all the way out?
>>
>> Is your baffling really tight, I mean really really tight or do you have
>> big gaping 1/2 inch or inch wide holes where the baffling meets the case?
>>
>> Each of these things won't make a big difference, but added up together
>> they can.
>>
>> Scott
>>
>>
>> Dave Nelson wrote:
>>     
>>> Thanks much for the tips, Scott - and for the speedy response.  Here's 
>>> more
>>> background...
>>>
>>> I have been going after drag reduction to ensure that I remain faster 
>>> than
>>> my hangermate (Doug Solinger in his beautiful Cozy Classic).  One of the
>>> things I've done is to tighten up air leakage that was occuring between 
>>> the
>>> old stock armpit scoops and the lower cowl.  I did this by engineering 
>>> new
>>> armpit scoops that are a bit smaller.  I also created an airbox to use
>>> armpit scoop ram air for induction air (and yes, I did size the scoop for
>>> this mod).  More recently I designed & had built a new exhaust system 
>>> that
>>> keeps the entire exhaust internal to the cowl and exits the exhaust 
>>> behind
>>> the prop (similar to what you see on alot of long-ezs these days).  The
>>> exhaust this new one replaced was purchased from Velocity - the exhaust 
>>> gas
>>> exited the lower cowl pointing straight down (and created quite a bit of
>>> drag).
>>>
>>> I've always been focused on ensuring that every molecule of cooling air I
>>> take in gets used - my plenum is very tight.  On a 90 degree day, I 
>>> seldom
>>> see any cylinder reach 400 deg. F., which I consider acceptable.
>>>
>>> I am having a BEAR of a time with oil temps, however.  I've been working 
>>> on
>>> this problem for two years now and I'm about at wits end.  I've had
>>> extensive discussions with Lycoming (and others), and I've done all of 
>>> the
>>> obvious things (detailed measurements of the vernatherm per Lycoming 
>>> specs
>>> to ensure it's working correctly, flushed the entire oil cooling system 
>>> to
>>> ensure no "gunk" build up, inverted the oil cooler to put the connections 
>>> at
>>> the top (to eliminate any chance of a bubble), various "scoop" 
>>> modifications
>>> to the nose NACA for the oil cooler, MANY test flights (standardized so I
>>> could gather data)... I even added a bilge fan under the pilot seat to 
>>> blow
>>> air into the wiring duct containing the oil lines)...  all to no avail.
>>> Where I'm at right now is, a short flight at 25 squared on a 85 degree 
>>> day
>>> quickly results in oil temps that have exceeded 225 degrees F.
>>>
>>> I'm at the point of giving in.  My current theory is that the oil pump on 
>>> my
>>> engine is no longer as capable of pushing the oil through the approx. 30
>>> feet of tubing as it was when I installed it about 750 hours ago. 
>>> Lycoming
>>> tells me that the system is designed for around 4 feet of tubing, and 
>>> that
>>> this installation is completely nuts (my words... they are more 
>>> diplomatic).
>>>
>>> Sooo... to avoid loosing another summer of flying... I'm now willing to
>>> consider installing a second cooler.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts are welcome - and thanks for the good suggestions!
>>>
>>> Dave
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
>>> To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 8:57 PM
>>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Oil cooler VG photo
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> Dave,
>>>>
>>>> I have  Std RG, and had an IO360 200 HP engine in it.  Standard oil
>>>> cooler.  When I bought the plane I had temp problems. Bad ones. Couldn't
>>>> run any where near 75% power without over heating.
>>>>
>>>> I did the following which allowed me to run 75% any time of year and
>>>> normal cruise temps were 190, I even had to cover up some of the oil
>>>> cooler in the winter to get the temps above 180.
>>>>
>>>> 1.)  Put turning vanes in the oil cooler duct and smoothed out the duct,
>>>> especially the exit. You don't want turbulent air downstream of the
>>>> cooler.
>>>>
>>>> 2.) Got very anal  about air leaks in the engine cowl/baffling.  Any
>>>> hole larger than 1/4 inch must be plugged. Also be sure the silicone
>>>> baffles are pressed against the engine so that the air pressure will
>>>> tighten them against the heads.  Lowering your CHT's will have a
>>>> dramatic effect on your oil temps.
>>>>
>>>> 3.) Run LOP.  I installed a Lightspeed Ignition that provided such good
>>>> complete fuel burn I could run 75 degrees LOP which dropped my oil temps
>>>> 5-10 degrees from a similar ROP power setting.
>>>>
>>>> Scott
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dave Nelson wrote:
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> Wow is this both interesting and pertinent to me... I've been battling
>>>>> oil temp issues for the past two summers on my std rg - I'll try the
>>>>> VGs tomorrow.
>>>>>
>>>>> In the meantime, since I'm getting desperate - for those of you that
>>>>> have succumbed and added a second oil cooler - where did you mount
>>>>> it?  Where do you get intake air?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dave
>>>>>
>>>>>     ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>     *From:* Laurence Coen <mailto:lwcoen at hotmail.com>
>>>>>     *To:* reflector at tvbf.org <mailto:reflector at tvbf.org>
>>>>>     *Sent:* Saturday, July 15, 2006 12:46 PM
>>>>>     *Subject:* REFLECTOR: Oil cooler VG photo
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>     Mike,
>>>>>
>>>>>     Here is an attached photo of the VG's.  The top VG should produce
>>>>>     a clockwise vortex and the bottom one should be counter
>>>>>     clockwise.  I have no idea as to why you felt a "flutter".  The
>>>>>     only effect I experienced was cooler oil and nothing else.  I felt
>>>>>     that my arrangement should stuff air into the  oil cooler
>>>>>     opening.  A 20 degree drop in temperature would logically tend to
>>>>>     support the theory.
>>>>>
>>>>>     I hope this is of some help.
>>>>>
>>>>>     Larry Coen
>>>>>     N136LC
>>>>>     SE/RG Franklin/IVO
>>>>>
>>>>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>     _______________________________________________
>>>>>     To change your email address, visit
>>>>>     http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>>>>>
>>>>>     Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
>>>>>     user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
>>>>>     Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
>>>>>     Check old archives:
>>>>>     http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>>>>>
>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> To change your email address, visit
>>>>> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>>>>>
>>>>> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
>>>>> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
>>>>> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
>>>>> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> -- 
>>>>
>>>> -
>>>>    The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are the public
>>>> papers... [A despotic] government always [keeps] a kind of standing army
>>>> of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be 
>>>> like
>>>> truth, [invent] and put into the papers whatever might serve the
>>>> ministers.
>>>>
>>>>    Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp
>>>>    Oct. 13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> To change your email address, visit
>>>> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>>>>
>>>> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
>>>> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
>>>> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
>>>> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> To change your email address, visit 
>>> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>>>
>>> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
>>> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
>>> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
>>> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> -- 
>>
>> -
>>    The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public 
>> opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The 
>> agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the 
>> waters pure.
>>
>>    Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 1823. ME 15:491
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> To change your email address, visit 
>> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>>
>> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
>> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
>> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
>> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html 
>>     
>
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>
> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>
>
>
>   

-- 

-
    Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.

    George Bernard Shaw, Liberty 



More information about the Reflector mailing list