bigginsking
Joined: 25 Sep 2012
Posts: 27
Location: San Diego, California
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 Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:32 am Post subject: Oil Coolers |
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Yikes! Glad that hasn't happened to me!
I've been blissfully running around for 900 or so hrs.
I did a little looking around and it's been said that the SWs are tested to 180 PSI(off of VAF) and the Setrabs from what I can find are only tested to 145 PSI, max operating pressure is 174 PSI and design limit pressure is 536 PSI.
http://www.setrab.com/products/proline/technical-specifications/std/
1 Bar = 14.5 Psi.
So 90 PSI shouldn't have been a problem but evidently it was. There is also some speculation that on startup Lyc Oil pressure surges very high, I could see this especially when it's cold. I'm in SoCal now but I was in DC for 4 years before that and started up on some 10 F mornings with no issues.
I run about 72 PSI, 60 PSI would be better. Recommended range is 50-95 PSI according to the vantage engine manual which is pretty much the XP-360 that I have.
Did it fail where the lines connect? Do you think there was any binding?
I hadn't thought about the airflow difference. I've got 1/2 of it taped over anyway so it probably doesn't much matter.
Bill
[quote]
Time: 08:39:51 PM PST US
Subject: Re: Oil Coolers...
From: "Laird" <owens.laird(at)gmail.com (owens.laird(at)gmail.com)>
Gary mentioned a failure in the past of the setrab oil cooler. That was me back
in June 2000. There was a bunch of discussion then about it then. Would recommend
searching that time frame in the archives. I'll copy my original post.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend anyone to use one, but that's the great thing
about homebuilts. You can do whatever YOU want.
Laird
(and yes, I shouldn't have over flown a perfectly good airport, but that's what
I did as the oil temp and pressure were still in the green).
>From June 2000
#67570
Date: Jun 02, 2000
From: "Owens, Laird"
Subject: Setrab Oil Cooler Failure (long)
Hi all,
Yesterday on the 3rd flight of my RV-6, I had an interesting thing happen. I was
out to break in my new 0-360 (and have a little fun) and out about 30nm from
the departure airport, 5500', 2550 rpm just cruising along about ready to turn
for a run back. I was going to do this back and forth thing for 2 hours to
let the motor work a little.
I have a 16 row Setrab oil cooler mounted behind the #4 cyl on the baffle. Setrab
oil coolers had been recommended in the past as a low cost alternative to
S/W's (see post from archives below). Oil temps have been consistent at 225 deg
F (75 deg F ambient at 0 MSL). I was hoping that would come down a little once
the engine broke in. Oil pressure had been stable at 90 psi.
Just before I was going to turn, with about 3 hrs total on the tach, I noticed
a little puddle of oil on the floorboard in front of the rudder peddles. That's
weird.....I don't have any oil lines in under the dash.....OH (at)#$(at)! Oil must
be leaking in the engine compartment and seeping thru the wire pass thru's.
I looked up just in time to see oil starting to come out of the upper cowling
at the fuse/cowl junction. Oil pressure had dropped 5 psi, but was stable,
and temp was still 225. First, pull the power to 1800 and think.
OK....decision time. I was just north of Valencia, about 15nm from Whiteman or
Van Nuys, and about 17nm out of Santa Paula (gawd I love that GPS). Lots of
houses between me Whiteman, and a river bed between me and Santa Paula.....let's
see, if the engine fails, I can land on a house, or a river bed. That's a
no brainer. And if I can make Santa Paula, Camarillo is just around the corner.
Maybe I can make it all the way back to home base......
I keep the power low, watch the oil pressure and temp and head for Santa Paula
decending at about 200 fpm to keep the speed up while the motors still running.
I pass over Santa Paula at 2500' with good oil pressure so I decide to press on
to Camarillo. Tower was helpful getting me on the ground quickly without having
to declare the "E" word.
I taxied back to the hangar and shut down. I climbed out to find oil dripping
from the lower firewall to the tailwheel, on the side of the fuse and on the wing
root and no oil on the dipstick. Guess it lost a little more oil than I thought,
duh. What a mess in the "engine compartment formally know as clean".
I pulled the cowl and cleaned up the airplane up (I'm sure the EPA would like to
talk to me bout now....).
The oil lines were tight, that only leaves the oil cooler. Pulled that and put
an air nozzle to it. Sounds like a big hole up where the tubes get welded to
the main plenum.
Hello, Van's......Can I order a Positech oil cooler and have it delivered over
night? Thank you.
So much for trying to save a couple of bucks on the cooler.
Just thought anyone out there with one of these might like to know about it. I
hadn't seen any failure reports in the archives.
Laird RV-6 (with a well lubed paint job)
SoCal
>From the Archives:
From: Mlfred(at)aol.com
Subject: Re: Oil cooler location & low cost option
Hi all:
PLEASE don't think you need one of those expensive coolers on your bird! Rob
Lee will tell you, and so will I.
I use a small & inexpensive ($65) cooler (with male -8 AN fittings already
installed) from TMR, Inc in Orange, Calif. [url=tel:%28714%29%20771-1348](714) 771-1348[/url]. Talk to Mike and
tell him I sent you ( he'll only charge you an extra 10%). The 19 row ($70
"Setrab" brand- malmo in Sweden) unit I use on my Rocket keeps the temps on
the 540 to 185F in cruise, and I think I used a 13 row on the -4, and it was
usually too much. Rob Lee has the exact part # for the 320/360 unit. How
about posting it, along with installation tips, Rob?
I mounted mine on the back baffle, on the left side. I used the
expanding-slowing air/increasing pressure idea, and the inlet to the cooler
is sort of a reverse funnel.
Check six!
Mark Frederick
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=421186#421186
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Bill Judge
N84WJ, RV-8 |
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