Engine cooling

I made a pair of winterizing plates for me 'Coupe, one with a smaller hole in the center and one with no hole. The one with no hole wins in cold weather. For more increased oil temperature, there are insulating bags that zip around the oil tank.

The strangest effect is that the "winterizing plate" with the small hole works great in the summer. My oil temperature doesn't rise, but my cylinder #1 & #2 CHT's come down significantly. This must be due to lowering the pressure in the bottom cowl therefore pulling more air down through the cooling fins. I never see oil above 190 (maybe 200 in a hot, hard climb) but previously my Cylinder #2 was the limitation for a hot hard climb.

Chris
I would like to have a copy of the if possible?

Thank you
Jim

• Chris Carlisle

I’d like to have a copy of the template if it’s still available.

Well....... As it turns out, if you look closely at the pic, there are little holes on either side of the big oval center hole under the spinner. They are backed with nut plates. Looks like someone in this poor plane's long past put SOMETHING over that hole which has long since been lost.

So, I took Larry's very helpful Skyport engineering drawings and enlarged them on my printer enough so that the resultant size just overlapped those holes, traced it onto a 0.040/30 piece of scrap aluminum stock, and cut it out on the band saw. Screwed it in place with lock washers and now the oil temp comes off the peg in anything over about 20 deg OAT. The cabin heater works better too.

Thanks again Larry for your help. Anyone else need the template let me know and I'd be glad to mail a copy for the usual fee of $5000

Actually, it's free and I'll even pay for the stamp.

Chris

I have used some foam like from a foan cushion, cut it a little large and stuff it in the hole behind the prop and it helps.

Jack

Thanks Larry. That'll be a big help, even if for no other reason I know what hole to plug up now.

Chris