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Mooney Oil Cooler


mooney10

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   I have a 1962 M20C and I’ve noticed that whenever I get done flying my oil cooler isn’t hot but my oil temp is hot. Shouldn’t the oil cooler be just as hot as the oil? I suspect oil isn’t passing through the cooler.

   Also I have what looks to be an aftermarket restrictor plate on the backside of the oil cooler. It is about an inch and a half off the backside of the cooler and it is separating the oil cooler from an exhaust pipe. Does anyone else have this restrictor plate or should this be removed? 

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The restriction plate is supposed to be there.  It was an SB to protect the exhaust pipe from cracking, as I recall.  The cooler should likely be warm.  How hot is your oil?  If over about 185 the cooler should be getting warm. 

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7 minutes ago, mooney10 said:

   I have a 1962 M20C and I’ve noticed that whenever I get done flying my oil cooler isn’t hot but my oil temp is hot. Shouldn’t the oil cooler be just as hot as the oil? I suspect oil isn’t passing through the cooler.

   Also I have what looks to be an aftermarket restrictor plate on the backside of the oil cooler. It is about an inch and a half off the backside of the cooler and it is separating the oil cooler from an exhaust pipe. Does anyone else have this restrictor plate or should this be removed? 

Are saying the cooling fins are not hot?  Or are you removing cowling and touching the cooler itself?

My 1963 D/C has the plate installed behind the oil cooler.

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On 7/9/2020 at 12:59 PM, takair said:

The restriction plate is supposed to be there.  It was an SB to protect the exhaust pipe from cracking, as I recall.  The cooler should likely be warm.  How hot is your oil?  If over about 185 the cooler should be getting warm. 

The oil temperature reaches about 220 degrees. 

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On 7/9/2020 at 1:02 PM, MooneyMitch said:

Are saying the cooling fins are not hot?  Or are you removing cowling and touching the cooler itself?

My 1963 D/C has the plate installed behind the oil cooler.

Yes I am only feeling the fins on the exterior. Should I be judging temperature/operation of the cooler not based off fins, but the internal cooler temp?

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11 minutes ago, mooney10 said:

Yes I am only feeling the fins on the exterior. Should I be judging temperature/operation of the cooler not based off fins, but the internal cooler temp?

I have no idea.  I was curious only. I’ve never touched my oil cooler fins after a flight.  I will do that today.

 

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Fins are so good at what they do...

One part will be the temp of the oil... another part may be the temp of the air...

Fingers make great sensors... but can be calibrated poorly... or not at all...

When assessing whether a cooler is working properly... it really helps to have actual data...

Hot spots are a sign that a cooler isn’t working... Cold spots are a sign that a cooler tube may be plugged...

I don’t think using a fingertip on metal that can be 200+°F would be a viable method for looking for hot spots... or fitting in between the fins where the tubes are...
 

Draw a grid on paper to represent the oil cooler... use thermometer to measure actual surface temps... put the collected data on the paper...
 

Keep in mind you are looking for parts of the cooler that aren’t working... not assessing the whole device...

Sludge has a way to block individual tubes... killing off cooling capacity one tube at a time...

The last thing an oil cooler does is descend at less than full power....  like a TC, it will be coolest right when it lands...

Now.... collecting data is a great idea... but comparing data is going to be a little more challenging....

See if you can get a datapoint at the beginning and end of as many tubes as you can in the cooler... They should all be the same...  some may be blocked more at the bottom of the cooler... effects of gravity and sludge...

 

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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