Oil Flow Diagram

[201Steve]

Anyone know where I would find an oil flow diagram for an IO-360? A few minutes of searching the Google didn't produce what I was looking for. Basically, how the oil is routed from bottom to top.

[PT20J]

[201Steve]

@PT20J was this drawn before oil filters were standard? It doesn’t show it as part of the system, unless you should basically consider the screen as the filter?

[EricJ]

25 minutes ago, 201Steve said:

@PT20J was this drawn before oil filters were standard? It doesn’t show it as part of the system, unless you should basically consider the screen as the filter?

The filter replaces the pressure screen.

 

[201Steve]

19 minutes ago, EricJ said:

The filter replaces the pressure screen

So what I’m reading is, the oil flows thru the oil cooler before being filtered? Also, what are the dotted lines on the prop governor? I can’t tell direction of flow. 
 

(The reason for my inquiry here is to determine the vulnerability of cam/tappet wear particles entering oil cooler or prop governor, or it filtration happens between the pickup and the 2 systems)

[PT20J]

Oil flows from the pump to the governor and from the pump to the oil cooler.

If you get metal in the filter in a quantity that requires removing the engine, it’s best to overhaul the oil cooler, reseal the prop and overhaul the governor.  

Most props haven’t been off in years and a reseal is relatively inexpensive. You can always turn it into an overhaul if the prop shop finds something amiss, but if you ask for an overhaul there are mandatory things that must be done whether needed or not driving the cost up.

It is standard practice to overhaul or replace the accessories (like the prop governor) when installing a new, overhauled or rebuilt engine.

The oil cooler overhaul is inexpensive.

The hoses - unless teflon- are supposed to be replaced every 5 years. Might be a good time to replace them also.

Skip

[EricJ]

5 hours ago, 201Steve said:

So what I’m reading is, the oil flows thru the oil cooler before being filtered? Also, what are the dotted lines on the prop governor? I can’t tell direction of flow. 
 

(The reason for my inquiry here is to determine the vulnerability of cam/tappet wear particles entering oil cooler or prop governor, or it filtration happens between the pickup and the 2 systems)

Yes, it goes through the cooler before being filtered.  The governor is essentially a separate circuit, and the output of the governor is at much higher pressure than the rest of the system.   The front main bearing is the relief for it so usually excess goes from the front main bearing back into the sump, but it can also go back to the oil pump through the input route when pressure dictates.  I think maybe that's why there's no arrow in that circuit to show direction, as it is potentially bi-directional.

As @PT20J mentioned, this is why it is sometimes recommended to flush the cooler after major engine work, and potentially also the prop.

Whatever is circulating eventually goes through the filter and particles should be ultimately captured there.   It is possible that a sliver or little chunk of something could go through the governor before the filter, but it's pretty much just a gear pump, just like the oil pump, so it's not very susceptible to damage from little particles.   Big stuff that could hurt the governor or oil pump isn't supposed to make it through the suction screen.

My engine was making a fair amount of metal a while back, and it eventually turned out it was coming from the governor.   Once the governor was changed, there's been no more metal.  We took the prop off to check some things and I even took it to the prop shop to get checked out.   It was completely clean.  The clearances on these motors are pretty big, so little slivers and flakes and stuff get pushed into the sump and then stuck in the filter.   It seems rare that they do much collateral damage.