Winterization Kit/Plate/Mod for M20K

[Fix]

I was about to make a post some weeks ago about this topic, saw in that there was a Post in another section.
But would like to talk more specific about M20K.

Is there a "official" Winterization Kit?
I found something about it on some Mooney document, but could find anything when I Google the part #.


Here at Northern Europe we get semi cold weather from October to March.

I use AeroShell 100W Plus + Camguard and this authumn I didn't change to Aeroshell 80W Plus and I started to get some "issues" with fluctuating MP when OAT were about 10 Celsius.
When below >10 Celsius I pre-heat my engine, but it didn't help with the fluctuating MP.

So I started to cover my oil cooler about 40% with Aluminum foil tape.
When I did a flight at FL100 with OAT around 7-9 Celsius engine temp was fine and MP stable.

But when OAT was around 5-6 on ground it started to fluctuate again.

Will change oil next week to Philips X/C 20W50 + Camguard so I can use same oil whole year without changing from 100W to 80W and vice versa.


Questions:

How much of the oil cooler is OK to cover?
- I've found somewhere that some covered whole oil cooler, too much? (depending on OAT)

Is there a good way to check the Oil Temp Probe (Stock) - Measure Ohm and heat it?
And what Ohm/Temp on the probe to check the Oil Temp gauge (Stock) so it's correct.

 

[PeteMc]

4 hours ago, Fix said:

I use AeroShell 100W Plus + Camguard and this authumn I didn't change to Aeroshell 80W Plus and I started to get some "issues" with fluctuating MP when OAT were about 10 Celsius.

What about using Phillips 66 X/C 20W-50 for the winter?  

And if I get a chance, I'll take a picture of my winterization plate.  No clue if it's "official" or not, it came with the plane. 

 

[Ragsf15e]

17 minutes ago, PeteMc said:

What about using Phillips 66 X/C 20W-50 for the winter?  

And if I get a chance, I'll take a picture of my winterization plate.  No clue if it's "official" or not, it came with the plane. 

 

@Fix there is an actual approved winterization plate!  I believe it’s a small piece of sheet metal that you can flip up or down depending on conditions, but @PeteMcs picture will tell us for sure.  I tried to order one through lasar a while back and basically they didn’t have any and then ghosted me on it.  I plan to use tape this year.

Interestingly, i flew in very cold air last year and didn’t notice the issues with mp you mentioned.  My issue was that my oil wouldn’t stay above about 120 deg f in cruise which isn’t warm enough.  This was around -20c at cruise altitude. Im glad pete has an example of the plate he can show us!

** I use xc20w-50 and CG year round, so maybe that’s why I didn’t have the mp issues?

[Fix]

18 hours ago, PeteMc said:

What about using Phillips 66 X/C 20W-50 for the winter?  

Then I can use AeroShell 80W Plus if I want to use "two" different oils.
Will use Philips X/C 20W50 + Camguard all the time in future.

[Fix]

18 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Interestingly, i flew in very cold air last year and didn’t notice the issues with mp you mentioned.  My issue was that my oil wouldn’t stay above about 120 deg f in cruise which isn’t warm enough.  This was around -20c at cruise altitude. Im glad pete has an example of the plate he can show us!

** I use xc20w-50 and CG year round, so maybe that’s why I didn’t have the mp issues?

I also have some problems to get the Oil temp up when it's cold or less than 10c.
Suspect that AeroShell 100W is little bit to cold to flow properly then, giving me MP fluctuations.

Philips X/C 20W50 would most probably work much better, and I will change next week or at next annual and use it both summer/winter.
Have 7x AeroShell 80W on the shelf that I might use this time, since I won't fly many hours until my Annual i February due to bad weather here.

[PeteMc]

8 hours ago, Fix said:

Suspect that AeroShell 100W is little bit to cold to flow properly then, giving me MP fluctuations.

Once the engine has warmed up, I doubt the 100w has anything to do with the MP fluctuation.  My concern with that weight of oil would only be at the startup.  Great in the summer, sludge in the winter.  

And as for my plate, which screws in, I didn't get a chance to look for it yet.  Quite honestly, when I lived back east I never really needed to install it.  And although it got pretty cold even in the summer in the teens, the oil temp never got out of the green.  I guess in the winter there is that potential, but I really haven't done any long X-US flights in the winter due to the icing potential.  So it's always been shorter flights. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 05:18 AM by PeteMc

[Jackk]

+5C is like 42F, that’s not even “cold”

 

 Per Continental SIL 03-1 cold weather ops start at like 20F

 

 For me I wouldn’t change anything if it’s only 42F outside 

 

 As always I’d just warm the jugs to 200F or so before I put much power to the plane 

 Some folks do more damage than good trying to keep a engine warm that isn’t even cold, another best intentioned bad idea is the guys who leave the engine oil heater on 24/7 in winter 

 

 I think your MP fluctuations are a different issue 

Continental SIL 03-1 Cold Wx Ops.pdf

Edited Wednesday at 03:34 PM by Jackk

[Falcon Man]

My IA and I made two plates to cover the oil cooler - one is ~ 1/3 and the other is ~ 1/2 of the surface. I believe the Mooney Weatherization Oil Cooler cover "Kit" is long gone MIA.