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Thread: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

  1. #11
    Senior Member JoeRuscito's Avatar
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    Has anyone tried to make an adjustable cowl flap of some type? Considering my water and oil temps are low I'm wondering if this might be a nice adjustable solution for all weather/temps.

    Can someone enlighten me as to what is a min except able water temp on the 912 is?

    As for oil I've been told 180 F is acceptable as long as you get it up above 212 F every once in a while.

    Thanks all...Lots to learn.

  2. #12
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    About 15 years ago, I helped a guy finish a Series 5. His plan was to take it to Alaska. He wanted some method to manage the temps. We decided to put a NACA flap on the opening to the radiator and oil cooler. We did the deed and he moved on, sadly, I lost contact with him and can't give any reports of how it worked, but the attached pictures gives an idea of what the mechanics looked like. I have no pictures of the duct cover itself, though. The forward hinge on the duct cover was the fiberglass cowl skin itself and was left intact as the opening was cut to expose the cooling apparatus.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


    My You Tube Channel

  3. #13
    Senior Member JoeRuscito's Avatar
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    What a cool idea! I love that the skin just remains as is (before cut) when closed. Really nice thinking!

  4. #14
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    So we where running heat exchanger water/oil and they would keep both temps within 10F of each other. We installed new high flow oil pumps and discovered the heat ex-changers where limiting oil flow so we removed them. Now coolant is much cooler now and its hard to stay warm, in the cabin. We have our oil coolers completely covered and the CHTs are around 140f.

    Joe did you come up with a solution?
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  5. #15
    Senior Member
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    Chisholm Mn
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    I recently installed a Thermo-Bob 1 in my Kitfox 4/912. The thermostat is 180degree, seems to have helped keep the coolant temps higher and my cockpit heater makes heat now. JImChuk

  6. #16
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    I was looking at that. I guess the fear is if the thermostat fails closed? I guess they have been around awhile do they have a good track record?
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Oct 2018
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    Kitchener, Ontario
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    I've been eyeballing these units on eBay for the Oil Cooler, and would like to do something similar to the Coolant Rad

    Opened

    s-l500-1.jpg

    Closed
    s-l500.jpg

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Jul 2018
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    Westfield, IN
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    Timely, I need something too.

  9. #19
    Senior Member efwd's Avatar
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    Jun 2015
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    Yorba Linda, CA
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    I have been considering adding something to my cooler since Im currently using aluminum tape to mask off about 1/3 of the surface area now that the temps have fallen. Unfortunately this item would be too restrictive for me as it seems to cover approx. 1/3 of cooler while in the full open position. I need every last inch of the cooler when the temps reach 90 degrees let alone the 105-110 degrees we see out in the local deserts.
    Eddie Forward
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Garmin G3X

  10. #20
    Senior Member JoeRuscito's Avatar
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    Default Re: Oil thermostat vs adjustable oil cooler blocking

    I never ended up doing anything to mine for the same reason above. One or two strips of Al tape when the temps get down to 60 or so and that gets my oil right where I need to be for the whole winter. I will say the coolant stays kinda low and I sometimes add tape on the radiator as well. Then in the summer I like the full cooling! I would love to have adjustability beyond taking the cowl off (I cant fit my arm in the naca), but havent come up with anything I like yet. Delta Whisky (mostly him) came up with an interesting idea to trip the airflow in the naca to reduce its efficiency and maybe reduce cooling but I havent tested yet. Ill keep yall posted.

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