Match: 
#26
Message: 
#67570
Date: 
Jun 02, 2000
From: 
"Owens, Laird" <Owens(at)aerovironment.com>
Subject: 
Setrab Oil Cooler Failure (long)

        "Ralph Krongold" <ralphk@in-inc.com>,
        "rv-list" , socal-rvlist(at)egroups.com


Hi all,

Yesterday on the 3rd flight of my RV-6, I had an interesting thing happen.  I was
out to break in my new 0-360 (and have a little fun) and out about 30nm from
the departure airport, 5500', 2550 rpm just cruising along about ready to turn
for a run back. I was going to do this back and forth thing for 2 hours to
let the motor work a little.  

I have a 16 row Setrab oil cooler mounted behind the #4 cyl on the baffle.  Setrab
oil coolers had been recommended in the past as a low cost alternative to
S/W's (see post from archives below). Oil temps have been consistent at 225 deg
F (75 deg F ambient at 0 MSL).  I was hoping that would come down a little once
the engine broke in.  Oil pressure had been stable at 90 psi.

Just before I was going to turn, with about 3 hrs total on the tach, I noticed
a little puddle of oil on the floorboard in front of the rudder peddles.  That's
weird.....I don't have any oil lines in under the dash.....OH @#$@!  Oil must
be leaking in the engine compartment and seeping thru the wire pass thru's.
I looked up just in time to see oil starting to come out of the upper cowling
at the fuse/cowl junction.  Oil pressure had dropped 5 psi, but was stable,
and temp was still 225.  First, pull the power to 1800 and think.

OK....decision time.  I was just north of Valencia, about 15nm from Whiteman or
Van Nuys, and about 17nm out of Santa Paula (gawd I love that GPS).  Lots of
houses between me Whiteman, and a river bed between me and Santa Paula.....let's
see, if the engine fails, I can land on a house, or a river bed.  That's a
no brainer.  And if I can make Santa Paula, Camarillo is just around the corner.
Maybe I can make it all the way back to home base......

I keep the power low, watch the oil pressure and temp and head for Santa Paula
decending at about 200 fpm to keep the speed up while the motors still running.

I pass over Santa Paula at 2500' with good oil pressure so I decide to press on
to Camarillo.  Tower was helpful getting me on the ground quickly without having
to declare the "E" word.

I taxied back to the hangar and shut down.  I climbed out to find oil dripping
from the lower firewall to the tailwheel, on the side of the fuse and on the wing
root and no oil on the dipstick.  Guess it lost a little more oil than I thought,
duh.  What a mess in the "engine compartment formally know as clean".

I pulled the cowl and cleaned up the airplane up (I'm sure the EPA would like to
talk to me bout now....).

The oil lines were tight, that only leaves the oil cooler.  Pulled that and put
an air nozzle to it.  Sounds like a big hole up where the tubes get welded to
the main plenum.  

Hello, Van's......Can I order a Positech oil cooler and have it delivered over
night?  Thank you.

So much for trying to save a couple of bucks on the cooler.

Just thought anyone out there with one of these might like to know about it.  I
hadn't seen any failure reports in the archives.

Laird RV-6 (with a well lubed paint job)
SoCal

From the Archives:

From:  Mlfred(at)aol.com
Date:  Aug 16, 1996
Subject: Re: Oil cooler location & low cost option
Hi all:

PLEASE don't think you need one of those expensive coolers on your bird! Rob
Lee will tell you, and so will I.
I use a small & inexpensive ($65) cooler (with male -8 AN fittings already
installed) from TMR, Inc in Orange, Calif. (714) 771-1348. Talk to Mike and
tell him I sent you ( he'll only charge you an extra 10%). The 19 row ($70
"Setrab" brand- malmo in Sweden) unit I use on my Rocket keeps the temps on
the  540 to 185F in cruise, and I think I used a 13 row on the -4, and it was
usually too much. Rob Lee has the exact part # for the 320/360 unit. How
about posting it, along with installation tips,  Rob?

 I mounted mine on the back baffle, on the left side. I used the
expanding-slowing air/increasing pressure idea, and the inlet to the cooler
is sort of a reverse funnel.

Check six!
Mark Frederick



End Msg: 
#26 

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