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Message
John, Mark has a very good point. I also
found that a power washer will not only clean your aircraft and engine
compartment just fine, but will also provide hours of later "enjoyment"
combing straight the flatten fins in the radiators and cooler.
I believe I learned this the same way Mark did.
{:>)
Ed Anderson
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 2:09
PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Oil cooler
baffles
John,
You didn’t happen to
“power-wash” your a/c lately? That will flatten the fins on a
heat-exchanger in a hurry. Don’t ask how I learned this.
Mark S.
From: Rotary
motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of John Slade
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 12:31
PM
To: Rotary motors in
aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary]
Oil cooler baffles
A couple of days ago
I took off with the landing brake down. I only have the NACA scoop, so the
engine was getting very little air. By the time I was downwind the temps were
outrageous. Coolant got to 270 and oil to 260. Needless to say I glided to a
landing (on the runway) at idle. Thankfully the engine seems no worse for the
experience. Oil pressure is ok to good and static rpm is unchanged. I flew
again today (landing brake up) and temps were tolerable, but higher than I
used to have long ago, in hotter weather before the new turbo and the
rebuild.
Looking at my two
stock 3rd gen oil coolers after landing I noticed something strange -
most of the thin aluminum baffles between the oil channels are
all bent flat, blocking the air flow. Those that aren't bent are
toward the lower edge of the cooler where airflow might well be less. They're
all bent the same in an even pattern that would indicate to me that this
was either done by one of those crop circle guys on his day off, of the high
pressure air from the scoop hitting the coolers at an angle.
Has anyone else seen
this? I know I can "comb" the aluminum straight again, but will it just happen
again?
Should put a baffle
in the air stream to angle the air somehow?
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