----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Greg, I use Aeroshell 20/50 for the same reasons that you state. I
believe the spring that you speak of is in the pressure relief valve
assembly and I verified that it is stiffer than the requirement in the
Continental manual, so I'm OK there. I have experienced 25 psi at
195 and 2300 rpm so this is where I get concerned. At low idle the
pressure is about 20 psi and steady so I don't think there is an engine
or pump problem. This is why I am checking the gauge. I'm getting this
done in the shop where our people do this all the time with master
gauges, so the price is right. I identified a gauge in the Aircraft
Spruce catoloque with a range to 80 that I thought would be ideal but
they can't supply. The alternates they proposed were not bourdon
tube-type units so I was reluctant to purchase as I have to follow
Transport Canada regs as close as reasonably possible. Gauges available
locally have a 120 spread and I felt as you do that it is too wide a
spread to get a good reading in the normal operating range. I certainly
appreciate your comments and will continue to investigate.
Thanks
Bill
Greg Bullough wrote:
> At 01:42 PM 6/13/01 +0000, bill brown wrote:
> >----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following
> >any
> >advice in this forum.]----
> >
> >Thanks Greg, you make a good point. I'm aware of the issue but my
> >concern relates to the balance between acceptable oil pressure and an
> >oil temperature that is high enough to vaporize the moisture in the
oil.
> >I'd rather change oil more frequently than damage the engine with
> >marginal lubrication at the bearings. My temp stabilizes at about 190
in
> >acceptable ambients for flying but then my pressure is on the low side.
>
> What's 'the low side' mean to you? These old engines don't run the kind
> of pressures that newer engines do. Around 30 PSI nominal is often
> just about it. There is also an adjustment for that up on the top of
> the engine. A spring-loaded device limits the amount of pressure.
> The spring can get soft. And, the oil pump can get worn as well.
>
> What oil are you running in the summer? I get a bit more oil pressure
> with Aeroshell 100 than I do with multi-vis 20/50. However I tend to
> stick with the 20/50 except during the real heat of summer, because
> I still fly on cool late Spring and early Fall mornings and am concerned
> about the impact of starting with thick oil. I also like that the 20/50
> drains out in a more spirited and complete fashion when I change
> oil. Deep down, I believe that its doing so carries more gunk with
> it. Of course, that also means that slight leaks are more apparent.
>
> >I haven't got the results from my pressure gauge calibration check so I
> >can confirm that the pressure reading is correct.
>
> That's the other thing... ...many Ercoupes have had the oil pressure
> gauge replaced with one with a larger range. That's because our friends
> at Stewart-Warner stopped making TSO'd gauges that stop at 60 PSI or so,
> and now make them around 100PSI (I forget which). Since gauges are
> really not that accurate at their lower ranges, they're about as useful
> as an idiot-light.
>
> However, Aircraft Spruce and Skyport both sell non-TSO'd Scott gauges
> that are of lower range and also dirt-cheap. Here in the US-of-A you
> need a field-approval to use them, but not any more in Canada. For
> less than you pay for the calibration, you can have a new, nice-looking
> gauge in the proper range. Alternatively, you can have electronic gauges
> for very little more. They have the advantage of not having a capillary
> tube that is vulnerable to breakage (especially the temp gauge when
> you clean the screen). Basically, every time you disturb any of that
> stuff you risk messing up and killing either a bulb or capillary tube,
> and then you're grounded. It's not always your fault... ...eventually
> vibration WILL kill the capillary tube, and an over-zealous predecessor
> can toast the bulb on the temp gauge pretty easily.
>
> When that happened to me, I was lucky and the local A&P had a
> 10-year-old-new-in-the-box oil SW temp gauge in a nice low range.
> I think I got the last one in existence :-)
>
> Greg
>
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