Rotax 912ULS & oil temperature thermostat

[facthunter]

By-pass.

 

If the thermostat could be designed so that WHEN the by-pass is open the line to the oil cooler is blocked off you might get somewhere. This shouldn't be too difficult to arrange, though the problem there is that the oil cooler will be at ambient temperature ,(could be a significant minus quantity on cold days, at height), if no oil whatever goes through it to elevate the temp, and it might thicken up enough to cause flow problems as it is on the suction side of the oil pump.

 

If you put a fitting under the filter, for your oil source it then becomes a full pressure system, and it all becomes a little bit more dangerous. With ALL the hoses & connections this is all becoming a dogs breakfast, especially concerning, when it is so close to the muffler. There's too many hoses on this engine already. Has anyone used a heat exchanger under the filter? It would remove all those external oil pipes,and might be adequate to control the oil temp.(use coolant water) . It's done in other applications. Just a thought.. Nev

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Dave, glad you took my suggestions as intended sometimes the way it comes out on these forums reads different than intended. i looked at that photo many times before i made comment, maybe the Raaus will look at changing some standards as a engine fire in a ultralight will have the same result as one in a 182.

 

my lazair fortunatley does not have these problems ,it is one of the main reasons i went back to this type of machine. KISS principle. I had had enough of paperwork, long hours ect with GA. The lazair was available in kit some 30 years ago in various models. i have the lightest version with Pioneer engines. with my light weight i don't need the extra power or fuel burn. I compare flying a lazair to my experiences sailing solo. rewarding. it may be old but still performs well for what it is and am using it as a test platform for electric flight. that is slowly happening.

 

ozzie

 

 

[BigPete]

So .... Dave any luck with the thermostat problem?

 

regards

 

 

[WestCoast]

Peter,

 

Problem has not been resolved. The obvious fix would be to source a new core for the thermostat, but easier said than done.

 

The system could be redesigned to work more effectively however SLSA rules make that impractical.

 

Regards

 

Dave

 

 

[hihosland]

Is there an adjustable shutter or blind system that one can fit to either the water or oil radiator? thus doing away with the thermostat

 

Davidh

 

 

[hihosland]

After posting the above

 

I did the obvious and found

 

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi?&browse=engines&product=oil_shutter

 

via Google.

 

I'd be interested in anyone's experience with this unit

 

Davidh

 

 

[vk3auu]

You can't beat a piece of Gaffer Tape wrapped around the cooler. It is real cheap too.

 

David

 

 

[Thumper]

There is a good article on this at StolSpeed.com A water thermostat will help with the water temp but Even a water thermostat won't help oil temp much but this video has a good idea to help at the 9:30 mark, a water to oil heat exchanger.

 

You are Welcome

 

 

[Hongie]

Holy thread revival batman! !

 

 

[Thumper]

Could not help it. I had been scouring the web for solutions to the low oil warm up and came accross this one. Then found what might be the solution so I had to post hoping someone else might. I sent the link to the guy at Stolspeed and we will see what he does with it. He does some extensive testing of other things so what the heck. Dennis here with a Kolb Mark III and Aeroprakt A20 in W Tennessee USA. 600+ hours in 4 years. Having fun now.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

 

I have run alum plates on both my oil-cooler, and coolant radiator for some years now. They cover approx 45% of the core. I do a lot of winter cruising and have both plates fitted for winter. They are easy to fit or remove (5 minutes), and are simply held on with two black tyraps throught the cores, and are retained by the cowl also. As summer arrives and it warms up, I will start to see a rise in oil temps after take-off. This is the signal to remove the oil-cooler one only. The coolant one stays on year round now, unless I'm out in the country in 40c+ temps, where I'll remove both.

 

In the photo above you can see the coolant one fitted only, so it must be summer.

 

This set-up keeps my temps in the lower end of the green arc year-round, and is in range as Rotax recommends. Additionally I view cool oil-temps to be the right end of the sick to be on, compared to the other end with high, high, oil temps that some motors seem to run. That's simply scary, and I know where I'd rather be !!..my 912 ULS now has almost 700 hours with no dramas.. I run Valvolene durablend 15W50, change oil every 50, and oil filters every 100.....................................................Maj...