N4655R
Senior Member
So, I have another question for the collective minds of this forum.
I flew a www.pilotsnpaws.org mission today in my O-320 Cherokee 140. I was a 9,500msl and the outside air temperature was -5*C at this altitude. The oil temperature on the vintage oil temperature gauge would not get any higher than 90-100*F. I was not running a winter oil cooler plate as the surface air temperature was 75*F. Is this normal? Can the engine be run too cold?
I don't normally fly this high but in this case, I was burning 7 GPH and my calculations showed me doing just under 130mph True Air Speed with 139mph over the ground, 2600rpm. I was leaned out pretty good ROP (No CHT/EGT) and could not get the engine oil temp to get any higher. Should I be worried? For the past couple of months, I just attributed the low engine oil temp due to it being winter, and cold out. However, during my decent (500fpm), the oil temperature was dropping even lower. It was always in the green arc on the gauge, but it definitely made me say, "Hmmm, would you look at that".
I will be installing an engine monitor in about 2 months and will then have a better idea of what the actual CHTs are.
I flew a www.pilotsnpaws.org mission today in my O-320 Cherokee 140. I was a 9,500msl and the outside air temperature was -5*C at this altitude. The oil temperature on the vintage oil temperature gauge would not get any higher than 90-100*F. I was not running a winter oil cooler plate as the surface air temperature was 75*F. Is this normal? Can the engine be run too cold?
I don't normally fly this high but in this case, I was burning 7 GPH and my calculations showed me doing just under 130mph True Air Speed with 139mph over the ground, 2600rpm. I was leaned out pretty good ROP (No CHT/EGT) and could not get the engine oil temp to get any higher. Should I be worried? For the past couple of months, I just attributed the low engine oil temp due to it being winter, and cold out. However, during my decent (500fpm), the oil temperature was dropping even lower. It was always in the green arc on the gauge, but it definitely made me say, "Hmmm, would you look at that".
I will be installing an engine monitor in about 2 months and will then have a better idea of what the actual CHTs are.
