Oil thermostat

[Bill]

X-Air are offering a thermostat for Jab / Rotax engines to maintain oil temp above 100C.

 

Price $220 + P&H. Details on the X-Air web page.

 

Has anyone fitted one of these? Any comments / advice?

 

Thanks, Bill

 

 

[Vev]

Hi Bill,

 

Not sure I would want to keep oil temp over 100 deg C an the Jab engine ... personally I would prefer to see it no more than 100 and not above.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

 

[jetjr]

There are oil thermostats which let oil bypass cooler until temp reaches 80 deg C too. Come from automotive suppliers - racing type component.

 

I was nearly going to install one but played with oil cooler and blocked some area off for winter and it worked well.

 

 

[JG3]

That thermostat that X-Air is selling is a Thermostasis brand. I tried one of those Thermostasis thermostats on my 912S. The results were SO MARGINAL that I took it out again, rather than put up with all those extra hoses and hose clamps in hot oil lines. (There's already more than enough hose clamps on a 912......)

 

I ordered it directly from the factory - US$89 plus postage - so about A$110 - while X-Air is asking A$200..... Will sell mine again for A$60 including postage, if anyone wants to try it.

 

I also tried a Permacool oil thermostat, purchased at Oshkosh, same results........ Both are now sitting on the shelf......

 

A friend in USA is preparing to test a thermostat he has found for the coolant system. Looks hopeful. If it works I'll let you know here.

 

Duct tape over the oil cooler is the most effective so far. A bit inconvenient, but the price is right...

 

JG

 

 

[ianboag]

These people

 

Sandwich Plate

 

have one that is a replacement for the normal oil filter sandwich plate. No complex plumbing involved. I tried one - it seemed to work OK - then I went back to the tape-over-the-cooler approach for no particular reason.

 

 

[ianboag]

If you look at the jabiru engines group on Yahoo groups, you'l find a couple of threads about the Mocal filter.

 

 

[Harthy]

I also would not like to see my oil temp over 100c for long periods. Oils life will shorten much quicker over 100c and oxidization also occurs more readily over 100c. I am very happy with my 80 to 90c.

 

These thermostats must be for the colder climates

 

 

[Admin]

NOTE and CAUTION.

 

The X-AIR units are NOT approved to be fitted to many LSA aircraft and doing so will make your aircraft not airworthy.

 

Tecnam for example will not approve this unit.

 

 

[Guest DonC]

Will it keep a Jabiru below 100c?

 

 

[Powerin]

From the manufacturer (Thermostasis) on another mailing list:

 

This oil thermostat was designed for suction-side oil pump applications. It is currently ONLY approved for Rotax 912-series engines. It is NOT approved for pressure side applications like the Jabiru.

 

 

[Captain]

X-Air are offering a thermostat for Jab / Rotax engines to maintain oil temp above 100C.Price $220 + P&H. Details on the X-Air web page.

Has anyone fitted one of these? Any comments / advice?

 

Thanks, Bill

Bill,

 

I know that Rotax chase 100 C but my Jabiru manual stipulates 80 - 100 C as the normal operating range in flight at cruise.

 

Most owners that I know are looking for 80 - 90 C and are very happy at that.

 

I would hate to have 100 C or above.

 

I understand that part of this debate revolves around where the temp is measured, but I know that in Air/Oil cooled motorcycle engines they are chasing around 80 C and having just spent a week riding a Ducati around NZ, the temp floated between 75 & 90 C when on the move quickly.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Guest 4aplat]

you could see some pictures here : Jabiru-owner.com • Connexion

 

MicheL

 

 

[waraton]

Old thread but wondering are these thermostasis regulators a common installation or not. Does anyone have a 2nd hand thermostasis regulator for sale or know where I might get one in Australia. 

[Downunder]

I have one of these    https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/xcomthermostat.php

Works very well.

Not sure where you'd get one in Aus...... perhaps an aircraft importer or Floods?

[onetrack]

Waraton, you can get a non-aviation unit here ....

 

https://www.earls.com.au/shop/earls-oil-thermostat/

[skippydiesel]

Just a note on the advice to get your engine oil to 100C - water boils at 100C (turns to steam).

 

The concept is, that by achieving 100C or slightly above, for a sustained period (say 10-20 minutes) the volatile contaminants in the oil (water probably being the main one) will be boiled off - temperatures below this will not have quite the same effect/benefit.

 

You can run your engine with the oil above or below 100C, without any ill effects, however my personal comfort zone is to see climb temperatures reach a little above 100C , with cruise temps a little below (about 90C is nice).

 

I suspect that, where pre flight warm up may take a very long time (in cold climates), an oil thermostat  would be most beneficial - other than up in the Australian High Country & possibly Tasmania, this is not a regular situation.

[facthunter]

IF you are running too cold the oil will have a cloudy look. It's quite easy to see on a normal dipstick. The temp reached on some part  will do something for you like undersides of pistons,and crankshafts etc. Generally aero engines are not positively ventilated as some vehicles are. Having that feature would reduce contamination. I recall on some Rotax data, temps over 100C were tolerable with synthetic but not with Normal oils. I'm a bit wary of things that can fail and add a risk if they do. IF the thermostat fails to the OPEN position always THAT would be acceptable.. The oil has to bypass the cooler to function. That means there is some kind of porting arrangement. Some coolers use the thickness of the oil do determine if the whole of the cooler matrix is being used without any thermostat involved just by directing the flow appropriately. as it warms up and thins the oil flows through more of it. Nev

[Keith W]

I have a Steve Rance toca for sale if any one is interested