Blocking oil cooler for winter operations

02 Nov 2021 Blocking oil cooler for winter operations

My oil temps are very low, typically under 150° F even in the summer, so in the winter months I’ve read it’s best to block the oil cooler. I’ve been hesitant to do this for some reason, but finally thought, let’s give it a try, it’s getting cool now. I’ll watch it closely to see what temps I get.

My engine has been running very cool, which is normally good, but best practice seems to be to get the oil up to 180° F to help remove moisture from the oil. I’m not really convinced that this is needed, since I have an engine dehydrator to dry the engine on the ground – when I’m in the hanger.