"Mike Noel" wrote in message
...
Now that summer has come to Arizona, my oil temp is running about 2/3 of
the
way between 180 and red line. My mechanic checked the oil cooler bypass
valve and said it was OK, so I had decided to send in the oil cooler for
cleaning and service. Checking the engine log for the last time work was
done on the cooler, I found an entry about 5 years ago saying the cooler
had
been cleaned, then the next entry said the oil temp gauge was reading
about
20 degrees too high, but there is no entry for corrective action to the
oil
temp guage, wiring, or sender.

Looks like I need to check the gauge system myself for accuracy and
probably
replace something. Do you just drop the sender into hot water and compare
the panel guage reading with a couple of cooking thermometers? If there
is
a discepancy, is it the sender that should be replaced first, then replace
the guage if necessary?
--
Regards,
Mike

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/amountainaero/fspic1.html


Hi Mike
You can check the calibration of the gauge with a precision resistor in
place of the sender for virtually no effort past finding the appropriate
resistor.
I can check what it was in my Seminole but I don't have the book at my
office and that was years ago and YMMV.
The right engine on N2196B always appeared to have a higher oil temp.
I spent much more on mechanics than it cost me to find out the gauge was
wrong; I still have an oil cooler in my garage.
If the gauge looks right then immerse the sender in oil on a hot plate with
a real thermometer and check it accurately.
Blue skies!
H.

H. Adam Stevens
CP AS&MEL IA
ex N2196B PA44-180
and a damned nice bird she was