Over the past year I've watched my oil temps gradually creep higher.  Both in climb and in cruise.  (climb 225 - 230 and cruise 215-220)Vernatherm was replaced a few years ago and it had been five years since I had the cooler ovhl'd so I sent that out as a PM item.  No change.  Hoses were replaced w/ telfon lined versions a few years back so they were unlikely problems.

Not having the vernatherm seat resurfacing tool and noting it would cost about as much as a new filter adapter housing, I opted for replacing the housing w/ new.  (Actually timing worked out nicely as I was due for an oil change and wanted to change out the vac pump which was floating around 800 hrs but still running well.) 

Took no more than two hours to swap out both the vac pump (Tempest Tornado) and adapter housing.  Noted upon removal of the old housing that the vernatherm tip had a wear ring covering only about 75% - 80% of the circumference. 

Test flown yesterday and the oil temps dropped appx 30 deg.  Cruise was comfortable in the low 190's.  !  I've never had problems w/ the cyl head temps (always in the low to very low 300's) but the cooler oil also brought the head temps down about ten degrees allowing me to close the cowl flaps a bit more in cruise.  Appears that the small gap in the vernatherm seat seal was keeping an appropriate amount of oil from reaching the cooler.

Robin, do you keep a seat resurfacing tool around?  Anyone else out there in Commanderland ?   Could probably resurface my old housing and make it useful to someone down the road. 

Happiness is a problem resolved before it becomes a bigger issue.

Regards,

Bill
N453TC - 112A
Based HAO / Cincinnati, OH