4-9-05  1.0 hours /  43.6 total

Made two 30 minute flights today, and didn’t have any life threatening problems with either.  Temps were way cold on the first flight.  In climb to 3000 feet, with an OAT on the ground of 80 degrees, oil was 170, and coolant was 207.  Level at 3000 feet and 5500 rpm, TAS was about 160 mph, oil was 130, and water 140. 

I added a plate that blocked off almost half of my cowl exit (9” wide, and the exit it 19 inches wide).  The next climb to 3000 resulted in oil at 180, and coolant at 214.  Level cruise at 5500 and 3k ft was 143 for oil, and 157 for water.  Better, but not spectacular.  6000 RPM at 3000 feet gave 170 mph TAS, 152 oil, and 168 coolant.  I can almost live with these, and at least they should be good enough to fly for a while, but I'm going to have to devise a cowl flap.

Saw almost 6300 rpm in climb at 120 mph.  Still a bit down from what I hope it will be when the engine is broken in.