?unique=f85a571)
880018 – Textron Aviation OEM Oil Temperature Gauge
Available now on the Airparts.aero Marketplace.
Overview
The Textron Aviation 880018 is a genuine OEM, flight-critical oil temperature gauge for a range of Beechcraft Baron and Bonanza aircraft. This is not a simple thermometer; it is a precision, TSO-certified cockpit instrument that provides the pilot with a continuous, real-time indication of the engine's oil temperature. Monitoring oil temperature is a fundamental aspect of engine management and health monitoring. This gauge's reading is essential for determining when the engine is warm enough for takeoff, for monitoring engine health in flight, and for managing temperatures during descent to prevent shock cooling.
This instrument is an electrically driven ratiometer. This sophisticated design measures the ratio of electrical currents, making its reading inherently stable and accurate, even when the aircraft's bus voltage fluctuates. It works as part of a system, paired with a specific temperature probe in the engine. The gauge's face is silk-screened with the precise, certified green arc (normal operating range) and red line (maximum temperature) for the specific aircraft installation, providing a clear and immediate visual reference for the pilot.
Key Features
Genuine Textron Aviation OEM Part: The original, factory-specified instrument, guaranteeing a perfect match to the engine's temperature sender and conformity with the aircraft's type-certified operating limitations.
High-Precision Ratiometric Movement: The ratiometer design is independent of normal bus voltage fluctuations, providing exceptionally stable and accurate temperature indications, unlike a simple voltmeter-style gauge.
Certified Operating Ranges: The dial is marked with the official, flight-manual-correct green arc and red line temperatures, a critical safety feature for proper engine management.
TSO Certified: Manufactured and tested to the stringent performance and quality standards of an FAA Technical Standard Order (TSO) for critical engine instruments.
High-Reliability Construction: Built for the demanding aerospace environment with a rugged metal case, vibration-dampened movement, and a sealed glass face.
Technical Specifications
Part Number: 880018
Component Type: Oil Temperature Gauge / Indicator
OEM Manufacturer: Textron Aviation (Beechcraft) / (Original supplier, e.g., Rochester, Stewart-Warner)
Technology: Self-contained, dual-coil ratiometer.
Size: Standard 2-1/4 inch round instrument case.
Voltage Rating: Designed for 14 VDC or 28 VDC systems (verify aircraft applicability).
Aircraft Compatibility
Beechcraft (Textron Aviation): This is the specified oil temperature gauge for various models of the Bonanza and Baron family, such as the Bonanza A36, G36, and Baron 58, G58.
Note: This is a flight-critical instrument. The aircraft's specific Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) for a given serial number is the final and absolute authority for determining part applicability.
Applications
Engine Management: Provides the primary visual reference for oil temperature, critical for engine warm-up, cruise power settings, and managing descents to prevent shock cooling.
Engine Health Monitoring: An abnormally high or rapidly rising oil temperature is a primary warning of a potential engine problem, such as loss of oil quantity, internal failure, or cooling system inefficiency.
Systems Indication: A key instrument in the primary engine indication cluster.
Why Choose 880018?
An inaccurate or failed oil temperature gauge can lead a pilot to mismanage and severely damage a multi-thousand-dollar engine, or worse, fail to provide the critical warning of an impending in-flight engine failure. The genuine Textron Aviation 880018 is the only instrument guaranteed to be correctly calibrated for the specific temperature sender used in the engine and to display the correct, certified operating limitations on its face. Using a non-certified, automotive, or experimental gauge is an extreme safety risk, as its readings may be inaccurate, its markings will be incorrect, and it will lack the voltage-compensating ratiometric design required for a reliable aircraft instrument.
The engineering principle that ensures the 880018 gauge's accuracy is its ratiometric movement. This design internally cancels out errors from supply voltage variations. The instrument typically contains two perpendicular coils wrapped around a permanent magnet rotor to which the pointer is attached. One coil, the reference coil, is connected directly across the aircraft bus through a fixed resistor. The second coil, the measurement coil, is connected in series with the engine's temperature probe—a thermistor whose resistance decreases predictably as temperature increases. As oil temperature rises, the probe's resistance drops, allowing more current to flow through the measurement coil. This changes the ratio of the magnetic field strengths between the two coils, creating a new resultant magnetic vector. The permanent magnet rotor and pointer then rotate to align with this new vector. Because a change in bus voltage affects the current in both coils proportionally, their ratio remains unchanged for any given temperature, resulting in a rock-solid, reliable reading that is dependent only on the engine's actual oil temperature.
Note: The 880018 is a flight-critical instrument. It must be installed by a certified A&P/IA or avionics technician. For accurate readings, it must be paired with the correct oil temperature sender part number as specified in the Illustrated Parts Catalog. All electrical connections must be clean and secure. A post-installation engine ground run to verify correct indication against a known baseline is a mandatory step before returning the aircraft to service.
Documentation
No public-facing OEM specification sheet was located for this specific part number. All authoritative technical data, installation procedures, and wiring diagrams are contained within the official Textron Aviation Maintenance Manual and Wiring Diagram Manual for the applicable aircraft models.
