AN SMA (PIPER CHEROKEE) RUNS INTO WX ENRTE IN THE AREA CAK; OH.

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I WAS TRAVELING FROM MIE TO HFD. IT WAS VERY COLD THAT DAY. AT 15500 FT THE AIR TEMP WAS 25 DEGS BELOW C; AND MY OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING. SO I CONTACTED CIV APCH WHO WAS PROVIDING FLT FOLLOWING; AND REQUESTED TO LAND AKRON CTR BELOW ME. ON THE GND THE PROB SEEMED TO BE; THAT THE OIL CONGEALED FROM LOW TEMP AND NOT ANY APPARENT LEAKS; SO I PROCEEDED ON MY TRIP WITH THE INTENT OF CLOSELY WATCHING OIL PRESSURE. TWR CLRED ME FOR DEP OUT TO 4000 FT R HAND. AT 4000 FT AND SOON AFTER TKOF THERE WERE MORE SHOWERS AND SOLID IFR AHEAD AND TO THE R; THE DIRECTION I INTENDED TO TURN WHEN CLRED. I ASKED TO BE SWITCHED TO DEP AND THEN INFORMED THEM I NEEDED TO TURN L TO MAINTAIN VFR WHICH I DID BEFORE BEING CLRED TO. THE OIL PRESSURE STARTED TO FALL AGAIN; AND THE TRIM TAB FROZE UP. I ALLOWED THESE TWO MINOR PROBS AND MY FIXATION WITH CLRING ABOVE THE CLOUDS VFR TO DISTRACT MY ATTN AND DEP CTL. I ATTRIBUTE THE SEQUENCE TO POOR FLYING TO POOR PREPLANNING ON MY PART BEFORE DEP. USUALLY WHEN I FLY I HAVE SEVERAL CONTINGENCY PLANS IN MIND BUT FAILED TO FORM THEM; THIS TIME; THINKING ONLY OF MECHANICAL PROBS.