Water in induction manifold
 

After parking out during heavy rain this week I got an unpleasant surpise.

It had been a week of heavy rain then freezing temps. When I went to start up the throttle was stuck. I dropped the cowls and to my surprise it was frozen with ice.
Water had come through the filter and down the snorkel. Past the butterfly and into the manifold. (horizontal induction)
Two things caused this. Firstly I didn't have a drain hole in the bottom of the snorkel. Second was that the sniffle valve was stuck and didn't let the water out of the manifold.
Even with a drain hole I'm not sure if it would stop all the water. I've got a replacement valve coming.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Peter

Get some of those cowl foam plugs and use them if you are going to leave the plane outdoors in inclement weather.

There have been several reports of hydraulic lock on engines with horizontal induction and snorkels. The rain water will go thru the air filter and can then be sucked into the cylinders. Cowl plugs is the best answer. One of the canopy cover companies sells a real nice pair.

I originally made a cover to put over the air filter. I covered a piece of cardboard with some plastic sheet. I would put it on top of the air filter and use packaging tape to hold it in place. I never had any water in my induction but was always worried I would forget and leave the cover there.

I finally got some cowl plugs and all is well...

Karl

I've tried doing a search on this and found nothing on here.

Interestingly I found that with the sniffle valve it let fuel through didn't always let the water out.

I've now but cowl plugs in and I'm considering reshaping the bottom of the snorkel to ensure the drain is the lowest spot with the tail down.

If anyone's planning to park outside please put some cowl plugs in!!!

Peter