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12-17-2011, 05:36 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,499
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100 Watt work light in the cowl exit, blanket on top, night OAT= 25-30F...oil/cht/egt all read 63-64F on startup. I like keeping it warm continuosly. I gathered the stuff from my extra hvac parts to do the 1500 Watt heater setup but decided on the KISS principal just like my plane. I do use the 1000 Watt setting to preheat cabin from the baggage area. Not a problem anyway with cloth seats. Does keep condensation down having plexiglass preheated.
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Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
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12-19-2011, 09:04 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 174
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My old instructor used to put the smallest size torpedo heater you can buy and run a piece of steel chimney piping through an elbow and up into the bottom of the engine. After about 15 minutes the engine thought it was summer.
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12-19-2011, 10:00 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IFly2Low
Getting pretty cold up here in Quebec...  It's gona be my first winter flying the 6 and I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions as far as preping the aircraft for winter flying?
Any engine setup or tuning needed?
Particular things to check?
I'd like you guys to share you engine pre-heating ideas... the best I've found so far is the 24/7 100w bulb inside the enclosure which aparently work like a charm and is very economical...
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Boujours Mr. ,
I am an AME currently living in Qu?bec but who has worked on smaller aircraft in Northern Ontario. Your concerns with preparing the aircraft are valid. As mentioned previously, an oil cooler air flow restriction plate is usually installed on the oil cooler to get the oil temp up. I have also seen pieces of scotch brite over the cooler, it reduces airflow and did a good job.
An insulated engine cover will go a long ways to reduce your heating costs. As for low cost solutions for preheating, we got away with car warmers in the cowl for the aircraft that did not have Tannis heaters on the oil pan. If you do not have a Herman Nelson to preheat, I found the car warmer to be a quick easy solution. Look at engine oil temp indication to determine if the engine is warm enough to start.
Also consider restricting the engine cooling air intake. Here are photos of restrictors used on C-172.
The problem with northern ops is that fast throttle reductions in descent are a major concern and negatively affect cylinder life. On the high powered turbocharged twins, the descents are usually done with power reduction of 1 inch per minute to avoid shocking the engines(At least they were where I worked. After a rash of winter cylinder changes, this technique almost eliminated the problem) A similar approach can be done on your aircraft. However, I still recommend reducing the cooling air intake by 20-25% if you are to operate in the colder climates. Cylinder temps can be the gauge to tell you if you have too much cooling air. The Cessnas had small plastic plates that held in place with 3 or 4 camlock. They could be removed in under a minute if one desires to fly to the warmer climates. At -20 C, the engine will appreciate the reduced airflow.
If you are creative, you might be able to make a variable inlet... Have a look at the plate in front of the Wasp Jj engine for winter ops.
?ric
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12-19-2011, 10:10 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Round Rock, TX
Posts: 3,778
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Firerod - Copied Bill R.
I bought a Watlow Firerod 120V 250W oil heater to screw into the oil pan... 10 minutes and we're ready to fire up the engine with pre-heated oil. 
__________________
Reiley
Retired N622DR - Serial #V7A1467
VAF# 671
Repeat Offender / Race 007
Friend of the RV-1
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12-19-2011, 06:48 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Edmond, OK
Posts: 194
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Have know of an electrict bed blanket being used to keep the engine warm in unheated hangars. Blanket was wrapped around engine cowl and left on contineously during winter months. Hangar temperature was often in the single digits overnight.
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Dan Burdette
Skyview, ADS-B, Garmin 420W, TT Gemini AP
RV-9A, IO-320, E-Mag
Guthrie-Edmond Rgnl, OK (KGOK)
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12-19-2011, 08:42 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Montreal
Posts: 12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan B
Have know of an electrict bed blanket being used to keep the engine warm in unheated hangars. Blanket was wrapped around engine cowl and left on contineously during winter months. Hangar temperature was often in the single digits overnight.
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Somehow I think the output would be too low for the Canadian winter.I have seen some use battery blankets to keep the battery warmer. It helps for those cold weather starts.
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01-07-2012, 12:35 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 6
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Hi Jean,
Thought I would add my two bits. I have a 6A located at CYRP. I popped into Princess Auto and bought a 1,500W Electric Heater SKU: 8174393.
I then riveted 6? plenum to the output, a couple of 90 degree elbows and a customized heater vent to fit my exhaust opening.
It sits under the aircraft and blows hot air in through the exhaust opening.
It?s not pretty but it works very well. Temps are up to normal within 60 minutes.
Give me a shout if you have any questions.
If you would like some pictures, flip me your email and I?ll send you some.
Cheers
Dwayne
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01-08-2012, 06:44 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Ft. Atkinson, WI
Posts: 66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FORANE
I have one of the stick on oil pan heaters and found it to be a poor heater. Much better is a little home made heater consisting of a small cube shape space heater, a reducing duct riveted to the front of that heater, and flexible heater duct hose directed up into the cowling. I set a timer and the motor starts as if the ambient temp is 80 degrees.
For me, I have found heated glove liners marketed to motorcycle riders such as these:
http://www.warmnsafe.com/index.php?m...roducts_id=279
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Oil heaters are not "poor". The type of heater isn't the issue you are comparing, it's the wattage. Most stick on sump heaters are 100-200 watts or so, compared to 1500 watts for a typical space heater. Of course the higher wattage will heat the engine faster and to a higher temp. But for many users 100-200w is enough. Ours is 200w and plugged in for 12 hrs with a covered cowling will raise the oil about 80F above ambient, and the rest of the engine about 35-40F above ambient.
If using a home made space heater set up, I suggest NOT placing it on the floor unless the doors are open and the hangar is well ventilated. Gasoline fumes accumulate on the floor. Airplane go boom. That's why when we put furnaces in our hangars up here in cold country they are hung from the ceiling, and the building code requires that.
The comment about using heated motorcycle gear is a good one. I have a heated vest and it works so well on the motorcycle I added a Powerlet socket to the RV4.
__________________
Bob Reiff
RV-4 N214RR Lyc 360, CS, P-Mags
EAA Life Member
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01-08-2012, 06:53 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Ft. Atkinson, WI
Posts: 66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikerkba
We are making a bit of a study of preheat methods in our shared hangar this year. One RV6 and one RV7A, O-360 and IO-360 respectively. and a Rotax 912-powered LSA too.
Heater method: We also evaluated a 1000/1500 watt "bathroom heater" and dryer duct, like that shown in the November issue of Sport Aviation, http://www.sportaviationonline.org/s...ion/201111#pg1. The specific heater we used was smaller and cheaper ($18) to buy than the one in the article. A $5 galvanized 5 inch to 4 inch adaptor was split into 4 "legs," which were then flattened in a vice and trimmed to fit the front of the heater, and attached with 2 PK screws to the face of the unit. The heater sits on the hangar floor on airplane centerline, about 3 feet behind the exhaust exit in the cowl. .
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I noticed the following issue of SA (Jan 2012, pg 6) had a reply by a pilot who used a similar set up, and gasoline fumes at floor level ignited and burned down the hangar with two aircraft inside. Not a good idea unless the hangar is well ventilated, or you elevate the heater.
__________________
Bob Reiff
RV-4 N214RR Lyc 360, CS, P-Mags
EAA Life Member
Last edited by Reiff Preheat Systems : 01-08-2012 at 02:15 PM.
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01-08-2012, 07:03 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Ft. Atkinson, WI
Posts: 66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeofReiley
I bought a Watlow Firerod 120V 250W oil heater to screw into the oil pan... 10 minutes and we're ready to fire up the engine with pre-heated oil. 
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That sounds like an immersion type heater, a small 250w cartridge or tube type heating element IN the oil? If so I'd recommend against it, due to the watt density (watts/sq inch of surface area) being so high that it will scorch oil. Pieces of burned oil can flake off the surface and clog oil passages in the engine. That's one of the reasons the engine manufacturers say not to use dipstick heaters.
One company we compete with uses a 50 watt immersion heater and I think even that's too high. 60 w/sq in vs. around 10 for most bonded sump heaters.
I'm curious what temp rise you are getting after heating the oil only 10 minutes. In our tests with 200 watts on the sump (9 qts), we get a rise of 44F in 1 hour. I didn't check it at 10 min elapsed time but I'd guess it's not more than 5-10 deg.
__________________
Bob Reiff
RV-4 N214RR Lyc 360, CS, P-Mags
EAA Life Member
Last edited by Reiff Preheat Systems : 01-08-2012 at 12:31 PM.
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