While first flight is still months away for me, a friend suggested I install an engine preheater like the E-Z heat system while I have easy access to parts of the engine that will later be a bit more crowded.
Preheating the engine with something that is remote triggered makes a ton of sense to me. I've always been a little afraid of those portable propane heat blowers that light one try in five and always seem to be 10 seconds away from an explosion.
So, my question - while wrapping part of the engine to heat it up makes a lot of sense on a cold night, how does that "blanket" let the engine stay cool once warm or on a hot day? Does something big enough to preheat a -540 also prevent air flow for cooling in flight? Do you remove it for May - September? Or do the parts it heats up not require as much cooling airflow?
And what do people do with the plug? Add an access door to the cowl? Route the plug to the air inlets? Route the plug to the oil door?
Preheating the engine with something that is remote triggered makes a ton of sense to me. I've always been a little afraid of those portable propane heat blowers that light one try in five and always seem to be 10 seconds away from an explosion.
So, my question - while wrapping part of the engine to heat it up makes a lot of sense on a cold night, how does that "blanket" let the engine stay cool once warm or on a hot day? Does something big enough to preheat a -540 also prevent air flow for cooling in flight? Do you remove it for May - September? Or do the parts it heats up not require as much cooling airflow?
And what do people do with the plug? Add an access door to the cowl? Route the plug to the air inlets? Route the plug to the oil door?