Ted Radclyffe
Active Member
A general question....
At a recent fly in, there was a lecture on oil additives and the clear message was that the additives did not start to work (particularly on the rockers and cams) until the oil temperature was well and truly in the working (green) range. There was also most wear caused at low engine temperatures.
The question was asked that if this were so, was it not better to load the engine sooner rather than later I.e. don't needlessly warm the engine as it won't come up to temperature until it is under power. There were two schools of thought on this. One was that it was unsafe to load the engine 'till it was well toward the green. The other was to get the plane into the air as soon as the temperature gauge was moving into the yellow.
A chopper fleet owner said that as soon as the temperature gauge moves into the yellow, the manufacturers instruction was to put the engine under power. This saved both in terms of engine time and wear.
I am not talking about taking the engine from freezing temperatures but, assuming the ambient air temperature is say 20 degrees C ( 68F) then it only takes a few minutes to get the temperature into the yellow arc. and it achieve the green during the first minute or so of climb.
I have to say that the oil supplier commented that there was justification for the two scenarios but would not venture an opinion either way.
Is there some definitive wisdom to be shared?
Ted
Rough Red RV-6A
At a recent fly in, there was a lecture on oil additives and the clear message was that the additives did not start to work (particularly on the rockers and cams) until the oil temperature was well and truly in the working (green) range. There was also most wear caused at low engine temperatures.
The question was asked that if this were so, was it not better to load the engine sooner rather than later I.e. don't needlessly warm the engine as it won't come up to temperature until it is under power. There were two schools of thought on this. One was that it was unsafe to load the engine 'till it was well toward the green. The other was to get the plane into the air as soon as the temperature gauge was moving into the yellow.
A chopper fleet owner said that as soon as the temperature gauge moves into the yellow, the manufacturers instruction was to put the engine under power. This saved both in terms of engine time and wear.
I am not talking about taking the engine from freezing temperatures but, assuming the ambient air temperature is say 20 degrees C ( 68F) then it only takes a few minutes to get the temperature into the yellow arc. and it achieve the green during the first minute or so of climb.
I have to say that the oil supplier commented that there was justification for the two scenarios but would not venture an opinion either way.
Is there some definitive wisdom to be shared?
Ted
Rough Red RV-6A