RangerPilot
Boom Shaka Laka
Just wondering if I could get some thoughts on preheating from you guys.
Now that winter is well set-in here, temps are down in the 20s (yeah yeah, I know that'd be welcome warmth for some of your right now). The plane is sitting for a few days at a time and being cold started in the high-teens to low-twenties. On cold starts I'm getting a delayed rise in oil pressure (5-10 seconds) and oil pressure right near the 100 psi redline.
Thoughts of fittings violently removing themselves from the engine have got me thinking about purchasing a preheating system.
The system I'm most interested in is a combined oil/cylinder preheating system, with clamp-on-band cylinder heaters (100 watts each), and dual glue-on oil sump heaters (100 watts each). They also have an optional oil cooler heater (glue-on, 50 watts).
With a 12 hour preheat time, the manufacturer reports cylinder temps of 147 degrees (normal operating on the ground around 200 degrees and in flight of 335 or so on the hottest cylinder), and oil temps of 156 degrees (normal operating 180 degrees or so).
Of course these are with the air inlets plugged and a blanket over the cowl.
My biggest concern is with the glue-on sump heaters...I know vehicle heaters tend to go in a freeze plug and heat the coolant. Are the glue-on heaters fairly reliable? I don't want this one working loose in flight and falling on/jamming up the nose gear.
What about a oil cooler preheater? The company that makes the kit says one isn't necessary when using a oil and cylinder preheating system (as opposed to just oil) as the transfer heating from the block will heat the cooler as well.
Any opinions?
Now that winter is well set-in here, temps are down in the 20s (yeah yeah, I know that'd be welcome warmth for some of your right now). The plane is sitting for a few days at a time and being cold started in the high-teens to low-twenties. On cold starts I'm getting a delayed rise in oil pressure (5-10 seconds) and oil pressure right near the 100 psi redline.
Thoughts of fittings violently removing themselves from the engine have got me thinking about purchasing a preheating system.
The system I'm most interested in is a combined oil/cylinder preheating system, with clamp-on-band cylinder heaters (100 watts each), and dual glue-on oil sump heaters (100 watts each). They also have an optional oil cooler heater (glue-on, 50 watts).
With a 12 hour preheat time, the manufacturer reports cylinder temps of 147 degrees (normal operating on the ground around 200 degrees and in flight of 335 or so on the hottest cylinder), and oil temps of 156 degrees (normal operating 180 degrees or so).
Of course these are with the air inlets plugged and a blanket over the cowl.
My biggest concern is with the glue-on sump heaters...I know vehicle heaters tend to go in a freeze plug and heat the coolant. Are the glue-on heaters fairly reliable? I don't want this one working loose in flight and falling on/jamming up the nose gear.
What about a oil cooler preheater? The company that makes the kit says one isn't necessary when using a oil and cylinder preheating system (as opposed to just oil) as the transfer heating from the block will heat the cooler as well.
Any opinions?
