INVENTIVE PEOPLE HELP ME

[CDF219]

So yesterday (turkey day) my family and I were going to go fly to south ga for the day. One problem .... Mr Mooney did not want to go. we got out to the airport and then spent 45 mins getting all the frost off the wings (btw.. a credit card works great) only to find after all that work it would not start. I turned the prop about 20 times and even tried to turn it over before giving it fuel and help throw oil where it was needed before starting it.

 

At my airport (KRYY) there is no heated hanger space and for a dinky old t hanger its $437.50 a month. (I used to pay it when I had my Dakota) I cant justify the hanger anymore when it flooded and most of the time the power did not work. I called the FBO to see it it was possible to pre heat it for me, I was told they dont have a pre heater.  I turned the plane toward the sun and went to have breakfast and came back 2 hours later and the temp had come up from 22 Degrees to 34 Degrees and then it started up with no problem.

 

I need some Ideas on what I can do on a budget and with the limited need to pre heat the plane. Any Ideas would be welcome (I even thought about running a dryer hose from my exhaust on my truck to the exhaust pipe on the mooney to see if that would help)

 

Good news was the trip was late but still made and had a great flight. if you look up my tail number on flight aware it shows filed speed of mach 1.5    lol I thought that was funny. KRYY to KMQW in about 1 hour. I know thats nothing for the faster guys but im good with it for my plane.

 

Again thank you for any info or if anyone knows how to build a cheap alternative.

 

Chris

[rbridges]

Do you have access to an outlet where your plane is kept?

[flyboy]

A local airport uses one of those space heaters that runs on kerosene. Its one of those tube shaped things, about 10 inches in diameter and 2 feet long or so, often used to heat construction sites. They screwed on some stove pipe to the hot end, then some duct to direct heat under the cowl. This thing looks like its been in a war. It works fine here in the south, not sure about colder climates.

[Hank]

I have a heater glued to tne engine, with the power cord tied to the oil dipstick. When it's 40F or below, I plug in for at least an hour and don't have a problem. When traveling, I check the forecast and take a lightweight 100' extension cord. Never used any other preheat. But I do have cousins in Woodstock.

[Hank]

They're both in the USA . . . .

[Seth]

Chris-

 

There are a few threads on here with people coming up with great solutions.  Search for them.

 

If you have a vehicl where you can install a AC inverter (plug) or a generator with enouge watts (portable Honda or something) you can create a pre-heater using some scat hoses/drier vents and a basic space heater.  The problem is you'll need something in the 1500 watt category - that's why you need to install the AC converter in your vehicle (not the one's the plug into your DC outlet - that tops out in the 250 watt rgange, but one really wired in), or get a portable generator that you can leave chained or in a locker near the plane. 

 

On cold days, get there with a good hour before takeoff, put a blanket over the cowl, plug up the holes, and have the warm air ciruclate around.  It'll get the temps up enough for a 40 degree plus start.  When all is said and done, just instlall a Reiff/Tannis type block engine heater and park near a plug when on the road so you can plug it in, and at home base, see if there is an outlet nearby or that you can run a long extension cord to.

 

There is also aerotherm http://aerothermheaters.com  They have some fascinating solutions, but are expensive.

 

-Seth

[tony]

Cartersville has about an 8 year wait; I've been on the list for about 5. Canton and Paulding are about the same price as McCollum Both West GA and Calhoun have about a year wait. A lot of people are leaving Stockmar since Earl's wife threw Peggy out. There might be hangers there.

[Bob_Belville]

Chris, I would not want to start that IO360 below 40F. And I think current wisdom is that pulling the prop through does more harm than good. It does nothing for the cam, lifters. As mentioned above, if you can get near enough to a 120V outlet there are several inexpensive solutions. This little ceramic heater has a thermostat and keeps my entire engine compartment 2 70+ all winter. I'm in a closed T-hanger but with a cowl blanket you should be able to keep it plenty warm. The ducts stick into the cowl flap openings. (I no longer they to heat the cabin.

 

In Atlanta you should not have that many days a year where the temp is that cold.

 

[aaronk25]

Any heat is better than none. 22 degree cold start is really really hard on your engine. Even if you put a cheap sump heater or a couple of the on the oil intake sump area and let it run for a hour it would be better than nothing. Get some cowl plugs and a hair drier and lay it inside the cowl or something to make heat and a cheap 2 stroke generator and let it run for a hour.

I have a rieff complete heater with honda 2000 bit if you don't want to commit to the expense , anything is better than nothing. Just don't catch your plane on fire

[Mooneymite]

Your Mooney "would not start"? Do you mean it would not crank, would not fire, or would not crank, or fire?

First time I encountered cold weather on my 'C', I didn't know I had to prime it a lot (lot!) more.

While everyone seems to have a lot of secret formulas for hot starting the 'E', I suspect there are an equal number of tricks for a cold start. On my 'C' I've found if it won't start cold, prime it some more. And, yes, a stack fire is a possiblilty....keep cranking.

[N601RX]

Propane with a DC blower may be your best bet if no electricity is available. Also you didn't mention your cold start procedure but did you prime for 4-5 seconds while full rich and then wait for 30 seconds or more before trying to start?Might want to have the mags and shower of sparks looked at also.

[TTaylor]

I have a friend that uses a small 2000 watt generator and a milk house electric heater.  Total cost is only a few hundred dollars and you have a generator at home in case you lose power.  He can start it up and go do other things while it runs for an hour or so.

 

Home Depot has a 2500 watt generator on sale for $200, heaters are about $50.  A little dryer vent tubing and you are set.

[Bob_Belville]

A $90 - 35,000 Btu propane heater with a (rechargeable) battery powered fan. Just add your gas grill tank and rig a duct with proper concern for any potential fire hazard. I think I'd want the duct to be 6' or more.

 

www.ebay.com/itm/Mr-Heater-Hero-Cordless-Forced-Air-Propane-Heater-35-000-BTU-Model-MH35CLP-/390692296616?_trksid=p2054897.l4276

[CDF219]

Hey guys thank you. I have some things to think about. I dont want to burn it down and its only a few days a year I will need It im think ing the propane heater is looking good with some furnace tubing from the depot. that should work. I did prime a little longer and it would only turn about one revolution then stop then a quarter and then stop...... it was sad but I turned it to the sun and a hour and a half later no problem. thank you again guys for the info.

 

Chris

[phecksel]

Not an ideal solution, there are concerns with this, but it works.  Dryer hose over the car exhaust going into the bottom of the engine will warm it.

 

I had a glue on heat pad attached to the oil pan.  If you leave it electrified, the crank must be vented.  One other way to make it work might be one of those tiny little

 

Wing covers for the frost issue?  Wonder if warmed windshield washer fluid would eliminate the frost without creating an environmental issue that anti-freeez would.

[N601RX]

How new is the battery, which type and size? Which starter do you have?

[CDF219]

new battery in march  //  gill / starter not sure but not the good one

[N201MKTurbo]

Did you have straight weight oil?

[laytonl]

I use this rig, a torpedo heater and a little duct work. Of course this requires electricity to run the kerosene heater, duct is fed through cowl flap. Lee

[Bob_Belville]

I use this rig, a torpedo heater and a little duct work. Of course this requires electricity to run the kerosene heater, duct is fed through cowl flap. Lee

Lee, looks good. The little heater I posted has a battery powered fan that's supposed to run 5 hours. Should work for his tie down situation.

[Greg]

the cheapest most reliable thing I have found is a hair blower / dryer 1200 watts for about $10 - $12.  simply lay it in on top of the engine, throw a blanket over the cowl.  At Zero F takes about an hour and your ready to go.  I have also duct taped one to a chair and pointed it up the cowl flap so then I had $20 invested with two blowers and then only took 35  minutes.  If you don't have electricity buy a small Honda generator, it also has other uses.  These blow dryers will run hundreds of hours in fact in 20 years of use I've never had one fail.  pre-heat the cabin while your at it.

[tony]

how and when to preheat

 

http://www.tanisaircraft.com/docs/LycomingSINo1505.pdf

[CDF219]

I like the info (thank you to all) I will probably try the blow dryer first then the propane heater. I have to be careful as there is no electricity near and I will have to run off a converter from my truck.

[nels]

 

I need some Ideas on what I can do on a budget and with the limited need to pre heat the plane. Any Ideas would be welcome (I even thought about running a dryer hose from my exhaust on my truck to the exhaust pipe on the mooney to see if that would help)

 

Good news was the trip was late but still made and had a great flight. if you look up my tail number on flight aware it shows filed speed of mach 1.5    lol I thought that was funny. KRYY to KMQW in about 1 hour. I know thats nothing for the faster guys but im good with it for my plane.

 

Again thank you for any info or if anyone knows how to build a cheap alternative.

 

Chris

[phecksel]

 

What's wrong with the exhaust from your truck idea? I don't think I would run it back through the Mooney exhaust but why couldn't you just stretch a hose and go in through the cowl vent? Seems like that would warm it up pretty quick. If the sun was shining a dark colored blanket on the cowl would help the process along.

P

There is some concern of the nitrides forming an acid.  I did it for years without any apparent damage, but eventually went with a glue on pad.