Temps Requiring Engine Preheat

[johnggreen]

The easiest, simplist, and cheapest pre-heat is a heavy blanket over the cowl, stuff something in the cowl openings and hang a 100 watt light bulb under the enigne.  If you are out of the wind, it works.  Also, a heating blanket works well, but really not as well as the light bulb.

Any external heat (heating the inside of the cowl) is preferable to heating the block or cylinders because of internal moisture.  Remember, a cold glass sweats on the warm side.

I'm lucky to have a solely owned, insulated hangar that won't go below 40 degrees in the coldest weather we ever have in MS.

When it gets cold, I use the light bulb.  Almost never the Reiff because of reason given above.

As for trips to cold climes where I can't get hangar or pre-heat; I've canceled trips for that reason.

Had a real bad experience years ago with a Queen Air in 10 degree weather.  Absolutely could not get oil pressure.  Been a little feakish about pre-heat ever since.

 

[bnicolette]

Hey guys,

Wanted to see what you all thought.  I have been preheating anytime the temperature gets below 35 degrees (give or take).  I use two torpedo heaters.  One to preheat the cowling area and the other to warm up the hangar (this one not so much unless it' REALLY cold) so the interior will also warm a bit.  I will generally put the battery charger on as well while this is going on.  I use my JPI unit and watch the CHT's and Oil temp and when they get above 45 degrees I am pretty content.  Should I be letting them warm up more than that?  Is there anything written from Continental or Lycoming for this?

[jetdriven]

Lycoming and Continental say preheat at temps 10 degrees F and lower. The Lycoming O-320 76 series require it at 20 degrees and lower.  That sounds ridiculously low.  Maybe it should require preheat at temps less than 40 degrees.

[201er]

Brett lucky you! I had to freeze me *ss off doing that in sub 20F outside with massive windchill blowing through. Every time I had take my gloves off to handle something I couldn't feel my hands. Then 15 minutes after I finished all the preheating and preflighting I had to go back and tie everything back down cause the alternator wasn't working!!!!

Then when I thought my problems were all over and after 1+ hour driving to the gider airport, my airspeed indicator turns out to be frozen for an hour of ridge soaring! Oy, this cold sure makes for a lot of trouble.