Winter kit for Mooney 20C

[Rusty Pilot]

I operate mostly out of KEZF Fredericksburg, VA with a 1974 Mooney 20C.  We get some winter weather, but not like further north or Canada.  I have a tanis heater, but do I need to consider a winter kit for extreme cold weather operation?  This was recommended by one of my Bonanza friends to keep the oil temperature up near 180.  I don't have any starting issues and my plane is hangar kept.  TIA. 

[ShuRugal]

FCI resident, never had an issue.  If your oil temp is not staying in the green arc in flight, you need to have your vernatherm replaced.

[Ragsf15e]

I fly in Spokane wa with an F and my oil stays 180 even In very cold air.  Like -20C.  You should be fine without.

[N201MKTurbo]

I never met a Mooney that couldn't make oil temperature.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Rusty Pilot said:

I operate mostly out of KEZF Fredericksburg, VA with a 1974 Mooney 20C.  We get some winter weather, but not like further north or Canada.  I have a tanis heater, but do I need to consider a winter kit for extreme cold weather operation?  This was recommended by one of my Bonanza friends to keep the oil temperature up near 180.  I don't have any starting issues and my plane is hangar kept.  TIA. 

I bought my C while living on the Ohio River, the previous two owners had kept the plane at the same airport for at least 15 years, and I was there for 7 more. Neither they nor I did anything special during the winter, except preheat. I think an hour is the minimum time, but overnight is better!

Preflight in the hangar; unplug the Tanis heater; pull plane outside and sump fuel; pull prop through two revolutions; get in and work through Pre-Stat checklist [fuel pump on until pressure is stable, then off; mixture rich; pump the throttle 5-6 times; wind and set yoke clock then don headset while waiting for cold fuel to s-l-o-w-l-y vaporize in the carburetor; crank engine.

I also didn't sit and wait for the engine to warm up. By the time I taxied 1/2 mile to the threshold and did a runup, and presto! the engine is warm enough to takeoff.

[Jim Peace]

1 hour ago, Rusty Pilot said:

I operate mostly out of KEZF Fredericksburg, VA with a 1974 Mooney 20C. 

Just move to the Creek.....Warm and it has its moments....

[Rusty Pilot]

Thanks, great input.  I have not had any previous issues and like i said in my post my friend flies a Bo V-tail so he may have an issue we don't have in a our Mooney's.

[carusoam]

Things to consider…

1) heating for start up… always a good idea.

2) keeping oil warm in the winter during flight at 12.5k’ there will be some days… like today… extra cold at altitude.

3) Some MSers use a piece of sheet metal to block half of the oil cooler…

4) Others buy a kit for their IO550s that has a piece of sheet metal to block half of the oil cooler…

5) My M20C never had OilT issues flying in the east coast…

6) Keeping the cabin warm at 12.5k’ was a big challenge…..

PP thoughts only…

Best regards,

-a-

[Jcmtl]

I agree with everything @carusoam said above.

I have a C and i’m in Canada so i know all about cold starting and flying in oats around -20c.  
 

Other than preheating, you don’t really need to do anything else.  I flew a few days ago and it was -18c and the oil temp stayed in the green the whole flight.  CHTs were struggling to stay in the 300s and the cabin was absolutely freezing.  Not sure you can do anything about that other than simply not flying in temps that cold.

[ArrowBerry]

Other cold climate operators have chimed in already and our experience has been the same with our E model in Winnipeg. In temperatures below -20C we'll cover about half of the oil cooler with aluminum tape. Usually the oil temperatures are not the issue, they seem to reliably hold around 180 degrees really nicely. As @Jcmtl pointed out, it's usually the CHTs which are cold and without having some kind of cover for the cowl inlets I'm not sure how to solve that issue. Realistically though that's only on the coldest of days, maybe -25C and colder. Even so, the cabin heat is fantastic.

We preheat with an oil pan heater overnight and a forced air buddy heater in the cabin for about an hour before we fly.

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by ArrowBerry

[T. Peterson]

On 2/3/2023 at 3:06 PM, Rusty Pilot said:

I operate mostly out of KEZF Fredericksburg, VA with a 1974 Mooney 20C.  We get some winter weather, but not like further north or Canada.  I have a tanis heater, but do I need to consider a winter kit for extreme cold weather operation?  This was recommended by one of my Bonanza friends to keep the oil temperature up near 180.  I don't have any starting issues and my plane is hangar kept.  TIA. 

Open up your IPad to Mooneyspace. Put IPad under engine compartment. Hot air will warm everything nicely!