M20E Winter Operations

[MooneyMunnerlyn]

Hello,

I am based in the coldest city in the continental US, Grand Forks N.D. I have a 1965 M20E and I am looking for tips to prevent shock cooling, preheating practices, and lowest CHT temperatures. I utilize the crazy low GPH at 17in MP to time build but it comes with slightly cooler CHT's I have noticed. Right now, I have a freshly installed EZ Heat Oil Sump heating pad to help aid my heater that blows into the cowl flap, and I use blankets over the engine as well. My usual CHT's aloft are 278F-335F at 17in MP & 2400 RPM. I typically max out my cooling on descent to no more than 18 degrees F per minute as well. Any help is appreciated!

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, MooneyMunnerlyn said:

Hello,

I am based in the coldest city in the continental US, Grand Forks N.D. I have a 1965 M20E and I am looking for tips to prevent shock cooling, preheating practices, and lowest CHT temperatures. I utilize the crazy low GPH at 17in MP to time build but it comes with slightly cooler CHT's I have noticed. Right now, I have a freshly installed EZ Heat Oil Sump heating pad to help aid my heater that blows into the cowl flap, and I use blankets over the engine as well. My usual CHT's aloft are 278F-335F at 17in MP & 2400 RPM. I typically max out my cooling on descent to no more than 18 degrees F per minute as well. Any help is appreciated!

All that sounds ok and similar to my winter ops in slightly warmer eastern Washington.  Are you able to get your oil temps up above 180 and keep them there?  Mine does fine with that even in very cold air but some people cover part of their oil cooler in the winter.

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, MooneyMunnerlyn said:

Hello,

I am based in the coldest city in the continental US, Grand Forks N.D. I have a 1965 M20E and I am looking for tips to prevent shock cooling, preheating practices, and lowest CHT temperatures. I utilize the crazy low GPH at 17in MP to time build but it comes with slightly cooler CHT's I have noticed. Right now, I have a freshly installed EZ Heat Oil Sump heating pad to help aid my heater that blows into the cowl flap, and I use blankets over the engine as well. My usual CHT's aloft are 278F-335F at 17in MP & 2400 RPM. I typically max out my cooling on descent to no more than 18 degrees F per minute as well. Any help is appreciated!

I learned to fly in Grand Forks and got my license in 1986. I bought a 172 two-thirds of the way through my training. The only advice I have is do what you can to get a hangar in the area (Grand Forks, Crookston, Grafton, etc). I hangared with the GFK city hangars back then where you called ahead and they pulled it out for you.  Your Mooney is worth way more today than my 172 was back then and just figure that keeping it inside is part of the price you pay for flying in that area. 

You may have to block part of the area on your oil cooler but you shouldn't have to do much more than that to fly it.

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, MooneyMunnerlyn said:

Hello,

I am based in the coldest city in the continental US, Grand Forks N.D. I have a 1965 M20E and I am looking for tips to prevent shock cooling, preheating practices, and lowest CHT temperatures. I utilize the crazy low GPH at 17in MP to time build but it comes with slightly cooler CHT's I have noticed. Right now, I have a freshly installed EZ Heat Oil Sump heating pad to help aid my heater that blows into the cowl flap, and I use blankets over the engine as well. My usual CHT's aloft are 278F-335F at 17in MP & 2400 RPM. I typically max out my cooling on descent to no more than 18 degrees F per minute as well. Any help is appreciated!

Another thing, where’s your battery?  If it’s in the tail is there any way to warm the cockpit and or tail area with warm air?  If the battery is in the engine compartment, probably fine from your warm air.  Depending on your avionics, some people like to preheat to help out older gyros.

[ArrowBerry]

We have a 67E based in Winnipeg.

To my knowledge there is not a "winter kit" for the Mooney like you find in Cessnas. We have had success in covering our oil cooler, which is front mounted, with aluminum tape. I'd say below -15C is when we start using it, about 1/3 of the cooler at first and then see what oil temps you get. Always easier to come back and add some rather than have uncontrollably high temps. When it gets really cold, -25C or so, we cover it close to all the way. We add and remove strips as the OAT changes from day to day.

I find this helps keep the oil temperature in the 180-200 degree range, but doesn't change the CHT very much. I'm trying to remember, but I think 280-330 is pretty normal for our plane too. If you fly on a really cold day it might be better to run a higher MP if that keeps the CHTs a little bit higher and just plan to fly a little bit further to get the same amount of hours out of a flight. 

[Echo]

Just ordered a 80k btu kerosene heater for hanger. Winter is coming (John Snow) accent  

[tmo]

Don't those kerosene heaters produce a lot of moisture in addition to heat?

We have a diesel "torpedo" style heater that has a separate outlet for the warmed-up air and another one for the exhaust gasses.

[Ragsf15e]

Personally, I’m a fan of a little heat over a long time.  I think applying a lot of heat for 15-20 minutes doesn’t actually heat the inside of the engine.  Do I have proof?  No.  It just seems like a huge hunk of metal and oil isn’t going to warm evenly from a quick, hot “warmup”.  Since the oil pan is exposed, potentially it does heat the oil which is good.

I like to use a remote switch (mine is cellular but you can use wifi if available).  I couple that with a small ceramic heater on low with a dryer vent pumped into the cowl flap.  Typically turn it on 3+ hours (night before is good) before flying.  Engine is evenly warmed even at very cold temps.  It blows dry air as a bonus.

If you’re on the ramp, you have less options, so a quicker, hotter heat is probably better than nothing.  Or get a real engine heater and find a way to plug it in.

[Fly Boomer]

Does anybody put heat in the tail to warm up the battery and the gyro back there?  A heated hangar would be nice, but not happening in this life.

[Dialed In]

I’ve never heated the tail section of my E and have yet to have had an issue, I even have a 5 year old wet gill battery. I typically plug the oil pan heater in over night and then heat the cabin for 1/2-1 hour before the flight. It’s not uncommon for us to have 2-3 weeks of highs in the -20 Fahrenheit during winter and I fly a couple hours every week. I did have the gyro serviced three years ago, it was the first time the oil had been changed in it since 1965. 

[Shadrach]

16 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

Does anybody put heat in the tail to warm up the battery and the gyro back there?  A heated hangar would be nice, but not happening in this life.

I heat the cockpit on extra cold days as I think it’s easier on the gyros. Never bothered heating the tail cone, The AGM batteries I use are rated for temps well below what we normally see. I keep it plugged into a smart tender. I find that aluminum tape over the oil cooler works perfectly as a “winterization” kit. During really cold periods, I fly with my oil cooler completely blocked off. My engine runs relatively cool in the summertime. In the winter time it’s a struggle to get oil temps above 160°  and CHT‘s to 300°.

[ArrowBerry]

This topic I started last winter to show our preheating set up. We have an EZ Heat oil pan heater and a forced air buddy heater inside the cabin. Really slick to be able to control everything from your phone and just "show up" to go flying. 

 

 

[Fly Boomer]

Just now, Mac80 said:

 

Your comment must have gone into the bit bucket -- give it another try.