Engine preheat guidelines?

[RJBrown]

Melts the duct tape but tha scat tubing is fine. Power it from the car battery using a 500 watt inverter. I have had this setup for over 15 years.

[bnicolette]

Reiff system is installed.  Attached are some pictures.

[Marauder]

Reiff system is installed. Attached are some pictures.

Of course it will be in the 60s over the next few days! Let us know how it works out. On my last preheat with the propane, I realized that I'm getting too old for this stuff!

[bnicolette]

Of course it will be in the 60s over the next few days! Let us know how it works out. On my last preheat with the propane, I realized that I'm getting too old for this stuff!

Isn't that the way it always goes?  Was thinking about buying a snowblower also, so it wouldn't snow anymore this season.

 

One of my big reasons for going with the regular preheat systems is that with the torpedo heating system I had going before, I never really knew if the engine was heated enough.  Whatever, enough is?  I would let it run for about :30 but there are times admittedly that it was SO cold that I doubt that was enough time.  Regardless, it was better than not preheating it at all.  After all the engine work I just went through, I just want to be sure that I'm giving my engine the best chance it has for longevity.  There are many times that I find myself at home and the day happens to be nice, so I go out and fly for a bit and now hopefully the airplane will always be ready to go.  I think I'll also be more willing to go for little rides now as I won't have to go through the setup and waiting for the torpedo preheat.  So long as it works as advertised and as other folks have said, I'm sure I'm going to be very happy with this setup.

[Marauder]

Of course it will be in the 60s over the next few days! Let us know how it works out. On my last preheat with the propane, I realized that I'm getting too old for this stuff! Isn't that the way it always goes? Was thinking about buying a snowblower also, so it wouldn't snow anymore this season. One of my big reasons for going with the regular preheat systems is that with the torpedo heating system I had going before, I never really knew if the engine was heated enough. Whatever, enough is? I would let it run for about :30 but there are times admittedly that it was SO cold that I doubt that was enough time. Regardless, it was better than not preheating it at all. After all the engine work I just went through, I just want to be sure that I'm giving my engine the best chance it has for longevity. There are many times that I find myself at home and the day happens to be nice, so I go out and fly for a bit and now hopefully the airplane will always be ready to go. I think I'll also be more willing to go for little rides now as I won't have to go through the setup and waiting for the torpedo preheat. So long as it works as advertised and as other folks have said, I'm sure I'm going to be very happy with this setup.

Judging the torpedo heating was tough. I bought an IR thermometer a few years ago and it made it a bit easier. The setup and tear down is what is getting to me. It would be nice not to have to deal with it. Was the install cost fairly reasonable? I will tough it out for the rest of this winter and try to get one installed with my annual. Let us know how it works out!

[Marauder]

I have decided to install a Rieff system during my annual in April. My mechanic says that our area (the mid Atlantic) won't require the full system, just the sump pads. Anyone ever hear and do this recommendation?

[Hank]

I've got a sump heater, it works well. The switchboxes that Philip is selling are the cat's meow; otherwise you have to drive to the airport the night before to plug in, or arrive an hour or more before pulling out of the hangar. I think the OH/WV border is at least as cold as Delaware, so you shouldn't have much trouble.

[aaronk25]

If its 20 degrees out, you use cowl plugs and leave it plugged in full time, considering heat rises I bet your oil would be 80 or so and your cylinders 50 ish. Might get away with it but why not add the cylinder bands is easy and only a few hundred bucks more. You don't need the turbo system where you live.

[bumper]

I haven't seen any of these preheaters that do a god job of heating the crankcase, a 200w pad on the bottom of the intake plenum won't heat the crankcase effectively.

I respectfully disagree. I've used EZ-Heat electric sump heaters on 3 aircraft over the past couple of decades. If you throw an old sleeping bag (with zipper cut off so it won't scratch) over the cowl and tuck it in the air intakes, the engine will be toasty by morning - - the whole thing - - - every last nut and bolt of it. With a metal prop, the base of the blades will be warm too. Put your hand inside and the engine is heated evenly and happy as all get out. On start up, my oil is typically 120 F or so when it's freezing in the hangar.

For camping the Idaho back country (with my Husky A-1B, I use a proper engine cover (Kennon, with one intake cover open for airflow) and a MSR multi-fuel campstove fired homemade pre-heater similar to the "Northern Companion" . . . when it's freezing out, this will get the engine cylinders up to about 70 F in 45 minutes or so - the oil will be colder still but more than warm enough to be kind to Mr. Motor. Can't leave this heater unattended with the open flame.

[bumper]

I wonder about the impact to hundreds of millions car engines starting in sub freezing weather every day.

It's not so good for them either. In cold climates it's common to see electric plugs sticking out of front grills. In Canada, many lodges and motels provide electic plug-ins in their parking lots.

With aircraft engines it's a more dire situation, as the cylinder bore is "chocked", being narrower at the top than the bottom. This is so when the engine comes up to temperature, the head and top of the bore will have expanded so the cylinder walls are parallel. When started very cold, the choke can cause scuffing, broken rings, excess wear and bad things.

bumper

[Marauder]

Aaron - I suspect the reason the mechanic recommended just the sump heater was he knows we are cheap bunch My concern is that I do fly places where it is colder and I do stay for a bit (like hunting season up north). For the few hundred bucks, it might make it easier to get it all done. Did you ever have anymore problems with your cylinder heaters? I think you were the one that mentioned it.

[bd32322]

I have decided to install a Rieff system during my annual in April. My mechanic says that our area (the mid Atlantic) won't require the full system, just the sump pads. Anyone ever hear and do this recommendation?

Reiff website has data on what happens with sump heater only, with the full system etc. They measured temperatures of the cylinders and oil using both methods with 20F ambient temps.

One thing is certain, with the whole system you will get quicker heat. With the turbo system, it will be faster. With just sump heat, you will also be fine, but it will take longer. So what you put on there is purely dependent on how quickly you want to heat. If I were to do it again, I would put the turbo system on. I have the standard system.

This way at FBOs without preheat, I can quickly heat things up ith an extension cord.

[Hank]

My plane does well with one hour's worth on the sump. More than that is just for convenience of plugging in. With a cell switch now, it is so much easier to turn it on in advance.

[Marauder]

Thanks for the inputs. I will see where the prices shake out. I bought the remote phone thingy (sorry forgot the name at the moment), so calling it and ordering up heat shouldn't be an issue locally. When I do go up north, things get pretty cold. And the quicker heating is of interest since I will either be running my small Honda generator or paying the FBO to plug in.

[aaronk25]

Bring the Honda.....small FBo are good larger ones like alantic act like its a huge inconvenience example alantic republic Long Island New York.

After repeated attempts to get plugged before departure in the am, when I arrived it wasn't and it wasn't a priority. I asked nicely and 45 min later nothing. I got pissed off pulled my plane right up infront of there double doors while the line men weren't watching and grabbed my 100 foot cord out of the back of the plane and ran it down the middle if their hall way though there double automatic sliding doors and reached over the service counter and unplugged the iphone charger ( which was apparently the gals at the counters who didn't give a rip about my situation until I unplugged her charger) and plugged my plane in. I told them my plane isn't moving for a hour. END OF STORY! I will never start if the 100w oil isn't at least 50 degrees. Period. I explains to the upset lineman that it wasn't his 40k engine under the cowl and I was very disappointed in there service.

They were pissed but darn it after asking the night before, 2 times in the AM and getting blown off I had enough!

Oil temp was 25 degrees from sitting over night and was up to 70 in a hour thanks to the rieff turbo heater.

From now on my Honda travels with me. I got a 2 gallon extended tank and it will run the heater for 30 hours if its not convienent to get to the plane a couple hours in advance.

[aaronk25]

Aaron - I suspect the reason the mechanic recommended just the sump heater was he knows we are cheap bunch ;)My concern is that I do fly places where it is colder and I do stay for a bit (like hunting season up north). For the few hundred bucks, it might make it easier to get it all done. Did you ever have anymore problems with your cylinder heaters? I think you were the one that mentioned it.

Hello, after we switched out a couple sets of cylinder bands they work great. I just used the heat gun to check them this AM and they all indicated 155 + or - at the bands. Oil covers were 120 with the case at 115. Very happy with product and no questions asked warranty! They didn't even want the defective bands back. Great company.