Engine savers

[bd32322]

What are your opinions about engine savers? These are devices that pump dry air into the crankcase through the breather tube to prevent the formation of moisture and hence rust.

[N601RX]

I started a thread about them about a year ago, but can't find it right now.

Found it.

http://mooneyspace.com/topic/5209-engine-crankcase-driers/?hl=%2Bengine+%2Bcorrosion#entry67396

[triple8s]

There is a wating list to get into a hangar where I am, and for almos a year I was on tie down. I always hated driving away seeing it setting there in the weather. Sometimes when I would get there to pre flight I'd pull the dipstick and see ice crystals on the dipstick, so I did some reading and took action. I made a device that would pump air through dessicant and into the dipstick tube and a line that connected to the crankcase vent to circulate the air back through the dessicant. I never saw anymore signs of moisture once I started using my homemade engine dehumidifier. These things can be purchased and some units are dual units.With a dual unit you can pump through the crankcase and dry that air, while the other is connected to the exhaust and intake system drying the upper part of the engine. A friend made a very nice unit that does both upper and lower on his rocket. If you have power and dont fly regularly or can only fly those 20 or 30 minute around the patch trips I would strongly recommend using something to dry the air because the burning of hydrocarbon produces water just look at the tailpipe of cars allways dripping. I have seen some people leave their sump heater plugged up and I have heard that is a big mistake. If you think about it, heating the sump the heat rises inside the engine, the inside is warmer than the outside so the inner walls of the crankcase are colder than the air in the crankcase. What would happen  in this situation? Well if there is moisture in the air inside of your engine, it will condense on the walls of the engine, and the droplets do no good thing for your engine. How can you get those out? Pump the engine full of dry air so there IS no moisture to condense. That is the only way to keep it dry.

 

http://www.flyingsafer.com/2039.htm

 

http://www.barkeraircraft.com/Engine-dryer-kit.html

 

http://home.comcast.net/~r123rs/Documents/Engine_Dryer_Sport_Avi.pdf

 

I even went so far as to put a small dehumidifier in the cabin to keep everything there dry as possible. Now I only use the engine dehumidifer if I fly trips less than 1 hour because the short trips usually dont give time for the engine temps to get get high and stay high long enough. If you try to make your own make sure you use some type of filter to insure none of the dessicant balls accidentally pumped into the engine, they will destroy the engine.

[triple8s]

Rocketman made a very nice unit maybe he would post some pics of his unit.