I was wondering if a light bulb fixture clamped at the cowl outlet, and a blanket on the top of the cowl would provide enough warmth to keep the engine from sweating on those days when it's cold and then it suddenly warms up? Looking for a way to keep my aluminum baffles, plating , mags dry in the off season. A couple degrees above ambient should do it.
Got the idea when I was using a trouble light inside my case when I was measuring bores. Discovered the case would get quite warm after a 1/2 hour with a 40 watt bulb. Should be safe enough for continuous operation.
Any-one ever tried this before, or something similar?
Ron
Sweating
Sweating
Before you believe anything I say, check with two more people. If they agree, I must be right.
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Nathan K. Hammond
- Posts: 2371
- Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2004 00:22
- Location: Danville, KY (DVK)
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Thats how I pre-heated my champ for 8 years in Kentucky. I did just as you said; light bulb (I used a 100W because I wanted to make a lot of heat), stuffed a pillow in each inlet and draped a sleeping bag over the cowl. In an hour it would be 60 degrees under the cowl while being 30 outside. 
I started using a light bulb because I was afraid of an open flame. Used a little square box heater for a while and had duct work directing the hot air into the cowl. But I was still scared and would stay close "just in-case." Figured out the light bulb and was really comfortable with it, I could plug in, go to the Cafe' for breakfast. Come back in an hour ready to fly and wouldn't be frozen before I got in the air.
Best thing I found was an old style clamp on inspection light, the kind with the metal hood that looks like a mixing bowl. Unscrew the hood and clamp the light on the engine mount. I always positioned the light under the oil tank for obvious reasons, but for just gerenal heating anywhere is fine. Too make it work really good you have to plug the inlets, and secure the blanket/sleeping bad on the underneath side so cold air can't creap in or hot air out. I used pillows because thats what was in the hangar, but foam works just as well or better. If you have nothing to do one day, get an old style PFD, the ones that look like a horse shoe with a strap around them. You can cut them open, trim the foam, then restich and have a REALLY NICE set of cowl plugs. They're bright orange and have a stap on them so they won't get seperated. Spring clamps work nice to keep the blanket pulling in tight on the bottom.
I really wouldn't have a problem leaving a light on 24/7, but would still check on it once every 1-2 days. I'm a big scaried cat!
nkh
I started using a light bulb because I was afraid of an open flame. Used a little square box heater for a while and had duct work directing the hot air into the cowl. But I was still scared and would stay close "just in-case." Figured out the light bulb and was really comfortable with it, I could plug in, go to the Cafe' for breakfast. Come back in an hour ready to fly and wouldn't be frozen before I got in the air.
Best thing I found was an old style clamp on inspection light, the kind with the metal hood that looks like a mixing bowl. Unscrew the hood and clamp the light on the engine mount. I always positioned the light under the oil tank for obvious reasons, but for just gerenal heating anywhere is fine. Too make it work really good you have to plug the inlets, and secure the blanket/sleeping bad on the underneath side so cold air can't creap in or hot air out. I used pillows because thats what was in the hangar, but foam works just as well or better. If you have nothing to do one day, get an old style PFD, the ones that look like a horse shoe with a strap around them. You can cut them open, trim the foam, then restich and have a REALLY NICE set of cowl plugs. They're bright orange and have a stap on them so they won't get seperated. Spring clamps work nice to keep the blanket pulling in tight on the bottom.
I really wouldn't have a problem leaving a light on 24/7, but would still check on it once every 1-2 days. I'm a big scaried cat!
nkh
7AC-5691
Super 85-12F @ DVK
Super 85-12F @ DVK
general
Nathan: I was unsure to post the light-bulb thing, as maybe being considered a nut ball. Well maybe there are two of us now. (more to follow)
Seriously I think it's a great idea, as I've never like the propane heaters because of the safety thing. Heat guns, hair dryers have the same problems. I have the clamp on metal enclosed light unit as you descrbed and will go with 100 watt for preheating, and use the 40 watt for continuous light warming for the off season.
Ron
Seriously I think it's a great idea, as I've never like the propane heaters because of the safety thing. Heat guns, hair dryers have the same problems. I have the clamp on metal enclosed light unit as you descrbed and will go with 100 watt for preheating, and use the 40 watt for continuous light warming for the off season.
Ron
Before you believe anything I say, check with two more people. If they agree, I must be right.
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Guest
When I lived WAY up north we had a shop heated with a propane furnace but being that we didn't use it all the time we used to just run the furnace off a 100lb propane bottle. In the winter though the bottle would freeze up (propane boils at -40) so we built an insulated box just big enough for a bottle and heated it with a 100 watt lightbulb inside a tobacco can. We left it on for literally months and it worked just fine - it kept that box and the bottle nice and warm. The only thing I'd be afraid of in the airplane would be the light fixture getting oily after awhile and the fire hazard that it might become - so I wouldn't leave it on continuously if it was me.
DON'T use one of those fan driven block heaters though. The fan can stop sometimes (but the element keeps right on glowing) - we almost burnt the wing off a Twin Otter one night because of one of those rotten things.
Dan
DON'T use one of those fan driven block heaters though. The fan can stop sometimes (but the element keeps right on glowing) - we almost burnt the wing off a Twin Otter one night because of one of those rotten things.
Dan
Preheat
Ron,
I live in Michigan and am no stranger to cold weather. I won't even try to start an engine that hasn't been preheated if it is really cold.
What Nathan described is what I'm doing now with my Champ. I did the same thing with my 172 for over 20 years. When I tore down the Lyc 0-320 for overhaul there was no evidence of corrosion internally. Along the way I also tried dipstick heaters-bolt on, glue on oil pan heathing elements - heating elements in the nose plugs, etc. Truthfully, none of them worked any better and I was less comfortable with leaving them on. I've never cared much for the Red Dragon type heaters but I've used them on occasion.
I've drawn a few conclusions from my experiences which I'll share with you. Then we'll let the engineers out there tear them apart
1.) I use a small outdoor-type floodlight in the fixture that Nathan described. It is made to survive a little knocking around. I prefer a lower wattage (50-75).
2.) I don't believe you actually need to "heat" the engine, just warm it up a bit above ambient. To me, a temperature of 50 degrees seems to work just as well as 80. The oil (assuming you have the proper grade) flows well and the water vapor won't frost the spark plug gap. If you are going to leave the heater plugged in all the time then I think it is more important to shoot for maintaining a near constant temperature. I think you are less likely to draw moisture in that way. The other alternative is to just turn it on a couple of hours before you fly and let the engine burn off any collected moisture. Just be sure you fly long enough to let the engine get up to normal operating temperatures and keep clean oil in it.
We sometimes forget that during the warmer part of the year the engine is "breathing" with the daily changes of temperature. The problems of moisture are offset by the fact that the plane is flown more often. Similarily, even though the air is drier during the winter, airplanes do a lot of sitting. If you can use heat as a way to get the airplane out more often you should see a benefit in engine life.
Dress warmly!
Tim
I live in Michigan and am no stranger to cold weather. I won't even try to start an engine that hasn't been preheated if it is really cold.
What Nathan described is what I'm doing now with my Champ. I did the same thing with my 172 for over 20 years. When I tore down the Lyc 0-320 for overhaul there was no evidence of corrosion internally. Along the way I also tried dipstick heaters-bolt on, glue on oil pan heathing elements - heating elements in the nose plugs, etc. Truthfully, none of them worked any better and I was less comfortable with leaving them on. I've never cared much for the Red Dragon type heaters but I've used them on occasion.
I've drawn a few conclusions from my experiences which I'll share with you. Then we'll let the engineers out there tear them apart
1.) I use a small outdoor-type floodlight in the fixture that Nathan described. It is made to survive a little knocking around. I prefer a lower wattage (50-75).
2.) I don't believe you actually need to "heat" the engine, just warm it up a bit above ambient. To me, a temperature of 50 degrees seems to work just as well as 80. The oil (assuming you have the proper grade) flows well and the water vapor won't frost the spark plug gap. If you are going to leave the heater plugged in all the time then I think it is more important to shoot for maintaining a near constant temperature. I think you are less likely to draw moisture in that way. The other alternative is to just turn it on a couple of hours before you fly and let the engine burn off any collected moisture. Just be sure you fly long enough to let the engine get up to normal operating temperatures and keep clean oil in it.
We sometimes forget that during the warmer part of the year the engine is "breathing" with the daily changes of temperature. The problems of moisture are offset by the fact that the plane is flown more often. Similarily, even though the air is drier during the winter, airplanes do a lot of sitting. If you can use heat as a way to get the airplane out more often you should see a benefit in engine life.
Dress warmly!
Tim
general
Thanks guys. Sound like it's got potential, so I'll give it a shot.
Ron
Ron
Before you believe anything I say, check with two more people. If they agree, I must be right.
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guest
preheating a Champ
We have used this same method in the winters of Wisconsin for quite sometime.
To take it one step further, we put it on a 7 day timer to come on in the afternoons that we fly.
That way it is all preheated up prior to our arrival.
However, we just use a 60 watt trouble light (rough service bulb)
and throw a nice heavy quilted blanket over the Champ's cowling.
Warm as toast.
Have Fun!!
To take it one step further, we put it on a 7 day timer to come on in the afternoons that we fly.
That way it is all preheated up prior to our arrival.
However, we just use a 60 watt trouble light (rough service bulb)
and throw a nice heavy quilted blanket over the Champ's cowling.
Warm as toast.
Have Fun!!
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jack duncan
sweating
I've been doing the light bulb trick since I started flying, thats what I used to do to keep my washing machine from freezing-up that I kept in the garage. I have found that the movers blankets at Harbour Freight work good as a cover,so for about $15. bucks a good engine heater can be had. yes it gets down in the twentys in the winter here in TX. Jack