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Preheating

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f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearw
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:31 am Post subject: Preheating

What is the conventional wisdom on preheating.  I have K-lll w/ a Rotax 582.

With my Cherokee I have always preheated when the ambient temp. was  40

degrees F. or below. What is recommended for these little engines. I don't

think that it is matter of whether it will start but what is good for it.

Frank - Lewston, Idaho

jdmcbean(at)cableone.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:52 am Post subject: Preheating

It is always better on an engine to pre-heat.  There are a lot of

advantages... one is: the oil will circulate easier and get to the critical

areas better then when it cold and thick.



Fly Safe !!

John & Debra McBean

www.sportplanellc.com

"The Sky is not the Limit...  It's a Playground"



--

wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Preheating

What is the best (most effective) way to pre-heat?

algate(at)attglobal.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:55 pm Post subject: Preheating

I use a small 110V auto interior heater purchased from Canadian Tire store

(about $25.00).



I put it in the front of the cowl and even at -20 deg C by the time I have

removed the covers from my plane it has put enough heat into the engine to

allow it spin easily and it starts every time.



I'm not sure if my posts are getting to the list and would appreciate it if

someone could confirm.



GaryA

Lite2/582



--

f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearw
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:14 pm Post subject: Preheating

Gary, Appreciate your remarks.  What I really wanted to know was at what

point do you decide to preheat and what engine do you have. The point has

been made that preheating is always good but there is a point of diminishing

return. The 582's do not have an oil reservoir like a normal four cycle, air

cooled, aircraft engine. I am sure that the point to preheat is an arbitrary

decision. What is yours?



--

rwill1(at)adelphia.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:50 pm Post subject: Preheating

Pre heat below 40 F....!!!!  We'd be preheating 6 months of the year in Maine.. When the temp gets -10 F , we just stay by the fire and self preheat...

DPREMGOOD(at)AOL.COM
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:26 pm Post subject: Preheating

Loud and clear Gary,



Our local flying club has the same heaters installed in the cowlings of the 

airplanes. What's more, they got Transport Canada approval to mount them onto 

the airframe.



Doug Remoundos



Montreal

spaghettiohead(at)hotmail
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 6:01 pm Post subject: Preheating

Usually don't get to pre-heat...never had a problem, but I don't usually fly 

the 'Fox too much when it's below 30 anyway.



Funny thing, I was going to take my Crew Partner (Cockpit Resource Mgmt 

Training in Multi-Engine Ops at school) flying low and slow...and the damn 

battery turned the prop over once and kicked the bucket. NEVER had a problem 

with it before...oh well. I hooked up the charger and started 'er up...



Any ideas where I can get a good, inexpensive replacement?



Thanks!

Andrew

KF3 582 68" GSC

 	  Quote: 	
		  From: "Rich Williamson" <rwill1(at)adelphia.net>

Reply-To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: Re: Preheating

Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 18:48:16 -0500






Pre heat below 40 F....!!!!  We'd be preheating 6 months of the year in 

Maine.. When the temp gets -10 F , we just stay by the fire and self 

preheat...






	


http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/

f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearw
Guest

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:36 pm Post subject: Preheating

Just got a new battery from: Sport Plane, LLC. $71.50 + shipping.



I have heard it said that a starting a cold soaked engine at -20% C. without

preheating is equal to 200 hours of time on an engine. Frank



--

spaghettiohead(at)hotmail
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:10 am Post subject: Preheating

200 hrs, ouch...I'll be flying the Cessna's and Arrows when it's that cold!



Thanks for the battery info!



Andrew

[quote]From: "Frank Miles" <f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearwire.net>

Reply-To: kitfox-list(at)matronics.com

To: <kitfox-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: RE: Preheating

Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 21:33:30 -0800




<f.miles.tcp.833(at)clearwire.net>



Just got a new battery from: Sport Plane, LLC. $71.50 + shipping.



I have heard it said that a starting a cold soaked engine at -20% C. 

without

preheating is equal to 200 hours of time on an engine. Frank



--

wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 10:28 am Post subject: Re: Preheating

Anyone use one of these?: 



http://www.ultralightnews.ca/heaters/enginepreheater.htm



Seems like a simple and inexpensive setup that takes advantage of the fact that the motor is liquid cooled.

rjdaugh(at)rapidnet.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:18 pm Post subject: Preheating

200 hours.                        



I think I avoid most of that by cranking until the oil pressure is up before

I turn on the mags.  Then everything is pre-oiled before high RPM's.



My old Jeep has nearly 4000 hours on it and it doesn't burn any oil.  And it

always is started with no oil pressure.    And many of those starts are at

below - 4 F.  Still, I suspect that there is some truth to the 200 hours run

of thumb.



Randy - 912S



.           

--

aldaniels(at)fmtc.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject: Preheating

There is a huge difference in air cooled and water cooled engines in how 

a cold start affects them. The big no no is to cold start an air cooled 

conventional aircraft engine as at cold temps the dissimilar metals 

expand and contract at different rates and that reduces clearances to 

less than acceptable. This is what causes the excessive wear. On most 

car engines if you can crank it over enough to start and the oil will 

flow you are all right. Multi weight oils have dramatically reduced cold 

start oil starvation. It all comes down to what clearances the engine 

was built with, what materials it was built with, and at what temp those 

materials no longer have acceptable clearances. I would not start my 

O-320 or O-360 below 20 F without preheat, and I would preheat below 30F 

if I could, but I have never preheated my snowmobile - ever- and I have 

started it at -20F and never had any sighs of problems. I guess you 

would have to find out from the manufacture what the critical temps are 

and go with that.



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