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Thread: Winterizing airplane

  1. #11
    DanChief's Avatar
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    Jerry -- some of the cowling openings are taped over in winter (usually the hole in front of the oil pan). There's still plenty of air coming in through the main eyeballs on either side of the prop at my insanely high speed flight of 70-80 MPH.



    As you probably know, the O-145 is a cool running engine. In temps below 35 it rarely gets the oil warm enough to ensure all moisture is boiled off. (I also have limited baffling (anyone have drawings for the LA-65??))

    Prop wash does not cool the engine much -- most of the air is moving outside the circumference of the engine. The Service manual for the O-145 recommends ground ops not exceed 2 minutes in warm temps (!)

    Here's an extract from the Lycoming O-145 Operations Manual:

    GROUND RUNNING AND WARM-UP-- the LYCOMING 0-145-B2 engine is an air pressure cooled engine that depends on the forward speed of the airplane to maintain proper cooling. Therefore, particular care is necessary when operating this engine on the ground. To prevent overheating, it is recommended that the following precautions be followed:
    Head airplane into the wind
    Avoid prolonged idling at low RPM as this practice may result in fouled spark plugs
    Limit ground running to 4 minutes in cold weather and to 2 minutes at temperatures above 70 F.

    Here's some info taken from the Lycoming Flyer:
    B. ENGINE GROUND OPERATION
    The engine ground operation greatly influences formation of lead salt deposits on spark plugs and exhaust valve stems. Proper operation of the engine on the ground (warm-up, landing, taxi and engine shut-down) can greatly reduce the deposition rate and deposit formation which cause spark plug fouling and exhaust valve sticking.
    1. Proper adjustment of the idle speed (600 to 650 RPM) fuel mixture, and maintenance of the induction air system will ensure smooth engine operation and eliminate excessively rich fuel/air mixtures at idle speeds. This will minimize the separation of the nonvolatile components of the high-leaded aviation fuels greatly retarding the deposition rate.
    2. The engine should be operated at engine speeds between 1000 and 1200 RPM after starting and during the initial warm-up period. Avoid prolonged closed-throttle idle engine speed operation (when possible). At engine speeds from 1000 to 1200 RPM, the spark plug core temperatures are hot enough to activate the lead scavenging agents contained in the fuel which retards the formation of the lead salt deposits on the spark plugs and exhaust valve stems. Avoid rapid engine speed changes after start-up, and use only the power settings required to taxi.
    3. Rapid engine cooldown from low-power altitude changes, low-power landing approach and/or engine shut-down too soon after landing or ground runs should be avoided.
    4. Prior to the engine shut-down, the engine speed should be maintained between 1000 and 1200 RPM until the operating temperatures have stabilized. At this time, the engine speed should be increased to approximately 1800 RPM for 15 to 20 seconds, then reduced to 1000 to 1200 RPM and shut down immediately using the mixture control.

    Also:

    Extended ground operation can cause excessive cylinder and oil temperatures.



    More:

    Preventing a buildup of contaminants is just as important as eliminating those that do form. Avoiding long periods of ground operation is a vital step since moisture can enter the breather, but will not vaporize when the oil is not heated to normal operating temperatures. Ground running also involves a slightly rich mixture which contributes to the formation of lead sludge in the oil. During flight, the deposit of lead sludge in the oil can be minimized by proper leaning.
    Last edited by DanChief; 11-02-2011 at 06:00 AM.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Dan McCormack
    Smoketown, PA (S37)
    N24286, 1940 Aeronca Chief 65-LA (Lycoming O-145-B2)
    CFI
    http://flightmusings.blogspot.com/

  2. #12
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
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    Hi Dan - I do understand the idea of taping some cowl openings in the winter - I was playing devil's advocate (PC speak for being a wise a**) since your statement that the engine needed a lot of air movement for adequate cooling but that you taped openings so it would get appropriately warm. I am very glad that I did act like a wise guy because you did take the time to type the lycoming operating info - Great stuff! that I had never seen before. Particularly interested in to admonition to not run in excess of 2 minutes before takeoff. Do you really know anyone who does that? I would think that, in most cases, taxi time and runup would take more than 2 minutes. Anyway - interesting info and I intend to employ some if it (shut down procedures) and idle speed adjustments in the future. Makes a lot of sense. Thanks again for your time.
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    NC22375
    65LA out of 07N Pennsylvania

  3. #13

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    Ron,

    Thanks for the reply. In the past I have done an oil change, put the battery on a digital trickle charger, and left it at that. While I haven't experienced problems in the spring, I don't know what unseen harm I have done. The one thing I know, is that I turn into a popsicle long in about 5 minutes airborne, so flying in the winter is not an option. I will look into the desicant plugs. I haven't used them before. One last thing; does the fuel system need special consideration for storage of 4 or 5 months?

    Thanks,

    Mike

  4. #14

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    Joe,

    I had remembered a recent article this past year on the subject of oil that mentioned airplane storage. I will search again. Thanks.

  5. #15

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    Bill,

    I keep the plane in Longmont. I have always tried to run the plane 45 minutes or more. The Christian inverted oil breather/drain line runs out the empannage. Water always come out at the end of an acrobatic flight, not always during upright flight. This water never has any oil in it. Do you think that the water is separated from the oil, and then drained out, or is it just the air in the breather being heated and then cooled further down the line causing condensation? PS - what do the Maroon Bells look like upside down?

  6. #16

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    Joe,

    I am starting to see a consensus on the desicant plugs. I will look for the article on the dry air pump.

  7. #17
    DanChief's Avatar
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    No problem, Jerry!!

    I've seen more than one big single sit on the runup area for 15 minutes at 1200-1500 RPM as the pilot tries to get it "warmed up."

    One 210 owner I know did that every time. Then complains when he needs an OH at 500 hours...

    The O-145 Ops manual also says the "airplane is suitably warmed up when the throttle can be advanced without stumbling."

    That's my test. If it advances smoothly, it's time to take off! On cold days I can tell the engine runs more smoothly after a bit of flight time. It's "warmed up," but doing what it was designed to do -- fly!
    Last edited by DanChief; 11-02-2011 at 10:43 AM.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Dan McCormack
    Smoketown, PA (S37)
    N24286, 1940 Aeronca Chief 65-LA (Lycoming O-145-B2)
    CFI
    http://flightmusings.blogspot.com/

  8. #18

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    Mike, I was just in Longmont Sun buying some cheap gas. Unfortunately the lovely lunch lady had closed up the wagon for the winter season so I did not get a brat or burger, or a smile.
    I get up to Longmont some and am at Boulder often, pehraps we could meet sometime, I'd like to see your plane.
    I no longer have the Parakeet biplane, winter is real cold to fly it in Aspen so it went to west Texas.
    The Bells look great anytime of year from any view!

  9. #19

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    Dan, and you guys re winter opos.
    There is a lot more to consider in starting a cold engine than spark plug fouling. I think you'd be nuts to start an engine in the winter that had been sitting outside and right away go to 1200 rpm, and double nuts to rev it to take off power after 2 minutes or as soon as it would take the throttle.
    When an engine is cold soaked, there is a lot of metal friction that happens on startup until the oil warms up and circulates and the different rates of expansion between alum pistons and steel cylinders, etc warm up together.
    Some experts think most wear occurs in the fiirst few minutes of each cold start.
    Now you can and should preheat an engine in winter, but even that doesn't warm all the parts like being on a summer day.
    As for overheating on the ground run, well you have oil temp and probably cyl temp gauges, when they are in the green it is time to go, not 2 minutes after a start at 20*, if it would even start that cold.

  10. #20
    DanChief's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    Dan, and you guys re winter opos.
    There is a lot more to consider in starting a cold engine than spark plug fouling. I think you'd be nuts to start an engine in the winter that had been sitting outside and right away go to 1200 rpm, and double nuts to rev it to take off power after 2 minutes or as soon as it would take the throttle.
    When an engine is cold soaked, there is a lot of metal friction that happens on startup until the oil warms up and circulates and the different rates of expansion between alum pistons and steel cylinders, etc warm up together.
    Some experts think most wear occurs in the fiirst few minutes of each cold start.
    Now you can and should preheat an engine in winter, but even that doesn't warm all the parts like being on a summer day.
    As for overheating on the ground run, well you have oil temp and probably cyl temp gauges, when they are in the green it is time to go, not 2 minutes after a start at 20*, if it would even start that cold.
    well, let's define "Cold Weather Ops"

    I used to live in Upstate NY -- below zero was normal and cold.

    Now I'm in Pennsylvania, where 20 F is "cold."

    So for me "Cold weather ops" is flying in temps between 20 and 35 degrees. I haven't flown my Chief in less than 20 F as it's just too cold in the cabin!

    I usually preheat with a 100 W light bulb.

    The taxi from my hangar to the runway takes me at least 5 minutes, so I'm usually ready for a run up. After that I'm in the green and the engine doesn't stumble when throttle is applied.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Dan McCormack
    Smoketown, PA (S37)
    N24286, 1940 Aeronca Chief 65-LA (Lycoming O-145-B2)
    CFI
    http://flightmusings.blogspot.com/

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