warming it up

[jim cooper]

So.... you've started it and your finally in the cockpit. The temp. is between 35-45 degrees. What amount of time do you allow for warm up? Do you let the temp get just off the peg, or do you warm it up for just a little bit and run the mags and carb heat then take off. I always let the needle come off the peg before I run the engine very hard. I've seen some take off very quickly. This seems like not a good idea with a new engine much less one 70 years old! Your thoughts? JC

[Guest]

Re: warming it up

I recall that the engine manual says the minimum oil temp. is 90 degrees before operation.

[Pearson]

Re: warming it up

When the OAT has a chance to get down to 35 degrees, I like to have 30 weight oil in the tank. At 35 degrees, I start at idle, after a minute or so increase to about 900 rpm for a couple of minutes, and then taxi out. By the time I taxi to the end of the runway and do a thorough run up I figure it isn't going to get much warmer unless I go fly. The only way my oil temp comes off the peg when it is 35 degrees is if I do a full power climb out at 60 indicated for about 15 or 20 minutes. I don't use the covers on the intakes. In the summer time, when it is 80 degrees, I can get the oil temp off the peg during taxi out.

[vetdrem]

Re: warming it up

I have a Reiff heater on the oil tank that I leave plugged in from November through March or even into April. It keeps the oil temp up around 60 or 70 degrees all the time. If it has been below freezing, I use a "milk house" heater blowing into the air intake, over the cylinders, and out the normal air flow path. I always keep a blanket over the cowl to help retain the heat. While waiting for the heater to do it job, I pre-flight the rest of the plane. I let the heater run for 20 or 30 minutes, until the engine case is warmed up. I remove the milk house heater, unplug the Reiff heater, pre-flight the engine area, and push it out of the hanger.

I usually starts on the first or second blade.

I let it warm up at the hanger for just a couple minutes while I am getting belted in and setting the radio, etc, then taxi out. I never get the oil temp off the lower peg til I've been flying for 10 or 15 minutes.

[Eric Tyson]

Re: warming it up

There are a few guys here in Alaska that use a 100watt light bulb with the cowl covered. Personally I usually wait until the snow melts. There are a lot of drafts in my cockpit, the little Contientals are cold blooded to boot. Even with the 150 exhaust there isn't a lot of heat.

[astjp2]

Re: warming it up

Eric, wait until its 40* outside and you go VFR on top between the Talkeetnas and the Alaska Range, at 14,800 its -8* and the 150 heaters are enough to keep your right foot big toe warm. Tim