"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-31132B.20394023122004@shawnews...
Hi Jim

There is one thing about this thread that puzzles me.
you are getting lots of advice on how to start an engine in below zero
temperatures. But nobody has suggested that you preheat the engine.
I would never attempt to start my 0300D engine, below zero, if it wasn't
preheated first. Look up cold starts and engine wear on google for more.


I think the pre-heat is kind of implicit below zero. Still, unless you
really warm the engine up (hard to do in less than an hour) most planes I've
flown are still kinda cranky to start. My 172N has always been pretty good
though- four shots of prime and hit the switch and it will almost always
start after a few blades, pre-heated or not, and it has almost 1900 on the
tach.