Two Mounth Idle Engine

With all this talk in another post about the engine making metal and
being idle for a couple of months makes me wonder.
I'm planning to be in AZ for a couple of months ( to escape the OH
winter) and the Archer is staying home this trip. So, what is the
recomendation for the engine. PIckle it? Have someone run it a couple
of times? Do nothing? What's the wisdom of the group?

Chuck

Ideally, have someone fly it but make sure they are qualified under
your insurance policy.

Next best is to pickle.

Next worst is to let it sit.

Worst of all is to have someone just start it and ground run.

Paul kgyy wrote:

Worst of all is to have someone just start it and ground run.

Apparently to just turn the prop over a few times is worse yet...

Darrel Toepfer wrote:

Paul kgyy wrote:

Worst of all is to have someone just start it and ground run.


Apparently to just turn the prop over a few times is worse yet...

Why?


Matt

Gee guys... Go to the lycoming web site and they have mucho information
on proper storage of engines..

denny

Matt Whiting wrote:
Darrel Toepfer wrote:

Paul kgyy wrote:

Worst of all is to have someone just start it and ground run.


Apparently to just turn the prop over a few times is worse yet...

Why?


Matt

Mike Busch talked about this in a seminar at OSH two summers ago. The
piston rings scrape the thin layer of oil on cylinder walls downward,
but because the oil pump isn't pumping nothing is moving oil upwards.
The net result is the inner walls of the pistons have less protective
oil layer than they had to begin with.

-R

My thoughts:

Arrange to get the battery maintained. Store it cold. Do not ground
run under any circumstances. But when you get back, preheat the hell
out of it before starting. It is the only thing that can help the cam
system assuming you have no prelube system.

I've let my 172M sit hangared cold (MN cold that is) for 3+ months a
couple of times with minimal preprep more than some years ago, and have
seen no subsequent ill effects. But I always make sure the oil etc is
warm before starting.

What's needed is a compressed air powered gadget that can be slipped in
the oil fill tube which will aspirate & spray oil into the upper
crankcase before starting. Anyone have any further ideas?

On 20 Dec 2005 10:48:03 -0800, "Chuck" wrote:

With all this talk in another post about the engine making metal and
being idle for a couple of months makes me wonder.
I'm planning to be in AZ for a couple of months ( to escape the OH
winter) and the Archer is staying home this trip. So, what is the
recomendation for the engine. PIckle it? Have someone run it a couple
of times? Do nothing? What's the wisdom of the group?

Personally, I would not let it sit idle for 2 months. You will get
varying opinions from the newsgroup, other pilots, and Lycoming.
Bottom line if you end up needing a top or major before TBO, you will
always wonder if those 2 months were the cause. Find a friend to fly
it, or get a CFI to fly it. It is cheap insurance.

I have owned a PA28-140 for over twenty years. On numerous occasions
the engine has not been started for six months. Today with seven
hundred some hours on the Lycoming 0-320 it runs perfectly and burns
less than a quart of oil in twenty five hours.