Cold wx starting quirks

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.

Tony

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article .com,
"Jim Rosinski" wrote:

Usually the carbureted Lycoming O-320 in my Skyhawk is easy to start.
But when it gets cold (below freezing), often the first crank yields
nothing. Not even a hint of a kick regardless of how long the starter
is engaged. Doesn't matter how many shots of prime are in there either
(in cold weather I normally use 3 or 4). The "trick" I've found that
works is to wait 5-10 seconds after disengaging the starter, NO
additional priming, then engage the starter. Usually starts in two or
three blades. In the rare instances that the engine still isn't
started at this point, I'll add a couple more shots of prime and try
the same sequence again.

Be darned if I know why this (waiting between cranks) works, but it
does. If anyone knows why or even has a theory, I'd love to hear it.
Jim Rosinski

I use 32 degrees F as a preheat-needed criteria on my 172M. Higher if
it has been sitting for several or more days. It might be conservative
but the engine service since new has been outstanding.

"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.

C Kingsbury wrote:

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.

Yes, for the purposes of this discussion I assumed preheat is implicit
below about 0 or -5 deg C. Though I don't always have the patience for
an hour or more of preheat time. Thanks to all who posted--I've
learned lots in this cold-starting 101 lesson.

BTW, I've got a great device for preheating. A $20 electric heater
with fan I bought at Kmart that fits beautifully beteween the nose
strut and bottom cowling of my Skyhawk. Nice to find some things in
aviation that can be done cheaply.

Jim Rosinski

Jim Rosinski wrote:

BTW, I've got a great device for preheating. A $20 electric heater
with fan I bought at Kmart that fits beautifully beteween the nose
strut and bottom cowling of my Skyhawk. Nice to find some things in
aviation that can be done cheaply.

Could you be more specific about where you place this during use?

Thanks...
- Andrew

Andrew Gideon wrote:

BTW, I've got a great device for preheating. A $20 electric heater
with fan I bought at Kmart that fits beautifully beteween the nose
strut and bottom cowling of my Skyhawk. Nice to find some things
in aviation that can be done cheaply.

Could you be more specific about where you place this during use?

Sure, here are a couple of photos of it:
http://www.burningserver.net/rosinsk...ex.html#HEATER

You can click on each picture to expand it.

Turned out to be just blind luck that it fit beneath the cowling so
well. I actually owned the heater before I bought the airplane.
Jim Rosinski

On 28 Dec 2004 11:18:30 -0800, "Jim Rosinski"
wrote:

Andrew Gideon wrote:

BTW, I've got a great device for preheating. A $20 electric heater
with fan I bought at Kmart that fits beautifully beteween the nose
strut and bottom cowling of my Skyhawk. Nice to find some things
in aviation that can be done cheaply.

Could you be more specific about where you place this during use?

Sure, here are a couple of photos of it:
http://www.burningserver.net/rosinsk...ex.html#HEATER

You can click on each picture to expand it.

Turned out to be just blind luck that it fit beneath the cowling so
well. I actually owned the heater before I bought the airplane.
Jim Rosinski


Thanks for the pics. It's been a long time since I've seen Longmont.

Question: What's with the extra long exhaust pipe on your bird?

z

zatatime wrote:


Question: What's with the extra long exhaust pipe on your bird?


It looks like a PowerFlow tuned exhaust. See :
http://www.powerflowsystems.com/

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

zatatime wrote:

Sure, here are a couple of photos of it:
http://www.burningserver.net/rosinsk...ex.html#HEATER

Question: What's with the extra long exhaust pipe on your bird?

It's a "Powerflow exhaust" (tuned exhaust) I had put in about 4 years
ago. The big part of the extended tube shown in the picture is actually
the muffler.

I forget the company's name, but I think they're out of Florida. They
advertise up to 23 extra horsepower. I'd say I'm getting at least 10 on
top of the 160 sea level horses the engine's rated at. Very noticeable,
and welcome when flying in the local mountains, some of which exceed
14,000 feet.

Not a cheap add-on at almost $3K, but worth it IMHO. It's a real PIA to
take apart at annual time though.

Jim Rosinski