O.K., I won't...103 days without rain and counting.

I have heard that you shouldn't pull the prop through like that, but don't know if its valid. Why don't you start it up, and let the oil temp get above 212°? That should boil out any moisture, lubricate the cam, and charge your battery?

DEGJR

I would think that pulling the prop thru and getting a fresh coating of oil on yer parts would outweigh any negative effects of "pulling in more moisure." Air is air, the water vapor is already in there, and if it has sat long enough to reach thermo equilibrium, it(and the fresh outside air) has done all the condensing it is going to do. It's not like a refigerator where it's colder on the inside of the engine.

I do agree that running the engine and getting it hot enough to vaporize any moisture in the case is a better remedy. Fast taxi practice!

My understanding is that pulling the prop through will not turn the engine fast enough to pump the oil up to the cam and other vulnerable components and it results in just wiping the oil film off of the cam lobes, as well as sucking moist air into the cylinders/case.

I personally have mixed feelings about the whole argument, but I would be concerned about buying a plane from the northwest that sat around a lot.

Jr
Put a 100 watt light bulb in the cowl and you won,t have any moistier.
john

Jr
Thats a bummer no power.Better think about moving south.I have flyable weather about 300 days a year.
John

Strata is right in his analysis...

Brad

I thought about this a lot and came up with this solution. Here is what I do: I change my own oil so I buy oil several cases at a time. When the engine has sat, or is going to sit more than a few weeks, I fill the entire crankcase up to the top of the filler and work the prop as I pour it in so it lubes the cylinders. But more importantly, it lubes the cam and lifters, esp important on a Lycoming. Then before starting the engine, drain the oil and refill as specified. If you have esp dirty oil and it's time to change it, drain it out first. The drained "new" oil is perfectly good to use, even with a little "old" oil mixed in. Remember even when you drain the oil, a quart or so is still left in the engine, so "changing oil" isn't exactly a total replacement. It takes about 5 gallons for a 360 and about 7 for a 470. This takes very little time and cost little, esp compared to the cost of an overhaul.

DON'T use the 100W light bulb trick.

The bulb will make the inside of your engine act as a solar stil. It will warm up enough to make the moisture in your oil condense at the top of your engine (cam) but doesn't get hot enough to evaporate it.

Best thing to do is pull the aircraft outside periodically, put the oil cooler cover on and run it in place until the temps come up.

It's also not a good idea to hand prop an aircraft with a dead battery and go fly with the idea of recharging your battery. Doing so will burn your alternator/generator out earlier than it should.

Cheaper to have a battery charger handy and trickle charge it if it's sitting for long.

9SD is in my hangar without power. I don't move the prop prior to engine start. I preheat with a 35,000 btu propane forced air heater if colder than 40df and run the pre-oiler to circulate warm oil thru the engine. After the oil temp gauge reads 50 and the pressure is up I start. A lead-acid battery in an airplane is a truly crummy idea. The Oddesey battery is on the firewall so the cable run is 2 feet instead of 12. The battery weighs 15 lbs. and is dry so it can't spew sulfuric acid all over aluminum. It doesn't care what the temperature is and cranks the 520 almost fast enough to taxi. At 89 bucks there is no downside.

Hi first time posting here, have been lurking a bit. I don't mean to be pompous or lecture but pulling a blade through has certain dangers, a broken p-lead and bad effects can take over.

I have thought about this a great deal as well, I have great friends that are firmly in both camps, makes it hard to tell.

With the oil as thick as it is when cold I agree that getting oil to the lifters and cam are slim.

I have a thermisticaly controlled pan heater that keeps the oil in the 180 degree range all the time when plugged in. I leave the plane plugged in all winter.

I have had many AI and other pros tell me the only true way to heat an engine up and rid all of the condensaion is to fly the plane for 0.5 to an hour. That is my story and I stick by it, as in hey honey, I have to do preventative maint on the Stinson, see you later. I don't think she suspects, lol.

Nice to meet you all.

Dane
48 Stinson 108-3
N4037C

Welcome Dane,
Nice to have another Stinson showing here.
What type of heater are you using?

I'll be interested to hear what Dane is using, but I have an E-Z Heat heater on the F-165 in my Stinson. I don't know that it does much to combat condensation accumulation, but if the temp is forecast to be below 40 or so I'll plug it in the night before - sure makes me feel better about firing it up the next morning. Even in my moderate climate it comes in handy but I imagine it would be really needed out west.

I have been considering the Reif (sp?) turbo heater. I am overhauling the engine this next month and it's time to figure out the upgrades/options. To my knowledge, it is constant heat and not thermostatically controlled. However, each cylinder has a 100w band and the sump has a 200w pad. Just the right size for a little 1000w Honda.

Hey guys.

The unit that I am using is a safe-heet silicone padheater. My hangar is not heated and it does get cold here, well sorta anyway.

On very cold nights I put a blanket on the engine and close the cowel.

This keep the engine toasty warm and the engine always starts with in a blade or three, with three pumps on the primer. Oil pressure is immediate. If the temp is below 0 F i use a forced air burner (propane). These are very easy to build and can be done for about 50 bucks, a lot cheaper than buying one. If you are interested I could send pictures and instructions on building one.

As for the pad heater, I have been very happy with it.

Dane

If you have pictures or instructions, don't hold back.
I think enough of us are in cold enough conditions to put it to good use. $50.00 bucks? The best word in the English language is free. The next is cheap.
Bring it on.

This is probably a little more extreme but might be useful.
I used to fly in Indonesia and during the unrest a few years ago we were evacuated, leaving the 185 sitting in the hanger with a hanger boy living on site for security. Before leaving I had preserved the engine as best I could with the time and materials at hand, including a disposable diaper stuffed up the exhaust to help keep moist air out.
After a couple months another guy traveling thru the area told the hanger boy he needed to turn the prop over every day. GRRRRRR! This effectively wiped the LPS3 and any residual oil off the valve stems. The new batch of humid salty air settled on this metal and started to corrode. Never fear though this corrossion was wiped off the stems and impacted in the guides. By the time I returned to renew my visa and check on the plane about 3 months later. I found about 6 stuck valves and two BENT push rods. When we were able to go back and resume flying it took me a month to pull all the cylinders and get things straightended out.
I like the idea of filling the crankcase with oil for extended storage if you check for hydro lock before trying to start it.. Wish I had thought of that, but in that case I might have wound up with bent rods as well. Brian

A lyc. 0-360 that has been pickled for 10 years, the engine has been stored in an insulated building in a dry climate, the temperature in the building has been kept between 55-80F year round. Fixin to press it into service. Just did the oil pump impeller AD, no visible signs of any oxidation. My question is what would be the proper start up procedure for the first light off? Prelube, then light it off, if prelube is an option. Or roll it over until oil pressure come up, then light.

Any input would be appreciated!

prelube is always an option. all it takes is one of those cheap plastic garden sprayers. Put a couple of quarts of oil into one and pump it up as high as it will go. disconnect your oil pressure gauge and put the oil in there. I would still motor it over with the bottom plugs removed until I got oil pressure though, easy to do and can't hurt.

How about this ? The engine is a lung. As it warms slowly during the day it is breathing out, then cooling in the evening it is breathing moist air in.
So tennis balls fitted over the tailpipes and a seal over the intake (with or without dessicant) will help stop moist air from entering through the two valves (ex or in) that are open at all times. A plug with flagging on it is needed to close the crankcase breather. An engine needs an hour of ops. at 185deg. to boil off the contaminents developed by one start, heatup, and cooldown. For the more temperate climes, the engine can be started, run one minute to get oil pumped around and shut down. For constant below freezing, then there won't be hardly any corrosion action.
My thoughts and mixed with those of Lyc.
Jeremy www.maules.com