As we all know, the most engine wear occurs at startup before oil is circulating.

Sometimes I see pilots start up their airplanes running the engine up to what sounds like 1500 rpm plus. I usually start mine just above idle (1/2 inch of throttle as recommended in the C180 POH) and get the oil circulating at 1000 rpm for a minute or two. It does run for about three to five seconds before the oil pressure needle rises.

It occurred to me when waiting for the needle to indicate oil pressure that perhaps the pressure might come up quicker with higher power on startup. Then I thought that maybe this is the reason that some folks do it this way. Is there any detriment to startup with power that anyone is aware of?

I am curious to learn what everyone's thoughts on this matter are?

Some engines depend on "splash lubrication" and I've heard that not much of that is produced at idle.I run m Lyc 320 at a high-ish idle (800 rpm or so) after startup. Before the first flight of the day, I also warm it up for a few minutes at about 1200 rpm or so after doing my mag check etc,

Get a CGR-30P! That delay in the oil pressure reading goes away completely!

Short of that, you can try purging the line to the steam gauge and filling it with kerosene or 5606 for a faster response, especially in the cold, plus running a Little Buddy heater in the cabin.

On my old Continental O-300A, it would take FOREVER for oil pressure to show in winter, even using the above measures. I idled it at 800 RPM and tried to develop an ear for whether it sounded like it was running right or not.

On my new Lycoming, I was advised to idle it at 1000, because Lycoming lubrication relies more on splash, and anything less doesn't really cut it.

-DP

can't remember where i saw it, but one of Lycoming's documents recommended 1000rpm so I try to stick to that as well.

I would stick with the POH on this one. It could vary with the exact engine and airframe combination.

1000 rpm after start is what's recommended for most engines. The folks you hear running cruise power right after start have their heads up their butts, as opposed to in the POH.

MTV

Little enough that the airplane doesn't try to run off before I get in. Just kidding. MTV knows this stuff. I always went by what the mechanic said. I think he are one.

1000 rpm, at least on airplanes with the 320/360 I'm flying. Helicopters are different: Lycoming in the Bell 47G2 I flew we'd go to 1700 on start until the rotor system caught up, then 2200-2300 until the oil got warm.

I'm an IT guy so I'm pretty systematic about many aspects of flying. Startup is one of them. So I like my vernier knobs in terms of reproducible results. Like others, my POH recommends 1000. I also have a constant speed prop that can be set to run faster than redline. So my startup checklist is:

1) prime (hot or cold on mine)
2) full mix (below 5,000 anyway)
3) full prop, then back off 1.5 turns
4) idle throttle, then add .75 turns

This gives me a thousand RPMs and is the first of three checks on the prop.

If it's cold, then once I've confirmed that oil pressure is up (multiweight, thank you) I'll go to 1,500 RPMs to warm things properly before applying takeoff power.

The mixture control on little Continentals, 65,75,85, and 90 hp, was the throttle. Mixture control was not efficient. Unless the engine was hot, the throttle setting was full closed or near full closed to get the proper fuel air mixture to get a start. That is why they were easier to start by propping, so you could see fuel drip from the carb and hear the proper slurpyness for a cold start. Once started, you could climb in and increase the rpm.

Hot starts were with considerably more throttle butterfly open to allow air into the carb. Those were not so much fun, when propping. You had to get the slurp, but reset the throttle as soon as you got it. You had to be tied down or it would go away with 1500 or higher rpm.

I've always started and "idled" every engine, Lycoming and Continental, at 1000 rpm, although I always check the actual idle as part of the run-up, to make sure that it still runs at a fully retarded throttle. I don't usually exceed 1200 rpm, which is enough to taxi, until I'm doing the run-up, which I do at 1800 rpm on Lycomings and 1600 on Continentals (I think--it's been awhile since I flew a Continental), and I don't do that until the oil temp is starting to move. During that process, I pull the prop control to knock off a couple hundred rpm, and if it's sluggish at reducing rpm because the oil in the governor is cold, I'll do it a second time.

Cary