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Old May 17th 04, 08:43 PM
Brendan Grace
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If you even remotely suspected fuel then hand propping seems to
be to be an invitation to the new name of Stumpy. Why take a
chance on a cylinder firing and removing an appendage??


"O. Sami Saydjari" wrote in message
...
In reading a booked called "Design for Safety", by David

Thurston, he
advises owners to "turn the propeller over by hand three or

four times
during preflight if the airplane has been standing for half a

day or
longer." [p169]

His rationale is as follows. "When an engine has been standing

for
awhile and has not been pulled through by hand prior to

starting, an
accident could result if fuel or oil has collected in the

cylinders.
When the engine fires, trapped fluids can cause bent piston

rods,
cracked cylinders, or a damaged crankshaft. Althouogh such

accidents
might not cause bodily injury, they surely can harm one's

budget and can
beavoided by proper preflight procedures. It is also possible

for
damage of this type to remain hidden until something fails in

flight"
[pp 147-148].

I am quite surprised that this is the first I have heard such

advice.

What do folks on this newsgroup think of that advice?

Does anyone out there do this routinely?

If so, what is the proper procedure? Do you just turn the prop

slowly
in the direction the prop normally turns?

Could fuel actually collect in the cylinders as suggested? Why

would
the fuel not just evaporate?

-Sami
M2057M, Piper Turbo Arrow III