Preheating schemes?

"Michael Horowitz" wrote in message
...
I'd be interested in any schemes you may have developed for
pre-heating your engine.

One idea I heard was to use flex ducting to direct car exhaust into
the cowling; that does present CO concerns, but on could leave the a/c
doors open. - Mike

Try starting your car, and feeling the temp at the end of the exhaust pipe.
Not too warm. Add to that, the volume is very low, compared to commercial
rapid pre-heaters.

Good attempt, but try again, IMHO.
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
"Michael Horowitz" wrote in message
...

I'd be interested in any schemes you may have developed for
pre-heating your engine.

One idea I heard was to use flex ducting to direct car exhaust into
the cowling; that does present CO concerns, but on could leave the a/c
doors open. - Mike


Try starting your car, and feeling the temp at the end of the exhaust pipe.
Not too warm. Add to that, the volume is very low, compared to commercial
rapid pre-heaters.

Good attempt, but try again, IMHO.

I would say this is one area where water cooled engines have an
advantage. When I drove a truck, we would have a heater that stuck into
the radiator. Plug that sucker in and the big diesel would kick right
over in the morning. Forget to plug it in, and you could spend a good
45min heating the oil pan and head with a propane torch and then
shooting ether in the intake.

--
http://www.ernest.isa-geek.org/
"Ignorance is mankinds normal state,
alleviated by information and experience."
Veeduber

A long time back Alaska Flyer magazine had an article about
overnighting on frozen lakes. The authors used a old fashion plumbers
blow torch and a length of cheap stove pipe to duct the heat to the
engine cowling. The torch could be refueled from the wing tank drain
so no extra fuel needed to be carried.

Although I have one of those old timey torches I have never attempted
to fire it up. Too chicken I guess.

Errol Groff
EAA 60159



On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 04:44:14 -0500, Michael Horowitz
wrote:

I'd be interested in any schemes you may have developed for
pre-heating your engine.

One idea I heard was to use flex ducting to direct car exhaust into
the cowling; that does present CO concerns, but on could leave the a/c
doors open. - Mike

A long time back Alaska Flyer magazine had an article about
overnighting on frozen lakes. The authors used a old fashion plumbers
blow torch and a length of cheap stove pipe to duct the heat to the
engine cowling. The torch could be refueled from the wing tank drain
so no extra fuel needed to be carried.

Although I have one of those old timey torches I have never attempted
to fire it up. Too chicken I guess.

Errol Groff
EAA 60159
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Can I have it?

My Dad use to use one.
Of course, he's gone now.....


Barnyard BOb - accepting donations for S&H

"- Barnyard BOb -" wrote in message
...


to fire it up. Too chicken I guess.

Errol Groff
EAA 60159
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Can I have it?

My Dad use to use one.
Of course, he's gone now.....


I suppose he brought it with him.:-(
--
---
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe.
/
don't bother me with insignificiant nonsence such as spelling,
I don't care if it spelt properly
/
Sometimes I fly and sometimes I just dream about it.
:-)


Barnyard BOb - accepting donations for S&H

Errol

Haven't fired mine up for years either.

Technique for those who haven't ever seen and/or used.:

Fill with gas.
Pump pressure up..
Put hand over end of nozzle and crack valve.
Raw gas will hit your hand and fall into the preheat trough.
Shut valve off, remove hand (G) and light gas in preheat trough.
When most of this gas has burned, crack valve not pointing nozzle at
anything.
If hot enough will get the characteristic 'roar' and thin blue flame
that can be used to heat any thing (mine was used to heat a big old
soldering iron that you could almost weld with and to unfreeze frozen
water pipes up in Iowa.
If not preheated enough, will send a thin stream of fire (like a flame
thrower) out for three to ten feet depending on how much you open the
valve. Experience taught you how much you needed to pre heat to get
the gas to vaporize and burn properly.

When full of gas not a lot of room for the air pressure you pumped in
starting. After a little while of running that pressure would start
down. You just set on ground and pumped pressure back up while
running. You can't over pressurize and rupture tank as body made out
of heavy sheet metal and only has a little hand pump.

I need to get mine out of the corner pile of 'stuff' and rehab. You
never know when you might need something like that G

May get the buggy whip out at the same time.

Oh, those good ole days G


Big John


On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 22:13:22 GMT, Errol Groff
wrote:


A long time back Alaska Flyer magazine had an article about
overnighting on frozen lakes. The authors used a old fashion plumbers
blow torch and a length of cheap stove pipe to duct the heat to the
engine cowling. The torch could be refueled from the wing tank drain
so no extra fuel needed to be carried.

Although I have one of those old timey torches I have never attempted
to fire it up. Too chicken I guess.

Errol Groff
EAA 60159



On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 04:44:14 -0500, Michael Horowitz
wrote:

I'd be interested in any schemes you may have developed for
pre-heating your engine.

One idea I heard was to use flex ducting to direct car exhaust into
the cowling; that does present CO concerns, but on could leave the a/c
doors open. - Mike

Big John wrote:
: If not preheated enough, will send a thin stream of fire (like a flame
: thrower) out for three to ten feet depending on how much you open the
: valve. Experience taught you how much you needed to pre heat to get
: the gas to vaporize and burn properly.

Sounds like this small camp-stove I've got. It was a garage-sale
special, but I love it. Runs on regular gasoline (Fill 'er up for $0.75
and go camping for two days). It isn't that big though, so it took a
helluva long time to boil water while winter camping in Fairbanks, AK in
-10 F... Ah... good times..

-Cory

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

I've been following this thread for a while and I'm surprised that
nobody mentioned an other type of oil heater. I had installed it in my
Grumann Tiger. It' been ten years since I've bought this heater so
perhaps it's not in the market any more.

The heater looks like an electronic circuit board. I think it was
rated at 200W, but don't nail me on that. You had to clean the bottom
of the oil pan and then the heater was glued to it. You secure the
110V plug so that it can't rip out the heater when pulled. You plug it
in and leave it connected all the time. The heat from the oil pan
travels up and keeps the engine warm enough not to have to be worried
about cold start. I guess if you live in Alaska you may want to wrap
your engine cowl with a blanket. In 1992 I paid about US$130 for it.
It was all over Trade a Plane. Never had a problem with it up here in
Toronto.

Yoram Leshinski

If electricity comes from electrons...
does that mean that morality comes from morons?





On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 04:44:14 -0500, Michael Horowitz
wrote:

I'd be interested in any schemes you may have developed for
pre-heating your engine.

One idea I heard was to use flex ducting to direct car exhaust into
the cowling; that does present CO concerns, but on could leave the a/c
doors open. - Mike