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Old April 29th 06, 01:47 AM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
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Default Water in our oil, or just alot of hot air?

On 28 Apr 2006 07:52:31 -0700, wrote:

I should add that keeping the heater on all the time comes with some
caveats. One being the whole engine has to get hot and in most
climates where it's necessary to preheat the engine that means
thoroughly wrapping up the front of the airplane from the firewall
forward. The blankets I've cut go half way up the windshield and
behind the cowl flaps.


The problem with keeping an engine too warm all the time:


The Key here is the word "too". The Tanis heater doesn't keep the
engine too hot.

degraded rubber hoses, seals and gaskets. Rubber parts lose their
lighter elements faster when hot and get hard; they shrink, crack and
leak. They'll do it over time too, of course, but heat accelerates it.
The same thing applies to aircraft interiors and radios when subjected
to the heat of the sun.


The entire plane including the interior gets a lot hotter out in the
sun than the engine does from the heater.

Nothing lasts forever. We don't want to think about that
sometimes. Your airplane is aging whether it's flying or not, and you
can only slow it as much as practicable. I would be more inclined to
use dessicant plugs (with "Remove Before Flight" flags attached) on the
engine breather, exhaust and intake. Cheaper than heating and easier on
rubber.


On many you can not get to the intake to put in a desiccant plug in a
manner that would do any good. Just stuff a tennis ball in the
exhaust(S). If you forget them it's no problem as they will be gone
before the first cylinder fires. OTOH if they stick for some reason
they'll be gone right after the first cylinder fires, but they may be
more difficult to find.

The place where desiccant plugs do the best is when they are put in
place of spark plugs. OTOH they have to be replaced every two weeks
or so. If the engine is going to set that long, I'd think it'd be
better to make sure the oil is clean, pull the plugs and spray oil
into the cylinders and then insert the plugs or desiccant plugs.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com




Dan