winterizing tips

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lsu_wildcatter

Filing Flight Plan
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Oct 20, 2017
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lsu_wildcats
Just curious what you folks do for winterizing. I was planning to tape off the fresh air vents, and tape the oil cooler to bring up the oil temps. Right now I am seeing less then 140* if the gauge is to be believed.

I have the factory block off plates from cessna, but I have read it can cause uneven cooling, which is worse then leaving as is. I have a 6point egt gauge but haven't tried it yet.

Previous owner has an extension cord in the cockpit for a space heater to warm up the panel, as well as the usual reiff heater and engine warmers. I had my a&p switch all grease to low temp aeroshell, and switched to 20/50 from the summer straight oil.

Any options to get the battery warmed aside from taking it inside? I am nervous to use the preoiler when temps get colder, of running the battery down too much.
 
Where are you located? I have the reiff oil pan heater and turn it on only the night before I plan to fly. When I get to the hangar, I turn on the little ceramic heater in the cabin while I preflight. That 30 min or so is all the instruments need. Helps to have a cover over the cowl, such as a sleeping bag or one of those big moving blankets. I don't worry about the battery. If it's so cold that I need to worry about the battery, it's too cold for me!
 
All of our club aircraft have engine block heaters installed which get utilized when the temps go below 40deg F. We also throw blankets over the nose.
 
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I have a little heater that goes inside the nose cowling. I put on a pair of cowling plugs, and cover the nose with blankets. Engine stays 75 degrees all winter. I also plug into a battery tender. I haven't seen any other cold weather modifications to be made in my POH, so I don't do any.
 
The biggest problem ,seems in most cases, having a cover of some type,for the oil cooler,to keep the oil warm ,during flight. For preheat I use a Tanis heater,with an electric heater in the cockpit. And if the plane has been cold soaked for a long time ,I put a trickle charge on the battery.
 
I use duct tape to restrict my oil cooler. Aluminum tape leaves less residue, by the way. I use one strip all summer and add another for winter. I have a winter front kit but I've never seen CHTs low enough to warrant any restriction of cooling air. Make sure you have 100-150* of leaning authority. Cold air is more dense and will make your typical mixtures more lean. Lots of planes aren't set up to handle cold temps with adequate fuel flow. Get a new carbon monoxide detector. Tis the season. Run some isopropyl alcohol in your tanks occasionally. Water condenses when you push a warm airplane into the cold. A little isopropyl will keep your tanks water-free.

I park outdoors in Alaska and have never used an interior heater. My gyros are fine. All the talk about warming your instruments is urban legend. Preheat your engine adequately. If you still use a dinosaur flooded battery you can get a battery warmer. Better yet switch to an AGM and move the battery to the firewall for short cable runs and forget about it. I just started my 0-520 with my little Odyssey and no preheat at 24*. It started on the first blade.
 
I preheat at temps lower than 30F. I have an oil pan heater and use a small generator to power it. I have engine, cabin, wing and pito covers. Start my preheat 2 to 3 hours before a flight. Use Phillips 20-50W oil year round. My wife just bought me a 750 watt heater to put in the cabin so I'll try that this winter. I have a Concord battery that has worked well.
 
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Thanks. I am running xc20-50 with camguard year round. I replaced the Gil with an odyssey battery, I have been using the red heet.

I didn't read much online about the Cessna winter kit, and the poh is no help. I'll leave it off and monitor oil and cht temps after taping.

Is it worse for wear on the engine at negative DA's? With the 470 I usually reduce to 24" at 500' but is there such thing as too much power on takeoff on a NA? Fuel flow allowing of course.
 
Go with full throttle but you may want to roll the prop rpm back a little depending on temperature and prop length. Ponk has a good prop speed calculator on their website. You can find others on-line, too.
 
Wouldn't that push the MP higher? It's -4K ft right now and not unusual to see greater...or lesser? Then 7k.
 
Air density increases with lower temps and that necessitates more fuel. Full throttle provides your maximum fuel flow.
 
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