Oil temperature

[Jean]

It looks like it Charles. I found this reference on Google: Lycoming 53E22144 Thermostatic Oil Cooler Bypass, the same as the one shown on your post.
I didn't know there was a Thermostatic valve on the IO-360, I learned something here.
Speaking about oil temperature, ours is below 0°C since a few weeks ! I last flew the aircraft last november 22. Since then, it's been snowing in Belgium and our home base is closed. I hope it gets better soon.
We don't have preheating for our engine. Is it a bad idea to start the engine when it's very cold (-10°C today) ?

[Charles]

I asked my A&P whether starting the engine in cold weather without pre-heating could cause some damage. He said not to worry, that if I can start it at all then it's fine. It simply won't start if it's too cold and he hinted at -15C as being cold enough to ensure it won't start (I haven't tested that yet).

I just checked in the Lycoming operator's manual and there's no counter-indication for cold starts. They do say, however, that it might be necessary to pre-heat the engine if it won't start in cold weather. That's pretty consistent with what my mechanic says.

That being said, I do have the Tanis pre-heater installed and I try to leave it plugged in whenever the airplane is outside. If it's cold and the engine is not pre-heated, I will let it run at a 1200RPM with as lean a mixture as possible until the oil temperature gauge starts moving (that's 26F on the VM1000). By the time I get to the run up area, the oil temperature is around 80-100F.

I went flying with a few friends yesterday for the first time since the cabin winter kit was installed a couple of weeks ago. Before that, you could feel cold air coming out of the overhead lights and the console and the heater could barely keep the cabin above freezing. The kit, which consists of a simple baffle that blocks the air intake under the left wing makes a world of difference in cabin comfort. Despite an OAT of -12C, it was warm inside with the heater set in the middle and I could not feel any cold air coming into the cabin. And the oil temperature was at 170F, thanks to the cowling baffle and the new thermovalve. We had a very comfortable flight and we saw climb rates in the 1200-1400 fpm range at close to max GW. I just love winter flying!

Merry Christmas!

Charles

[Jean]

Thank you for this information Charles, and Merry Christmas !

[Tommy]

If you start your engine below -10C you will vaporize into oblivion.
It's not good for your airplane either.

[Charles]

Tommy, it would seem that you have a good point.

Upon further research, even though the Lycoming Operator Manual makes no mention of this, a service bulletin specifies that pre-heating is required if the engine has reached an internal temperature below -12C.

Link to the Service Instruction: http://www.lycoming.textron.com/support ... SI1505.pdf

Another good source of information about our engines can be found in this article: http://www.lycoming.textron.com/support ... ations.pdf

Cold weather operations are discussed extensively starting on page 48.

Charles

[Jean]

If you start your engine below -10C you will vaporize into oblivion.
It's not good for your airplane either.

Ouch, sounds scary But I'm not sure to understand what "vaporize in oblivion" means

[Tommy]

If you start your engine below -10C you will vaporize into oblivion.
It's not good for your airplane either.

Ouch, sounds scary But I'm not sure to understand what "vaporize in oblivion" means

You will go "poof."
You will cease to exist.
You will go where no man has gone before.
You will go "bye bye."

[Jean]

If you start your engine below -10C you will vaporize into oblivion.
It's not good for your airplane either.

Ouch, sounds scary But I'm not sure to understand what "vaporize in oblivion" means

You will go "poof."
You will cease to exist.
You will go where no man has gone before.
You will go "bye bye."

So I had well understood,
Tommy,
Unless you are Picasso, Ghandi, Kennedy, Hitler, Lady Gaga, or Tommy (choose whatever), we will all "vaporize into oblivion". It generally happens when you least expect it (like when starting a cold engine).
I learned from this thead that there is a Thermo Valve on my engine, that I can try to start my engine above -10°C, and a new english idiom
I leave this slpippery thread (logical for an oil thread)

[Tommy]

Tommy,
...It generally happens when you least expect it...[/quote]

Yes.
Time for reflection.
It happens more and more as time passes by.

[Tim H]

Where is the oil temperature probe located?

I ask because I have been noting the CHT and oil temps prior to start with my Tanis heater. At 32 deg F, the CHT is 95 deg F and the oil temp is 65 deg F. Tanis says to expect a 60 deg F temp rise over ambient. So, I'm wondering if the oil sump heater is bad or if the oil temp probe is located somewhere upstream / downstream of the sump so it's not reading oil sump temperature.