Frosty morning engine warm ups

Robert Ryan

Robert Ryan

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Robert R
This is going to sound super cheap but what’s the fastest way to warmup a IO-360?

This morning I did the startup, taxi, run up and still needed 5 extra minutes of running to get the engine warm enough to take off. The requirement is the needle is in the green of the temp gauge before takeoff. Well that’s like $14 of rental time on the 172 and I’m not taking any shortcuts. It was about 34f at the time and had been in the 20’s earlier in the morning.

While waiting after run up I leaned the mixture about an inch and put the RPMs at about 1100 hoping this would give a faster warmup than just idle. That logic is more based on what I’ve seen in boats.
 
Not to be pedantic, but Lycoming's definition of an engine ready to be used for takeoff is not the one you proffer. Page 3-3 of the 360 series manual states it's a condition where where the engine it doesn't stumble as you move the throttle to the full open position.
upload_2019-11-29_23-14-43.png

It's not a Conti bruh. These things like to run tits out. You're welcome.

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:D
 
Isn't there a winter kit that is supposed to be installed to limit air through the oil cooler?
 
Robert Ryan said:
This is going to sound super cheap but what’s the fastest way to warmup a IO-360?

This morning I did the startup, taxi, run up and still needed 5 extra minutes of running to get the engine warm enough to take off. The requirement is the needle is in the green of the temp gauge before takeoff. Well that’s like $14 of rental time on the 172 and I’m not taking any shortcuts. It was about 34f at the time and had been in the 20’s earlier in the morning.

While waiting after run up I leaned the mixture about an inch and put the RPMs at about 1100 hoping this would give a faster warmup than just idle. That logic is more based on what I’ve seen in boats.
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In a 172R the normal (green range) for oil temperature is 100-245. That is a bunch of idling to get the oil to 100F and not needed.


The POH page 4-29 says,

“WARM UP
If the engine idles, with the throttle against the idle stop, (approximately 600 RPM) and accelerates smoothly, the engine is warm enough for takeoff. Since the engine is closely cowled for efficient in-flight engine cooling, the airplane should be pointed into the wind to avoid overheating during prolonged engine operation on the ground. Long periods of idling may cause fouled spark plugs.”

The engine should be warm before you do a run up.
 
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That’s helpful and interesting. I’m following the management’s directive that apparently came from the mechanic. It’s a relatively new engine and maybe those warm-up instructions were only for the break-in period. DA was -1700 this morning and it climbed like a champ and ran great.
 
If it's a rental have them put a preheater on it 30 min before you are to pick it up. The FBO I used in SD did it for me many times.
 
It was 28F this morning and I preheated for 2 hours before the flight. I use the EZ oil pan heater
 
Robert Ryan said:
That’s helpful and interesting. I’m following the management’s directive that apparently came from the mechanic. It’s a relatively new engine and maybe those warm-up instructions were only for the break-in period. DA was -1700 this morning and it climbed like a champ and ran great.
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Really there are two issues. If they don’t want the engine damaged they should be preheating the engine or keeping it in a heated hangar, if the engine is not fairly warm, the pilot shouldn’t be doing a run up.
 
Robert Ryan said:
This is going to sound super cheap but what’s the fastest way to warmup a IO-360?

This morning I did the startup, taxi, run up and still needed 5 extra minutes of running to get the engine warm enough to take off. The requirement is the needle is in the green of the temp gauge before takeoff. Well that’s like $14 of rental time on the 172 and I’m not taking any shortcuts. It was about 34f at the time and had been in the 20’s earlier in the morning.

While waiting after run up I leaned the mixture about an inch and put the RPMs at about 1100 hoping this would give a faster warmup than just idle. That logic is more based on what I’ve seen in boats.
Click to expand...
There’s a difference between the engine being warm and the oil being warm. What you did was get the oil warm enough to register on the indicator. But trust me, unless the airplane was in a hangar, the engine was cold soaked from being in 20 deg temps all night. A 270 pound block of metal does not warm up in 10 minutes.

There’s also a bigger difference between a renter and an owner. If I’m going flying in the morning (check what the temps have been in Denver this week) the engine heater goes on for at least 6 hours (oil pan heater, in an unheated hangar, with the cowl and prop covers). I’m not about to trash an engine that costs $20,000 to overhaul. Again.
 
Who warms at idle???

I wouldn’t bother to preheat at 34*. Start it, wait for throttle to be responsive, and giddy up.
 
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After all ....it's a rental, right?

If they want it warm....have the FBO preheat it. I wouldn't worry to much if they aren't going to preheat. Yeah it will make metal earlier than usual....but it will not affect your flight. ;)

Now....my engine gets the heater if temps fall below 40 degrees. :D
 
Clip4 said:
the engine is warm enough for takeoff. Since the engine is closely cowled for efficient in-flight engine cooling, the airplane should be pointed into the wind to avoid overheating during prolonged engine operation on the ground.
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Oh, look at that!

A POH that says to point the airplane into the wind to ovoid overheating.

And to think on another thread we have the POA experts insisting the wind has no effect......
 
Fearless Tower said:
Oh, look at that!

A POH that says to point the airplane into the wind to ovoid overheating.

And to think on another thread we have the POA experts insisting the wind has no effect......
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POH's also provide less than best performance for short field take off procedures. Follow blindly at your own risk.
 
Or you can be like the one CFI at our field that has the plane setting there until flaming pieces of the exhaust valves start setting fire to the ramp before he lets the student move the plane even one inch. Of course, those renters always get a plane to fly that has a relatively low time engine on it.

I have always followed the Lycoming Factory rule of - as soon as a Lyc will take full throttle without balking it is ready to fly. This has worked for me for the last 20 years with the Apache.
Before I could afford my first plane, this was also upon the strict orders from the AP-IA plane owner. His plane. His money. I did notice that his engines went past the magic TBO most of the time.
Now, high compression, turbo-charged, etc. I will (and do) follow the engine manual about oil temps, etc. And these high dollar machines almost always come out of a warm hangar which helps.
 
EdFred said:
POH's also provide less than best performance for short field take off procedures. Follow blindly at your own risk.
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Lawyers, buddy, lawyers... they’re the ones who provide “less than best performance” recommendations. ;)
 
hindsight2020 said:
Not to be pedantic, but Lycoming's definition of an engine ready to be used for takeoff is not the one you proffer. Page 3-3 of the 360 series manual states it's a condition where where the engine it doesn't stumble as you move the throttle to the full open position.
View attachment 80345

It's not a Conti bruh. These things like to run tits out. You're welcome.

giphy.gif


:D
Click to expand...


And pretty much what my old rusty crusty CFI taught me fairly early in my training. He said if the oil temp is below the green band, pull onto the runway and hold the brakes like a short field. Slowly advance the throttle to full power, wait a few seconds, and be sure the engine is running smoothly and making full power. If so, release brakes and commence to flyin’.
 
Back to the topic, at 34* prime and start the engine, assure oil pressure comes up normally, and advance throttle to 1200 working up to 1500 rpm as it warms. Oil temp will come up fine. My bigger concern is CHT, whether the book addresses it or not. I won’t lay the whip to my engines until the CHTs are near 300*. I won’t even advance power to taxi out of parking until CHTs are at 275*. Personal rule to keep me from getting impatient.
 
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