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Engine Block heater

moetzmoet

I'm New Here
Hello, looking for suggestions for an engine block heater. (O-320). I will be operating my airplane out a cold weather place.
I see that amazon has a lot of the heating stick on pads! Is that appropriate ? Just need to find the right size and placement?
Thanks for any advice
 
I use a Reiff preheater with good results. It gets glued to the bottom of the sump. Aircraft Spruce and I think Wag Aero sell them.
 
Absolutely, Reiff pre-heater. I don’t have internet at my hangar so the pre-heater is on a Switcheon cell phone switch.
 
I have simple stick on sump heaters on both planes (2 on the 540) and they work very well if you close up the cowl adn give them a couple hours to do their thing.

Larry
 
Engine Heater New From A.S.A.

----We have created a new product that we feel will satisfy this need in grand style.
We don't have them up on our website, but they are finished and waiting for the video
to be completed. If interested just send me an info. request, or give me a call.
Do yourself a favor and check it out. Thanks, Allan-:D-
 
I've been using a Zerostart 3400121 Silicone Pad Engine Oil Heater on my -4 for a couple of years. It fit well on the sump of my (A1A) IO-360. I bought mine at Amazon, though they don't seem to carry them currently. I turn it on the night before a planned flight. Very light, cheap, and convenient.
 
I have a sump pad heater on my certified plane, and since my hangar is usually warm enough not to need it to fly, I've found it handy to use to heat up the oil for an oil change. Drains much better, and don't need to fly just to warm up the oil. I generally let it heat for about 15 minutes.

Dave
 
“The No Hassle Engine Heater”

“The No Hassle Engine Heater” is our newest specialty accessory, we developed specifically for use in most Lycoming equipped aircraft. After experiencing firsthand the difficulties and frustrations involved when trying to address cold start, and engine warm-up issues. Numerous conversations with fellow RV owners expressing their interest and experiences, we took on trying to make a better mouse trap. First, we looked what others were trying to do, with varying degrees of success, using space heaters, hair dryers, electric blankets, sun lights, heating pads, timers and internet apps. to control the whole mess. We also purchased, and tested most other products marketed for this task, I can say we had universal disappointment across the board! Needless to say, we weren’t impressed. We decided to just start from scratch to solve the problem. This new unit pretty much does it all! We created several different prototypes, tested them for ease of installation, effectiveness, cost of use, durability Etc. We sent out many units to aircraft owners in the very harshest of environments for long term testing and evaluations. This current design, being the all-around top performer, we are ready to offer them to our fellow pilots. The product is constructed of 6061-T-6 aluminum, machined and assembled to give years of trouble-free service. Some advantages of this product: Warms internal engine components for quick starts in cold weather and reduces engine wear by improving the oil flow. No glue, stickers or Band-Aids to install, as it threads directly into the oil sump, heating the oil, and the oil intern heats the engine. Only2.75”X .875” & only 3.5 oz. with a 24” cord. Volts: 120, Watts: 250, Amps: 2.1 Plug Type: 120 Volt, 15 Amp Two wire. Capable of oil sump capacity of 5 to 13 qt. Should you have questions or concerns, please contact us so we can address them. Give this new “No Hassle Engine Heater” a try, we are certain you will love it as we do! If you don’t agree, (as with any of our tools or products) we will take them back no questions asked. Thank, Allan-
 
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I want to see antisplat block heater.
I do use one of the $30 amazon one and It works great. Gets my oil up in temp in 2-3hrs.
 
Allan, How long does it take to cool down to safely remove it from the plastic oil filler neck?
 
I want to see antisplat block heater.
I do use one of the $30 amazon one and It works great. Gets my oil up in temp in 2-3hrs.

Here in Minnesota, the need to pre-heat an airplane engine is common about 6 or 7 months of the year, and for about 2 or 3 months of the year the ambient temps are commonly below zero. In that relatively extreme climate, I’d be reluctant to rely on sump heaters and am glad to have the cylinder band heaters that are part of the Rieff system. I note that they now also have a heater that can be retroactively applied to the oil cooler, attaching to the existing wiring harness to speed up the pre-heating process. That’s a nice idea for those of us that occasionally forget to start the pre-heater early enough in the pre-flight time frame.
 
Here in Minnesota, the need to pre-heat an airplane engine is common about 6 or 7 months of the year, and for about 2 or 3 months of the year the ambient temps are commonly below zero. In that relatively extreme climate, I’d be reluctant to rely on sump heaters and am glad to have the cylinder band heaters that are part of the Rieff system. I note that they now also have a heater that can be retroactively applied to the oil cooler, attaching to the existing wiring harness to speed up the pre-heating process. That’s a nice idea for those of us that occasionally forget to start the pre-heater early enough in the pre-flight time frame.

The oil cooler heater is awesome. Looks just like the sump heater plates but with less power. Works great. I haven't used the bands yet but I am thinking about adding them.
 
The oil cooler heater is awesome. Looks just like the sump heater plates but with less power. Works great. I haven't used the bands yet but I am thinking about adding them.

For me, it’s about how long it takes to get the whole block up to a safe temp. If I could rely on myself to always remember to pre-heat starting 12-14 hours before the flight, it might be less important and a stick on sump heater might be satisfactory since, eventually, warm oil will warm the block. Around here, the more kilowatt hours of heating applied to the block the better. The Rieff oil-cooler heater as an adjunct to pre-heating is only $130 and appears to be easy to install. Looks like a no-brainer for cold-weather pilots.
 
For me, it’s about how long it takes to get the whole block up to a safe temp. If I could rely on myself to always remember to pre-heat starting 12-14 hours before the flight, it might be less important and a stick on sump heater might be satisfactory since, eventually, warm oil will warm the block. Around here, the more kilowatt hours of heating applied to the block the better. The Rieff oil-cooler heater as an adjunct to pre-heating is only $130 and appears to be easy to install. Looks like a no-brainer for cold-weather pilots.

Ya I hear ya. I'm always in a heated hangar so I don't have to heat too much. I haven't had to leave my bird out in the cold yet overnight which is why I haven't needed bands. Would be nice to have that quicker heat option though.
 
“The No Hassle Engine Heater” From A.S.A.

----Check It Out! --- Best on the Market


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screenshot windows 7
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Most Lycoming oil sumps have two or more 1/2"NPT oil drain holes to facilitate mounting heater.

 
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Early Test of Heater

I was one of the lucky guys that got to test the engine heater Allan was developing. In Michigan, it gets cold. Really cold. When Allan asked if I was willing to test his heater, I jumped at it. I have several of the Antisplat products but was not compensated in any way by them other than the use of the heater for the winter.

Allan sent a prototype that screwed into the oil drain plug. It worked ok but was too hot to leave on all the time in my opinion. It was very effective and could bring my engine from an outside temp of 10 degreed f up to 90 degrees in about 2 hours. The carb temp was about the same, maybe a bit higher. This is with a reflective blanket and sleeping bag over the cowl.

The second version had a longer cord making it much easier to plug in and screwed entirely into the drain plug. It was a lower wattage and did not get as hot but was as effective heating the engine about the same, the carb was about 5 degrees cooler that the prototype. I was able to leave it on overnight and come into the hangar with the outside temp and my unheated hangar at 10-15 degrees F and the engine about 95 degrees. Even the battery was warm - about 65 degrees. If I had access to a remote switch, I would have it come on a couple hours before I was going to fly and save a few bucks a year on elect.

I have some photos I will find and post but it is the same one Allan showed in his post. I was happy with how easy it was to install and use and how well it heated the engine. I tried it with out the blanket and sleeping bag over the cowl and it worked fine for the engine but not as good for the battery and rest of the engine compartment.

Bottom line - it worked well for me. It made it possible to fly many days I wound not have been able to because the engine would not warm up with my blower heater. I have never tried the glue on heater or the band heater so I cant compare but this one worked for me.
 
Nice one Allen, if that proves reliable that could be a game changer in oil heaters.
 
Nice one Allen, if that proves reliable that could be a game changer in oil heaters.
.
..... We have some of the heating elements plugged in and operating as a test.
Several are operational 24/7 and another bank is cycling on and off six times
daily for about seven months. So far so good! The other brands we tested didn't
last very long working at that level of use. Thanks, Allan-:D-
 
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Pics of my install

Here are a few pics of the install. I am able to plug in the heater through my oil filler door. In semi cold climates the sleeping bag may not be needed but in Michigan it is. The upside down pic shows 23 degrees outside with oil and carb over 100 degrees after about 2.0 hours. If I remember correctly, it is about 250 watts. We have VERY limited power in the hangar where I am and I never once tripped the breaker.
 

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My 20-year-old Reiff sump heater is showing its age so I may be looking for a replacement at some point. I run the heater 24/7 for four months in an insulated hangar because the heater is thermostatically limited to 150F so there won't be any stress on the oil.

Is this new heater controlled or does it run full power all the time? What temp will the oil be in close proximity to the element?
 
Hi Alan,

Big fan of some of your great products! How many watts is your heater? If you want it tested at -40*, I can do that here in northern Alberta.

Thanks,

Phil
 
Hi Alan,

Big fan of some of your great products! How many watts is your heater? If you want it tested at -40*, I can do that here in northern Alberta.

Thanks,

Phil

-----The unit you see in the photos Etc. is 250 watts. Thanks, Allan
 
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