Cold starts is WI

[Bob Wood]

Just starting to fly here in WI. ran up last night at 55 degrees and noticed it took about 15-20 min for the oil pressure gauge to start bouncing around, from 20 -60.  when it is cold it will not drop to 20, that how I know it is warm enough to fly. I took off my oil temp gauge because it was always pegged below 100. My first run up for the year was at 45 degrees and it was running really choppy. These engines really need to be warm to atomize fuel.

I was going to build an aluminum pan to sit around the bottom of the engine to limit air flow about 2" up from bottom.  My thought was to bring oil temps up a little.

I am running a 37 hp mosler 8:1 compression on my XL.  It runs cool, even at 90 outside temp i hardly saw 100 oil temp. 

Anybody ever try this to get temps up?

Bob

[flyover1974]

Hi Bob,
Snd how is your temperature now with that mod?
It rise up over 100?
I have the same problem on my engine...
Hermann

[Bob Wood]

I have the Pan all made but not installed yet. I have been fighting other issues, which I think are solved so I will get back to it.  I will post results next summer when I fly with it. The other thing I was considering is to replace the aluminum hose where my oil filter is supposed to go with a housing of some sort to reduce cooling. My hose is like a 6" aluminum loop sitting up in the wind cooling the oil.  Hot sure how much but the way aluminum heats up I have to think it is cooling the oil a good bit......

Will be back to you on this.
Bob

[stevejahr]

...My first run up for the year was at 45 degrees and it was running really choppy. These engines really need to be warm to atomize fuel.

Bob,

Note that this needing to be warm to run smoothly/right is going to be affected by your carb swap. I would bet that with the smaller carbs you have gone to you will find a lot less stumbling at colder temperatures since you have better vacuum (ie: pressure changes) working for you with the new carbs.

You may still want to raise your oil temperature... but it will be for different reasons than the stumbling. Such as getting the temp up enough to "boil" off any accumulated water vapors in the crankcase.