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A few days ago I found out how effective my Bruce's insulated engine cover is. I flew into Marble to camp with Pat Fagan, Scott Williams and Kevin Deutcher who flew in from Arizona. I arrived 3pm and immediately installed the cover after shutting down. Weds Morning we woke up to 28 deg and a layer of frost on the planes. Just before starting up at 9am after the frost melted off, the cylinder heads were at 47 deg and the oil was 49 deg. I was very pleasantly surprised.
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Originally posted by jaredyates View PostI also switched to the anti-splat and it has been working well. I have not yet come up with an elegant way to manage the electrical plug. I'd love for it to be accessible from the lower cowl outlet but I need to keep it clear of the exhaust.
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It is the tidiest solution I've seen yet.
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Originally posted by jaredyates View PostI also switched to the anti-splat and it has been working well. I have not yet come up with an elegant way to manage the electrical plug. I'd love for it to be accessible from the lower cowl outlet but I need to keep it clear of the exhaust.
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I had the cowl off to do some "tweaks" to cooling and intake, and I added the oil plug heater as well, although a 400W unit instead of the one Anti-Splat sell. I didn't do it at first as I couldn't get the plug out of the bottom of the sump and was afraid of trying. Heat and "shock" did the trick and it came right out.
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I used it to heat the oil for my first oil change as it was too windy to warm the oil via a flight. Worked great and the oil sump was hot to the touch after being plugged in for 30 minutes
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I also switched to the anti-splat and it has been working well. I have not yet come up with an elegant way to manage the electrical plug. I'd love for it to be accessible from the lower cowl outlet but I need to keep it clear of the exhaust.
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Here's an update on the Antisplat oil sump heater that I installed (post above). It's run through a GSM activated plug (NZ$45 - AliExpress). So far I'm very pleased with the results. It's not winter here yet, so I'll report further once we get below freezing, but early indications are a 15-20 °c increase in oil temperature after 3-4 hours. I'm now using it routinely each time I go flying. It also appears to be transferring heat through the engine block and the cylinders are coming up to temp quicker. Installation was very simple and relatively quick.Last edited by Nev; 05-13-2025, 12:19 AM.
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I was still using 100W breakin oil, and needed to preheat as it was getting down to 30-40 degrees. I wanted to use one of the oil drain plugs but can't get the plug out (too scared to try). I just used cheap heater and 6" duct hose off amazon, hooked that up to a cheap timer switch Works pretty good. +50F over ambient within 90 minutes on the cylinders. I do have plugs for the cowl intakes, and put an old sleeping bag over the cowl for insulation.
No matter what I use for a heater, I do want to use a cellular switch. Haven't found one yet in the US that I like
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I've installed the Antisplat Oil Sump heater the last few days. It was very straight forward to install - around an hour total. I made a small aluminum bracket to attach the 3 pin plug to the engine mount, and the electric extension cord is attached through the lower air exit. It's remotely activated by mobile phone using a GSM plug attachment from Aliexpress (NZ$45).
Yesterday I tested the setup, although it's summertime here so the results are slightly academic. I activated the heater, drove to the hangar, and 2.5 hours after starting the heater I disconnected it and went flying. The oil temperature sensor is not located in the sump so it reads ambient until after engine start. Yesterday, ambient was about 20°c (68°f), and 2 minutes after start the oil temp was reading 33°c (91°f) once circulating. Very interested to see how it performs in the cold but first indications are that it should work well.
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I also used to use the lightbulb heater method, but got frustrated with the short life and fragility of the bulbs. Several times i arrived at the hangar to a cold airplane. i replaced the bulbs with these cheap stick on heaters. people use them for reptile cage warmers and such. i think i paid $25 for mine. below is an example. stick them on anything metal, like the inside of a drop light or a plate of steel, and hang them where you need them. they have never failed ( yet).
IMG_1115.pngAttached FilesLast edited by arborite; 01-22-2025, 11:19 AM.
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Just offering a data point. Currently using two 75W incandescent lightbulbs in the engine compartment and an insulated engine blanket. I leave the lights on 24/7.
Overnight temps got down to -3F. I use multi-viscosity oil and while I’d prefer warmer engine temperatures I’m comfortable starting my engine at 40F and higher.
IMG_6233.jpgLast edited by whee; 01-22-2025, 11:48 AM.
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