Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2013 13:58:11 -0600
Reply-To: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Do waterboxers have core plugs (freeze plugs)?
In-Reply-To: <449D15D9-3B33-49AA-8D20-52251016CC0C@bmts.com>
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Preheating both oil and engine is a big issue in really cold climes.
When I lived in Fairbanks, I installed a block heater that screwed right
into a freeze-plug location. Other folks used a tank heater - and add-on
that when operating did so on the thermo-siphoning principle,
circulating hot coolant through the engine block and back to the tank to
be re-heated. In both cases there was enough heat transfer to keep the
oil in the oil pan warm - at least warm enough - for easy starts in the
cold - at times 50F below Zero.
On my '68 Loaf I installed a pan heater that bolted right to the engine
block where the oil screen/drain plug was located. It worked most days -
but was not very efficient. Still had to go through a considerable warm
up, but it did start easier.
When I bought my first Vanagon - and '85 GL - down on the Kenai
Peninsula - I put one of the pan heaters, just because I happened to
have a spare for the '68 Loaf. it worked, but not very well.
One big factor in the cold is keeping the battery warm. On ALL my
vehicles in Alaska - I installed battery hot-plates to keep the battery
warm. Made a huge difference.
I saw a couple of air-cooled folks put catalytic heaters UNDER the
engine and on the ground 'neath the car. I guess the rising heat
transferred sufficiently to keep the oil warm.
In my early days of flying up there - with radial engine airplanes -
which always had separate oil tanks - upon landing and while the engine
was still very warm - a tailored insulated engine cover would be wrapped
around the engine. That worked good enough for a few hours. But more
than that - or for over night - the oil was drained into a 5 gallon
bucket and taken in for the night and sat near the stove. The engine was
left wrapped up for the night, and a catalytic heater was lit off and
placed inside the engine cowling. Next morning the hot oil was poured
back into the engine, and shortly because everything was warm - start
up, warmup, and takeoff came quickly!
I have seen it so cold, and engine oil so stiff that I could do chin-ups
on propellers stored horizontally. We are talking 50 WT oil and -35F or
below.
I once watch a hot-shot-pilot-owner type pre-heat a dead colad engine
at -35 with a forced air heater. When warm enough to start - he did, let
it tun a few minutes, shut it off, wrapped a blanket around the cowling
- and waited 15 minute. Removed the blanket, started up, took off.
Engine seize at 300 ft altitude off the end of the runway. He tried to
tun back to the runway, but was so low and slow he couldn't complete the
turn. He stalled the airplane, and it crashed on the end of the runway,
the left wing, cockpit and cowling hitting about the same time, then
flipping over - effectively demolishing the airplane. He broke his nose
- and his wallet. Not enough insurance. FAA investigators concluded that
engine oil was not sufficiently fluid in the oil pan and a cold oil lump
still existed in the sump. Upon application of full take-off power - the
engine oil pump[ did it's best, and sucked up all liquid oil, leaving
the lump in the bottom which could not be used. Consequently the engine
effectively ran dry of oil and the engine seized.
I will say this - when temps reach -30 to -35 - most good operators that
I knew would halt flying the small aircraft. Colder than that was
risking both people and airplanes. The twin-engine operations with
bigger airplanes and engines and auxiliary gas heaters kept flying.
But - the point is - in really cold weather - keep those engines and oil
warm!
John
On 12/23/2013 12:16 PM, Ian Allan wrote:
> In Canada NAPA has an oil pan heater obviously made for the WBX as it bolts on perfectly to existing fastener locations. Manufactured by Pyroil NAPA part number 6051500. It is a 250 watt heater with a 36" cord. Uses two existing fasteners.
>
> http://partimages2.genpt.com/partimages/255470.jpg
>
> Works very well.
>
>
> Ian Allan
>
> 85 Westfalia/Bostig
> 84 Westfalia
> 02 Jetta 1.8t
>
> 2008 Sprinter
>
>
>
