>How long is Aviation fuel good for? > >Also winter starting a Continental 65? Any advice? I'm thinking maybe make a >propane preheater turn it on and head to the Cafe for a coffee. Darren Pond +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
100 LL should not be a problem after setting only three months. Auto fuel on the other hand will tend to "scum" up the carb and other fuel line parts with extended inactivity. I have no advise on winter starting your C85 other than to preheat. I built a preheater for the Tripacer for less then $10 for materials and the price of a 1500 watt ceramic heater. It will warm the entire engine compartment from 30 degrees F to 80 degrees F in less than 1 hour setting in the hangar. It is very easy to use , just slide it under or away from the airplane, and it keeps the heat source safely away from the engine compartment. I used 1/2" or 5/8" (don't remember which) insulating foam board with foil coating on both sides and built a duct that matched the outside dimentions of the ceramic heater. The duct is L shaped with the horizontal run (on the floor) approx 30 inches long and the vertical extends upward to just touch the bottom side of the cowl at the cutout at the firewall. I built a double 45 angle instead of a 90 at the horz to vert for better airflow. Just place the heater INSIDE the duct on the floor, place the vertical under the cowl and plug it in. I use a blanket over the cowl and close off the air inlets behind the prop to contain the heat. I used "Duct" tape to tape the duct together but the foil duct tape would probably be a better choice. This setup keeps the heat source well clear of the engine and I lose very little heat through the duct. It always feels cold to the touch even after an hour or more of running. Suggestion - don't put the heater on a timer that will cycle from day to day as the constant heating and cooling will only cause problems. You could end up with considerable moisture inside the crankcase. If you don't want to wait for a preheat when you want to fly I'd suggest the following. For a few dollars you could buy a thermostat, the kind that is wall mounted and controls baseboard heaters (direct inline) and mount it in a plastic electrical box. Either hardwire or wire with electrical plugs to accomidate the heater. Place the thermostat inside the cowl, set the temp and let the heater cycle to keep the engine compartment at a constant temp. I have a thermostat that I plug my electric kerosene heater in to that would work but it cost about $40, if you can find one. The suggestion above is a lot less expensive and should work just fine. My house has electric baseboard heat with several 1500 watt units and the thermostats have seen 25 years of use and are still working fine. As always, your results may vary. Good luck........... Larry Flesner P.S. I tried to use the round flex duct so don't bother to try it. It just didn't work. The square duct stands on it own, has better heat loss control, and just works better all around. It should only take you about an hour to build it.
