winter kit

[silkyd]

who sells the winter kit for a 52 170b....i have seen the old threads on installing them ...but who sells them?...hey kyle..the felt worked great on the air vents.....thanks!

[Kyle Wolfe]

Glad the felt worked on the vents!

Do a search on "Cabin heat with winterization" for some very good pictures of winterization kits.

Also Craig H's thread about "Winterization plates for late model 170B" has some good ideas regarding making a set.

I wanted to get a set made but haven't done it yet. Maybe now's the time!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I have a 52 and would like to see a pattern for the winter kit...or find a place to buy it...including the oil cooler cover.
jeff

Jeff by oil cooler cover do you mean the square hole in the front of the cowl? If so I use a regular round inspection cover used for fabric cover inspection holes. I put a layer of duct tape on the back to protect the paint and put it on. Been using it for more than 5 years and it's never moved. They can be had new for less than $10 new or ask around the airport to find a used one for less.

I've made my own plates for the cowl openings based on pictures on the old thread Kyle referenced above. I'll try to make it a point to take pictures and perhaps a pattern and post it.

[blueldr]

The most simple winterization kit comes as a silver roll of duct tape. No STC, no PMA!!! Easy to make a new one any time.

[mit]

The most simple winterization kit comes as a silver roll of duct tape. No STC, no PMA!!! Easy to make a new one any time.

I will 2nd that

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The most simple winterization kit comes as a silver roll of duct tape. No STC, no PMA!!! Easy to make a new one any time.

I will 2nd that

I'll third that and that is exactly what I've been using for the last 7 years.

Your talking to a guy who NEVER washes his plane, RARELY even cleans the windshield. Removed the headliner 5 years ago and has no plans to reinstall it. Wouldn't care if all the paint peeled off the plane.

But after a season of duct tape over the cowl openings the tape will not come off. Then when you do take it off the glue sticks and is nearly permanent. You guys that care about your paint won't like trying to remove the glue and not your paint.

Well about June the glue finally bugs me enough and I usually have a rag with solvent of some kind in my hand during the annual and I clean off the glue.

In my case you can't tell the silver duct tape from my silver plane, it just works very well for me.

But one thing duct tape doesn't do is anything to improve the heater output. So inspired by pictures here which has been reported to improve the heater output, I made my own version.

Can't wait to try them although I really hope it never gets cold enough.

[4stripes]

Just installed my full winterization kit on my 52 170. The mod to get better airflow through the heating system is a must.
On the same topic I noticed on my last flight that the heat improves dramatically as the engine is leaned in cruise.
Cheers Eric

[thammer]

I've found that the blue painters masking tape works pretty good on my 140 and it's less likely to stick too tight. Haven't had any problems with it coming off early either.

p.s. it helps that my airplane is blue in the front.

[Robert Eilers]

The temps here in Northern Calif. have been very cold lately - breaking some records. Tempts get down into the teens F at night and stay cold until afternoon. I tried covering the air intake for the oil pan today. The temps were around 27 at takeoff and colder at altitude. I saw no appreciable rise in the oil temps - still stopped around 160. I was expecting to see a better oil temp rise than 160. I guess the other winter modifications have a greater influence on oil temps than simply covering the air intake in the cowl.