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N2635N. The Ice Maker!
Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:23 am
by 6930
I was reminded a couple of times recently on how good our Continentals are at making Ice. The last time was a few days ago. KDPA reporting 39 Deg F temperature with 87% RH. I was flying 8’s on pylons at slightly reduced power (2300 rpm) and sure enough my engine started getting chunky and knarley! Carb heat and power cleaned things up, but I could tell that the engine wasn’t it’s normal happy self even at cruise power.
After landing, I checked the icing chart and sure enough, it couldn’t get much worse than that temp and RH! All of a sudden the carb heat became the most important control in the plane!
Ahhhh...the little surprises aviation always seems to hold for us
Mike
Re: N2635N. The Ice Maker!
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:56 am
by 2066
Stromberg? Although most carbs can make ice, the Stromberg can be a pretty efficient icemaker when conditions are right. A great reminder, Mike -- thanks for sharing the experience!! Mac
Re: N2635N. The Ice Maker!
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:16 pm
by 8322
Seen it with my eyes last Friday... My IA wanted me to taxi my old gal back and fourth a few times before he took it in for the annual. The cowl was off and the carb heat cable and mixture cable were off (took acrylic cover off to get new one made so cables were removed). He asked me to do a couple full throttle run ups while at it. The second one she stumbled hard after 2000rpm. Backed off, tried again, same thing. Taxied back to maintenance hanger, the intake, post carb was covered in frost and water began dripping out the carb...
Shows how fast it can build up... I always run mine all through run up if not in dusty conditions... I check my carb heat by turning it off a second to see if I get a rise instead of the opposite... What I seen Friday confirms its a good practice.
When I bought the 140 I read every NTSB report on em I could find, and there were a lot of power loss after take offs where the engine ran fine once it was tried again.... hmmm... Can we say carb ice???
I've caught hell from some people that I should use it less than I do for cylinder wear... Well frankly I'd rather replace cylinders a couple hundred hours sooner than end up in trees just past the runway... Bent plane at best, maybe injured or worse for a bit of wear... Well unworn cylinders do ya no good on a bent up plane, especially if you are dead....
Use the carb heat before EVERY Take Off...