Engine Dehydrator

[TBusch86303]

Having just overhauled the engine in my 260C, I'm really interested in not doing it again for a long time. Since I don't fly a lot - less than 100 hrs per year - I would really like to prevent internal engine corrosion which seems to be a big killer, if not the main killer of our engines if not flown regularly. Has anyone used or know about the Engine Saver (available from Spruce for $347) or the Tanis Dehydrator ($500). Both use an electric air pump that pumps the moist air inside your engine (after and between flights) through a dessicant to remove the moisture. Haven't heard about either one through the Comanche grapevine - which seems odd since it could be the answer to a lot of corrosion problems within the engine. Anybody use one? Or, know someone that does?

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

Invest the time and money into flying the plane hard for about 100 hrs. That gets the varnish built up and helps significantly in corrosion protection. Next, use Camguard with your oil change after breakin. Third, fly your airplane regularly, if not a lot, enough to get the engine up to temp and all of the crust to get pollished off and the metal rewetted. Lastly, change your oil every 4 months max regardless of whether you have put 50 hrs on the plane or not. This will keep those regular flights from circulating too much bad stuff throught your engine unecessarily. Now, if you do all of this, you will probablyt never have an issue with internal engine corrosion. You still might not make it to 2000 hrs on the engine due to lack of use, but at least it wont rot from the inside. Anything else you do with dessicants, pumps etc isn't going to hurt, but the main benefit in my oppinion will be only that it makes you feel better about yourself for spending the money.

-Zach

[Charles Schefer]

Here's something I do... It's a practice I use on the Cirrus aircraft I operate but I'm also now doing it on my "new" PA-30. I need to preface this by noting that the Cirruses (or perhaps "Cirri") and PA-30 are all kept in a heated corporate hangar....

In the Winter time I had often noticed when checking the oil of the Cirrus (which are operated Part 135 and flown regularly) that there would be plenty of milky oily residue at the top of the filler neck. This was of course evidence of condensation of moisture due to colder Winter temps. So here's what I do now...

After flight and after the aircraft is back in the hangar, I open the oil door and pull the dipsick out so it's sticking out the filler neck and the filler neck and "vent" or "breathe". I do this while the engine is still hot (right after flight but once back in the hangar). I drape a clean cloth over the top to of the cowl to prevent any debris (not sure there would be any but just in case) from going down the filler neck and I make it very obvious (red towel etc..) that the oil cap is not locked so as to prevent forgetting to re-secure it. Then I go in the office, take care of paperwork / clean up the plane etc... last thing I do before leaving the hangar is re-secure the oil cap(s). What this does is gives some time for the heat of the engine to vent the hot moist air out of the filler tube. This may not be as through as one of the Aircraft Spruce systems you mention but it does (for me) eliminate the milky-moisture at the top of the filler neck and I feel it is keeping more moisture out of the crankcase and engine in general.

I agree with Zach on all his points and I think regular flights is key. But again our Cirrus aircraft are flown regularly and we still see the moisture in the filler neck esp in Winter. I will also emphasize that EXTREME caution needs to be taken to flag / alert the fact that the oil cap is off. Of course any pilot should preflight and see of someone has left an oil cap off but still....

- Charles

[TBusch86303]

Thanks for the inputs!

[SLIMDREDGER]

I pull the oil sticks on my PA30 open for the reason described above when I leave the plan in the hangar. I pull the sticks up far enough to swing the cowling oil doors up beneath the head of the oil stick so it leaves the full door area open to vent warm crankcase air.
Hard to miss closing the doors when they are standing straight up AHP

[MULEFLY]

I plug in a desecant kit that can be made for about $20. 2 liter pop bottle full of desecant, some tubing, the pump from an aquarium. A few years ago a fellow described these in one of the flying magazines... I ordered two of them... they seem to work great.
Jim