The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Well, I bought this beautiful 170, and due to the problems of weather, my schedule, and the instructor's (who is a corporate pilot) schedule I have not been able to fly her yet (almost 6 weeks!!! )
This week is not looking too good, either - the only good weather days are work days for me or him.
In any case, I'm wondering what is the best thing to do as far as the engine. I fly my skyhawk at least once a week, usually more, and will do so with the 170 once I'm signed off and have it here at the home airport. Should I ask the mechanic to pull the top plugs and spray some oil in the cylinders? If so, what kind of oil?
My other buddy who is a CFI is on the insurance policy (he is a C140 and RV-6 owner) so I may ask him to go fly her on a good weather day.

All I know is, it stinks having this beautiful taildragger sitting there as a hangar queen. At least she has good company - a Pitts, a cub, and several T-6s!

I cant imagine someone with Cessna 140 time and RV time having much trouble with a 170. I feel your pain with the instructor thing. I bought mine as a student pilot and it seemed that the people who wanted to instruct and were available did not have taildragger time. But once I got that endorsement I tried to wear it out having fun. Still remember flying along the first time by myself in my own airplane what a joy. I set the loran for the home airport and flew to every airport within 25 miles. I forgot to read the part in the reg's that said you suppose to go there first with the instructor. Bill K

Yeah, Stu should be fine in the 170 - he has given several BFRs and done the Wings program in 2 different local 170s in the last 10 years.
Hopefully he'll be able to get out there and circulate the oil a little...

tshort wrote:My other buddy who is a CFI is on the insurance policy (he is a C140 and RV-6 owner) so I may ask him to go fly her on a good weather day.

My other buddy? If your "other" buddy is also a CFI...then why don't you just employ HIM to check you out?
In any case, re: your engine: While six weeks sitting isn't as good for your engine as a flight,...it's also not exactly long-term storage. Each day the ambient temperature rises, then falls each night. Your engine's temperature does the same. So does the atmosphere around/within it. The result is that each day, another cycle of air warms up and exits your engine's openings to atmosphere....then each night new, moist air re-enters your engine. It's a set-up for rust/corrosion.
I'd suggest you 1- CLOSE the throttle completely to disallow ambient air from getting to any open intake valves, 2- take a couple of "Dixie" cups (wax-paper cups, which usually are "conically" shaped,) and stick them into your exhaust pipe exits upside-down, (to plug them and disallow ambient air from getting to any open exhaust valves.), 3- go to the store and purchase some plastic "Tuffy" brand, or similar plastic pot/pan scrubbers and stuff them inside the heater inlets in the cowling and in the wing root cabin-air inlets (to discourage insects).
Above all, ... do NOT assume that ground running your engine a few minutes is a good thing for your engine's health. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Ground running your engine 1- does not provide proper cooling with standard cowls/props, 2- creates quite a bit of water vapor as a combustion by-product, which, 3- is not driven to sufficiently high temperatures to evaporate, so it resides in your crankcase as engine blow-by gases where it condenses and causes rust/corrosion/acids. Fly your airplane for at least 30 minutes and then utilize the methods mentioned to prevent the engine from taking on moist ambient air/condensation. This should be sufficient for 30-60 days storage.
Longer periods of storage should include more extensive methods, including oil change, dessicant plugs, and preservative oil "misting" into the intake during shut-down. ( While I have confidence in these recommendations, all the above is only my personal suggestion, and not necessarily the exact procedures promoted by the mfr's.)

I am using my "other" buddy for checkout - the plan is to use both instructors to get more experience and (in theory) more frequent flying ... unfortunately, weather and schedules haven't cooperated.

Thanks for the tips. The airplane is in a heated hangar. Bugs aren't much of a problem in IN this time of year. I definitely have no intention of ground running the engine.

Keeping an eye on the weather...

Straight from the horse's mouth:


ENGINE PRESERVATION FOR ACTIVE AND STORED
AIRCRAFT

http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/SIL99-1.pdf

Miles