N4655R
Senior Member
I have always tried to make the decision to preheat the engine and then fly on the basis that I would definitely fly. This would give me some peace of mind that after heating the engine somewhat, the flight will heat the engine to the magic 180* and get rid of moisture in the oil. With this prolonged cold spell we are having here on the east coast, I have had a time or two where I start the preheater remotely at about 4am and then go back to sleep for a couple of hours. After about 4 -5 hours later the decision to fly is a no-go. What are the potential damages when pre-heating and then turning the preheater off and not flying? I think once or twice a season would be no big deal, but would not want to do that on a reoccurring basis...
