Maintenance: CNFTE recommendations for winter

With lockdown and winter approaching, this is sadly not a good time for flying our aircraft. Here is some valuable maintenance advice for long periods of inactivity.

Some tips for maintaining your aircraft.

Fuel

Fuel deteriorates more or less quickly over time. If there is a large quantity of fuel in your tank, you can add well-known preservative products to it. These products, however, require you to follow the manufacturer's recommended doses closely. If you pour them straight into the tank, blow into the petrol with a hose so that your additives are mixed in properly.

Tanks and water

Tanks are where water condensation forms. Plastic tanks are only slightly affected, whereas metal tanks are particularly so. They need to be drained.

Water vapour in the air circulates in the tanks and then combines with the fuel. Do not hesitate to empty your tanks to avoid contaminating a large volume of fuel (particularly E5 unleaded: 95, 95 E 10 and 98).

In metal tanks, this vapour condenses and runs down the walls to the bottom. The drains will need checking.

Carburettor engines

For carburettor engines, empty your tanks and stop your engines by running them out of fuel. This will prevent deposits forming in the system and make it easy to restart when you resume flying.

Fuel-injection engines

For fuel-injection engines, do not touch anything. Reduce the amount of petrol in your tank as far as possible. You will add fresh petrol when you resume flying. This will make it easy to restart your aircraft.

Engine care during lockdown

Rotax 912 – 914 series (Nikasil cylinders)

A Rotax 912 – 914 series engine (Nikasil cylinders) that warms up on the ground does not run long enough or hot enough to evaporate the water the oil has accumulated. It will do the opposite and let more in. So do not run your engines: it would be counter-productive. For these engines, it is better to turn the propeller by hand a few centimetres once a month.

Rotax 2 T engines and Jabiru (cast-iron or steel cylinders)

Running your Rotax 2T or your Jabiru (cast-iron or steel cylinders) is pointless. Simply turn the propeller by hand several turns once a month.

Maintenance flights

Maintenance flights should be flown quite normally, lasting one hour at standard cooling temperature (80-90°). The purpose of these flights is to free the oil of condensation water.

Oils

As for oils, do an oil and filter change before winter storage if the oil has more than 50 hours on it. The aim is for the engine to sit in clean oil. Then run the engine for at least 15 to 20 minutes to circulate the new oil through the whole engine.

Coolant

There are two types of coolant

• Those for aluminium engine blocks
• Those for cast-iron or steel engine blocks.

Coolants must be antistatic, anti-cavitation, anti-scale, anti-oxidation, anti-corrosion, anti-acid, anti-foam, lubricating and glycol-based.

The components vary according to the metals in the engine, whether aluminium or cast iron/steel. Tell the seller these characteristics according to your engine.

Corrosion protection

Protect your engines, airframes and mechanical and electrical parts by spraying them with products such as DW 40. Rubber and neoprene parts are not at risk, including cooling-fan belts (generally on 2-stroke engines). It is the perfect solution for long damp periods.

Water and fuel hoses

Water and fuel hoses have a service life of between 3 and 5 years, depending on the manufacturer. Do not hesitate to consult the product sheets or the manufacturer's data for all the information available.

You know how: do it!

You have forgotten: get help, ask your questions! The CNFTE is there to help you.

You do not know how: have it done!

Find all our maintenance tutorials by clicking here!

Pierre Pouches

CNFTE