Cold Starting Piper Arrow II w/Lycoming IO-360-C1C Engine

Mikale007

I have a 1976 Piper Arrow II with Lycoming IO-360-C1C engine. I'm aware that the hot starting issues with this fuel-injected engine type are well documented but I have issues with cold starting and thought I'd go to the experts here. I live in Houston so the ambient temps are generally not a factor.

When starting the Arrow according to the procedure in the POH, I end up over revving the engine in order to keep it from dying. According to the POH, you run the electric fuel pump, take the mixture to full rich until the fuel flow indicates on the fuel flow gauge, mixture back to idle and then crank. Upon firing, the mixture is returned to full rich. This is when I have to open the throttle up (over revving) to keep the engine from dying-sometimes backfiring during the process.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm concerned that I'm overrevving the engine to keep it running with cold oil not distributed in the cylinders.

Michael

MikeJJ

HI Michael,

Perhaps also explain this to the A&P/IA who does your annual inspections to get their opinion too? The cause could be many things including fuel lines, injectors, idle mix, how fast you enrichen the mixture on startup, etc. They can actually get in the airplane with you and start it to observe the problem.

In the meantime, if any of our members have a suggestion, please chime in...

Regards,

Mike

Mikale007

Thanks Mike. Great advice and suggestion!

Michael

jacobsja

Just curious, what does over revving mean? 1,200 RPM? 1,500 RPM? 2,000 RPM? 5,000 RPM?

Related, if the RPMs are truly in the "too high" territory during a cold start and the sump has straight weight oil, might consider multi weight oil.

Mikale007

Thanks for the comment. 2000+ rpm. While the engine will start, it will then die unless I open the throttle up significantly causing the overrevving. I'm thinking about transitioning from Aeroshell W100 to the Phillips 66 XC 20W-50W aviation motor oil

planewrench

Well I seriously doubt your oil has anything to do with it. You probably have a few things going on that are going to be impossible for us to try to troubleshoot here without being specifically at the airplane to see what's going on. I could rattle off about eight questions to ask you about the airplane and the engine but realistically you need a mechanic to take good look at fuel, servo, plugs, timing, mags . You should be able to start it clear it bring it back down to idle and it should purr like a kitten. Lol Carl

jacobsja

For clarification, correct in that oil has nothing to do with whatever is causing the need for additional (presumably too much) fuel just to get the engine running. Only reason for the comment is that cold multi-weight oil should flow more quickly than cold straight weight oil. So with the concern of high RPM's during cold start, am seeing where this also translates into an initial lubrication topic.

Mikale007

Thanks Carl. "Purr like a kitten" is the desirable state! And jacobsja, I understand the context within which you provided the multi-viscosity oil--for engine protection.

Michael

planewrench

Roger that certainly multivitis oil in cold weather is a good way to go. The normal drift failure mode for RSA injectors is normally they tend to go rich. A lot of people end up doing engine starts with the mixture control pretty much in the lean position. That's why I indicated you may have a combination of things working against you. Carl