STI Farm Fox Build Log

[DesertFox4]

Harlan, when I installed an engine heater last year, I ordered a SwitcheOn remote system. Pretty neat really. It uses Verizon to connect with your phone so you may turn on and off your heater from anywhere in the country. I kept my Kitfox in Sedona,AZ
17 miles from my home and just hit a button on the app to start my engine heater but you can also schedule time of day to start the heater or program it for a specific temperature in your hangar say anything under 50 degrees and it tuns on automatically. It also tuns off at a preset temp if your hangar warms up to the set temp. The app also shows you on your phone the current temp inside your hangar. I purchased the two item controller but they have also a four item controller for more coin.
Price for the unit also includes a $50.00 a first year fee for the Verizon connection. Check it out.
https://switcheon.com/power-switch/

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[Shadowrider]

Have you check the valve cover for the oil leak? Maybe the valve cover is just leaking and running down? I am impressed that you have 98 flight hours and 100 hours on the engine? How is that possible? I have almost 100 hours more on my engine than I do the airframe with all the engine warming up time spent? Are you adding and oil heater so you don't have to idle so long warming the oil up?

[airlina]

Here in upstate NY preheat is essential for several reasons: engine preservation, ease of starting and fuel savings to name a few (with the price of avgas , I don't have to idle for 5 minutes to obtain my 75 degree oil temp runup minimum while wasting fuel). That being said , even though Continental specifies preheat at 25 deg and below for my IO-240, I am more conservative and preheat whenever it is less than 40 deg. Over the years I've used various methods to control my preheater: simple plug timers , cell signal controlled and finally the one I have settled on which is by far the cheapest , easiest and most reliable is a WIFI plug with range extender. Of course this requires a WIFI signal in your hangar. I keep my plane at a farm strip a couple miles from my house and the airport owner was kind enough to use a range extender to get me their WIFI signal from their house to the hangar. The WIFI plug I purchased has a built in range extender on the unit , so it boosts the signal a bit more to get it in the hangar. I control the plug from home which has been a game changer in usability. Bruce N199CL

[Kitfox Pilot]

Thanks Steve and Bruce for those ideas, I will check them out.
Dustin I am just heating the oil tank for shorter oil warm up times. Ive been flying now with the 20 degree mornings and waiting close to 10 mins for oil temp to get up. It just better on everything not to have thick cold oil. IMO
Yes I did check the valve cover, I wish that was it.

On the hour meters, I have also wondered how yours was so different. I set mine to turn on with oil pressure and have set it to turn on with rpm but both turn on the same. I can't find another setting to change the flight time. My timers run together. The extra engine time came from the factory.

[Shadowrider]

Harlan that makes sense on the timers. I have mine setup for engine time and flight time. Engine time is when it senses rpm like you and total time or flight time is when I am in the air. I think that’s setup in config and goes off waas gps if I recall. I have 350 hours on my engine and 250 hours flight time. With all the warming up and all the taxi time at a controlled airport the split gets pretty big. 40 hours “flight time” is quite lengthy….

[Kitfox Pilot]

Ok Dustin I don't have waas gps because g3x can only use it through the transponder which I don't have. I had to buy another gps antenna after I learned that. That is probably why I don't have the option to turn on flight time like I see others have. I have wondered why I didn't have it. Thanks.

No lines to wait on here, my flight time begins as soon as I get 125 oil temp. Haha

[Shadowrider]

That would be awesome to takeoff once the engine is warm! Flying out of your home would be amazing. I think I would have 1000 hours on my plane if that were the case! We are going to build a hangar south of us away from the airline traffic, flight schools, and those pesky corporate pilots flying their fancy jets!


Harlan I am still chasing a coolant leak. I have replaced clamps, and re-tightened every clamp. I did find small seeping leak out of the radiator where it was welded poorly. Fixed that but my reservoir drops slightly between oil changes so I am still losing coolant somewhere back cant seem to find it? Drops maybe a 1" over 50 hours. Maybe evaporation? I have read a little coolant out of the weep hole is normal. I think rotax says going from hot to cold its sometimes normal to find a tablespoon of coolant? I never find that, maybe a drop or two so maybe that is where my coolant is going?

[Kitfox Pilot]

My leak was the clamp on the main hose leaving the water pump, I hope. I didn't see any moisture at the weep hole and I didn't know any was allowed at the weep hole. I was losing a 1/4 inch about every 25 hours in the coolant overflow tank. My turbo drain/screen plug has started rubbing the cowling due to the rubber engine mounts sagging I think so I have a little enlargement fiberglass work to do and I should be back in the air!

[jrevens]

…

Harlan I am still chasing a coolant leak. I have replaced clamps, and re-tightened every clamp. I did find small seeping leak out of the radiator where it was welded poorly. Fixed that but my reservoir drops slightly between oil changes so I am still losing coolant somewhere back cant seem to find it? Drops maybe a 1" over 50 hours. Maybe evaporation? I have read a little coolant out of the weep hole is normal. I think rotax says going from hot to cold its sometimes normal to find a tablespoon of coolant? I never find that, maybe a drop or two so maybe that is where my coolant is going?

I see almost exactly the same amount of coolant loss as you, Dustin. I haven’t found any leaks. My friend Stan, with an 80 hp 912 in his Mod. IV, sees about the same thing. I think he’s got around 3,000 hrs. experience in that airplane. I believe it must be evaporation of the water component through the vent hole in the expansion tank. I also think that our higher than average field elevations, and typical flights that are perhaps much higher than many in other parts of the country, may have something to do with it. Just a guess.

[efwd]

Just curious. Harlan and Dustin, how hot is your engine oil running typically. I don't lose coolant and I question if I ever get any flow into the overflow bottle. I have trouble getting my engine oil up to even 212 degrees. Normally I am seeing 190-205. I did develop two small pin holes in my radiator hose so I was losing 2-3 drops onto the hangar floor if I let the plane sit for a few days. Just got that fixed. I may have allowed the free end of the safety wire hit the hose while securing the Oil reservoir drain. I went out and flew the Smart Glide yesterday Harlan. It is all working now. Thanks for your video.
Eddie