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What are guys doing if anything to prevent the breather freezing up in the winter?
I think mine is a pretty common setup. The breather runs from the oil seperate down the inside of the fuselage and out near the tail.
I've never flown mine in the winter so I'm not even sure it's an issue. Just curious what others have experienced as I may have to fly in colder temps soon.
Thanks!
Safety vent
I remember this topic coming up back when I owned a Pitts S-2B. The solution was to cut a slit in the line going from the air/oil separator to the snot tube.
Under normal circumstances the crankcase pressure is low enough that the slit remains sealed. But if the tube ever does freeze up, the slit provides a path for the gases to escape -- and make a mess inside your cowl. But that beats the heck out of blowing out the nose seal.
The slit method may or may
The slit method may or may not work, depending of the stiffness of the hose. Possibly a more reliable method is to have a separate hose for winter flying. Put about a 3/16 hole in it with a hole punch and cover it with two pieces of electrical tape, each covering half. No oil gets out, but in theory it shouldn't take much pressure to separate the tapes enough to vent any excess pressure.