Does anyone have any experience with Cessna 310 heaters? We have just had our heater overhauled a couple of years ago and its still giving me problems. It works well under 5,000’, but over 5,000’ it does not work at all. Any ideas?
It’s a janitrol, right? Never had any luck with the few I flew with. Just be happy it hasn’t belched fire out the stack. Those things are notoriously temperamental.
heater is ignited by a spark plug. Your fuel flow could be too high.
OR the plug can be fouled. that is a common problem in the PA-31 heater witch is also a janotrol. Or carbon build up in the exhaust and stop the entire system from breathing. I once flew a chieftan from PDX to PSC with no heater OAT of -10c. It was friggin cold
used to have a small fleet of 310 r’s in the great white north, take a piece of speed tape and cover about a third of the inlet. also ALWAYS make sure its lit before you takeoff. dont launch and hope to get it lit in the air.
I purchased a NEW heater for my 310r. Paid $4K for all the parts and pieces and NO ONE seems to know how to make it work. I am really getting tired of wearing the ATM machine logo on my head when I walk into the local airplane mechanic. I just stopped flying in the cold now. I would love to get this NEW heater working but I need to have someone that ACTUALLY knows something about them. If anyone knows someone who can actually work on these please let me know. I am always told by the locals that they can get it working then the airplane sets and sets and the bills come in and when I pick it up, still no heating working. This is a virgin and never had the fuel line connected to it or the electric wired to it. And I thought fly lessons would be the hard part.
This airplane is located ( hangered ) in McKinney Texas. Waiting for it to warm up again. email any suggestions chris@airbagsystems.com
I have a Cessna 320 and had similar problems…join twin Cessna flyer…they have an on line forum that can’t be beat. The BEST is TAS aviation in defiance , oh. They KNOW twin cessnas. It would be worth a flight out there.
I work as a A&P for a small cargo company. I worked nights for 20 years and we used to have well over 100 piston twins that flew in all weather mostly at night. I have much experience fixing both Janitrols and Southwind heaters. The first problem is that a majority of mechanics can’t read a simple wiring diagram well enough to help with the troubleshooting process. So, they just throw parts at it hope to get lucky. Second, few mechanical things function the same at -20F as they do at 45 or 50F, which can sometimes make troubleshooting a challenge. Cessna 310Rs had a Southwind heater ( I don’t remember which model). The combustion air pressure switch is actuated by a cam attached to a little door that swings open when the combustion air blower is operating. If the little door gets dirty or the pivot points get worn or the blower turns a little too slow, the switch won’t close and the heater won’t work. If the heater works initially then quits above 5000’, I’d suspect a fuel delivery problem. The fuel pattern in the burner can needs to be a nice cone shape. The fuel nozzle being partially restricted or the pressure being low will cause the pattern to be off. That will cause the fire to go out in more difficult operating environments such as higher altitudes or in a decent when more air is being force into the burner can by ram air acting on that little forward facing scoop on the right lower side of the nose.