Deicer in fuel: Mooney POH recommendations

Original post: Mar. 1, 2007
By: Tom Rouch, Top Gun Aviation

I thought I would add to this icing discussion. As early as late 1979 and into the early 80s, we were having 231 engines shut down at altitude, anywhere above about zero Centigrade, usually over the Sierras, and they would restart as they descended to lower and warmer altitudes. Without going into detail, it was determined that water in the fuel manifold valve on top of the engine, was freezing thereby shutting the engine off. Locally we started using a de-ice fluid to prevent this from occuring. Eventually, Mooney added the use of "alcohol" to the fuel.

The 231s were most affected, but then the Rockets were also affected and they added a shield in front of the manifold valve on those engines. TLSs have also experienced this problem but not nearly as much as the 231s.

Tom Rouch
Top Gun Aviation,Inc
http://topgunaviation.net
Ph:209 983 8082 fax:209 983 8084

Revision: 10/28/2010