Do the cylinder band heaters interfere with cylinder cooling?
No. The band heater is a 3/8″ wide stainless steel hose clamp placed around the cylinder, and it will dissipate heat just as well as the cylinder itself. During the development stage we discussed the idea for this cylinder heater with Rick Moffet, Lycoming’s VP of Engineering. We specifically discussed the cooling issue, and he had no concerns about cooling. He said the lower end of the cylinder where the band is installed does not generate heat like the top end where the combustion occurs. In addition, he said the cylinder is cooled primarily by splash oil, the air cooling is only secondary. The bottom end of the cylinder where our band heater is installed runs relatively cool because it gets a large amount of splash oil, and it is not dependent on airflow on the exterior surface. In fact, he said the band heater is a better idea than a probe or bolt heater because it spreads the heat over a larger area around the cylinder. A concentrated heat source puts more thermal stress on the me
