Dripping oil after oil change

[Ovation3]

Land and Live is a new initiative that the FAA has started and in your case don't go and live, in my opinion you are a very wise pilot and sharing this is good to hear for all. Thank you!

[DaV8or]

Aside from all the fear and loathing in aviation, you have an oil puddle of some size. Just after an oil change... hmmmmm. In your case, there are three possible places for the oil to come from. The quick drain he tried to use, the plug he did use and the oil filter. Pull the cowl, wipe these areas clean and run it up. Check these areas for new drips.

 

Personal experience has taught me that if you just use motor oil on the filter gasket and not the Dow Corning #4 grease, this stuff-

 

 

It will leak, no matter what torque you use. Use this stuff and never a leak. Also use the correct torque value. Over torquing can cause a leak.

 

That quick drain needs to taken off and either rebuilt, or replaced. I don't recognize the drain, but many of them have rebuild kits available. It is not uncommon to have a quick drain valve leak a tiny bit. Mine does, but nothing on the order of your picture.

 

The other real possibility is that your mechanic made a mess of things and spilled oil all over. If you don't have a good strategy for changing the filter, this is easy to do. Spilled oil can work into the airframe and then take some time to find it's way to the floor. Flashlight, wipe down and run up. You'll be able to prove, or disprove this theory. If anyone is having trouble doing the filter without making a mess, I can post up what I came up with. I can easily do an oil and filter change and not a drop hits anything.

 

Good luck with finding the source of oil and a better mechanic. You are always right to question the airplane and trust your gut feeling IMO.

[Guest]

The drain valve is obviously defective in some fashion. I would strongly urge replacing with a new one. Seals for this type of Curtis valve were discontinued years ago.

More troubling is the quality of the job, he has difficulty opening the valve, uses the alternate drain plug and I would be guessing but likely never carried out a post maintenance run up and leak check before returning the plane to the hangar. Next time ask him to strap his soft pink body in the co pilots seat and go for a short test flight with you. Nothing clear the mind quite as nicely.

Clarence

[carusoam]

One of us found something stuck in the drain valve once....

Plastic related to the oil bottle.

A brief search will turn up the story.

Best regards,

-a-

[ncdmtb]

Update:

It turned out the quick release was damaged (wonder if it happened during the initial attempted oil change?). Since they were not able to find a new quick release (without me spending a fortune - welcome to Europe ;-) they just installed a new plug.

I flew today for almost 2 hours and no issue. Glad to have that resolved.

I will be home in the US in a in July and want to pick up a new "quick drain" valve. Any recommendations on what to get/where?

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[N201MKTurbo]

From the home airport:

http://www.curtissuperiorvalve.com

[Guest]

Try a P5000 from Spruce. Built in hose bib for easy draining and two field replaceable O rings.

Clarence

[ncdmtb]

Newbie question: can I just buy one and replace the "plug" with it? Or do I need special paperwork/logbook entries? (Keep in mind my plane is in Europe and they are a little on the difficult side here ;-)

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[Awful_Charlie]

Nick - come over to LFGB sometime and I'll show you how to do your own oil and filter change and how to cut the filter and inspect it (I'll be doing mine next on the weekend 7/8 June). I buy oil in 'bulk' (25 or 40 litre drums) at about 7.50EUR per litre for multigrade. Add a filter (17.50USD) and you're looking at less than 80EUR for a change, maybe add another 20USD for oil analysis.  You might need to get 30-40EUR of tools (probably a filter cutter), but at the rates you're paying, you'll get that back on the first change. If an oil change is all you're doing, it can be done it about an hour after a bit of practice, but I tend to do a bunch of other odd and ends whilst the cowls are off (like lube the exhaust slip joints and control cables, a good peer about with a torch and mirror) which means I tend to spend nearer 4 hours on the whole job.

 

If the drain valve is 'blocked' then it needs to come out and be rectified - how do you know it's not blocked by a large rag lurking in the sump? Probably a good idea to check the oil screen and poke a boroscope into the sump to see if there's anything else hiding in there. For 700EUR I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't do this for you.

 

As to feeling a bit of trepidation before flying - yes, I would say it's normal. For me, it varies by how current I am, how tough the flight is expected to be, and a whole group of other factors that goes down to and includes the 'feeling in the water': I think it's a good thing, as like most things, there is a calculated 'risk' involved, and if one thing that you notice then moves you to the 'no-go' decision, it means you have considered a number of potential risks and either have to remediate/mitigate one or more of them, or you don't go

[Guest]

Lycoming normally ships engines with a 1/2" NPTsteel drain plug. The airframe manufacturer or owner can elect to install an oil drain valve. If you can't find a drain valve a plug is quite acceptable.

Clarence

[carusoam]

Peer with a torch = look see with a flashlight. (Translated into NJ-English)

Best regards,

-a-

[Marauder]

Peer with a torch = look see with a flashlight. (Translated into NJ-English)

Best regards,

-a-

Since I lived in Jersey for a few years, don't you mean "flurshlight"?

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[carusoam]

South Joisey...

-a-

[ncdmtb]

Nick - come over to LFGB sometime and I'll show you how to do your own oil and filter change and how to cut the filter and inspect it (I'll be doing mine next on the weekend 7/8 June). I buy oil in 'bulk' (25 or 40 litre drums) at about 7.50EUR per litre for multigrade. Add a filter (17.50USD) and you're looking at less than 80EUR for a change, maybe add another 20USD for oil analysis. You might need to get 30-40EUR of tools (probably a filter cutter), but at the rates you're paying, you'll get that back on the first change. If an oil change is all you're doing, it can be done it about an hour after a bit of practice, but I tend to do a bunch of other odd and ends whilst the cowls are off (like lube the exhaust slip joints and control cables, a good peer about with a torch and mirror) which means I tend to spend nearer 4 hours on the whole job.

If the drain valve is 'blocked' then it needs to come out and be rectified - how do you know it's not blocked by a large rag lurking in the sump? Probably a good idea to check the oil screen and poke a boroscope into the sump to see if there's anything else hiding in there. For 700EUR I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't do this for you.

As to feeling a bit of trepidation before flying - yes, I would say it's normal. For me, it varies by how current I am, how tough the flight is expected to be, and a whole group of other factors that goes down to and includes the 'feeling in the water': I think it's a good thing, as like most things, there is a calculated 'risk' involved, and if one thing that you notice then moves you to the 'no-go' decision, it means you have considered a number of potential risks and either have to remediate/mitigate one or more of them, or you don't go

Hi Ben - thanks for your response. Your offer sounds great. I would like to take you up your offer. I will check my calender and PM you! It would be fun to zip over to France.

Nick

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[Awful_Charlie]

Peer with a torch = look see with a flashlight. (Translated into NJ-English)

Best regards,

-a-

 

 

Since I lived in Jersey for a few years, don't you mean "flurshlight"?

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keep going - I could do with learning more 'merkin as long as you don't go changing those "a"s into "e"s

 

Hi Ben - thanks for your response. Your offer sounds great. I would like to take you up your offer. I will check my calender and PM you! It would be fun to zip over to France.

Nick

 

Be a pleasure to see you. Do bear in mind that coming in from the east to LFGB means a smart descent - you need at least 5500' to clear the Black Forest, and only have 15nm to lose 4500' or more. The club here also has fuel at 2EUR/litre currently, which I bet is less than  you pay in Germany!