Where is this grease coming from

[TheTurtle]

I took the spinner off for annual and there was a bunch of grease in a similar pattern as the pic below.  Cleaned it up, greased the prop and put the spinner back on.  I've flown about 7 hours since and took the spinner back off today for eddy current inspection.  Found the same blob.  Theres no grease on the hub and I cant tell where the heck it might be coming from.

My IA says I have a front crank seal leak but this feels like grease not oil.  (fixing that seal next weekend)

any ideas?

 

[carusoam]

Prop seals have the ability to leak fresh yellowish / beigeish colored grease after annual.

But it doesn't usually end up inside the spinner.

photo has the color of oil, but the viscosity of grease...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

It sure looks like grease, a leaking crank seal won’t leak oil into the spinner.

You have likely have a leaking blade seal or a leaking grease fitting.

Clarence

[TheTurtle]

Just now, M20Doc said:

It sure looks like grease, a leaking crank seal won’t leak oil into the spinner.

You have likely have a leaking blade seal or a leaking grease fitting.

Clarence

Ill try tightening the grease seals.  If its a blade seal does that mean overhauling the prop?

[Guest]

Just now, TheTurtle said:

Ill try tightening the grease seals.  If its a blade seal does that mean overhauling the prop?

Use caution that you don’t over tighten the grease fittings in the hub, we recently had one break off.

A leaking blade seal doesn’t mean an overhaul, a repair at minimum.

Clarence

[rbridges]

I had to have my prop resealed recently. It had grease creeping down the blades. Don't know if anything was in the spinner. 

[Andy95W]

From the location and the amount, I’m going to say there is at least a chance that the mechanic didn’t clean up his blob of grease after servicing the prop. 

Or it’s a leaky seal like Clarence said. 

[TheTurtle]

1 hour ago, rbridges said:

I had to have my prop resealed recently. It had grease creeping down the blades. Don't know if anything was in the spinner. 

what'd that cost?

12 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

From the location and the amount, I’m going to say there is at least a chance that the mechanic didn’t clean up his blob of grease after servicing the prop. 

Or it’s a leaky seal like Clarence said. 

well it was me and I did wipe it off. buut I wonder if one of the fittings is leaking.  probably not

[MIm20c]

5 minutes ago, TheTurtle said:

what'd that cost?

well it was me and I did wipe it off. buut I wonder if one of the fittings is leaking.  probably not

I’d fly the plane over to @Cody Stallings and have him take a look at it.  He is pretty close to your location. You don’t want to end up with a new top prop if you can help it. 

[rbridges]

14 minutes ago, TheTurtle said:

what'd that cost?

 

I think it was supposed to be around $1600, but once they tore into it, they found a rod that had to be replaced.  It got more expensive...

[Cody Stallings]

You have leaky Blade seals, or the Teflon the seals ride on is worn out.

Either way you look at it, both need to be replaced to dry that leak up.

We could do Hartzell SB #354 as well, then you won’t have to worry about breaking a grease fitting off in the hub.

[TheTurtle]

5 minutes ago, Cody Stallings said:

You have leaky Blade seals, or the Teflon the seals ride on is worn out.

Either way you look at it, both need to be replaced to dry that leak up.

We could do Hartzell SB #354 as well, then you won’t have to worry about breaking a grease fitting off in the hub.

Whats that cost?

Looking at SB354...  Theres 4 grease fittings on the hub.  Which are the ones to be greased?

My IA just took off one per side and greased until grease came out the removed fitting hole.  Now im wondering if we greased the wrong ones or something

[Cody Stallings]

Your A&P serviced it properly.

Grease from the leading edge side of the blade.

Im sure it’s just hard worn out blade Orings.

Edited January 8, 2018 by Cody Stallings
Miss Spelled word.

[Cody Stallings]

4 hours ago, MIm20c said:

I’d fly the plane over to @Cody Stallings and have him take a look at it.  He is pretty close to your location. You don’t want to end up with a new top prop if you can help it. 

I think he’s actually around 1400 miles from Me...lol

[carusoam]

Orange County to Arkansas... that’s a few miles...

-a-

[MIm20c]

1 hour ago, Cody Stallings said:

I think he’s actually around 1400 miles from Me...lol

Sister lives in Fayetteville and I consistently mix up xna with sna...but I fail to see how 1400 miles could make any difference in a Mooney   

[MB65E]

A leaky crank seal will spit oil 10 ft in front of the airplane if you ask me!! I've had oil on the nose of the spinner. The prop just flings it everyware, and the air pressure out of the cowl makes it spray forward.  It makes a big mess.

It looks slightly greasy/oily but it's not somthing I would really tare into yet. Keep monitoring and wiping. Make friends with your prop shop!! American propeller in Redding CA will pick up your prop. They do SNA runs once a week. FWIW-I use them for all of my propellers... And that's with a prop shop across the runway at my home airport SMO.

-Matt

 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Cody Stallings said:

I think he’s actually around 1400 miles from Me...lol

Only one hour by Mooney.

Clarence

[EricJ]

8 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Only one hour by Mooney.

Clarence

Half hour in a Comanche? 

[rbridges]

20 minutes ago, EricJ said:

Half hour in a Comanche? 

10x the fuel.  

[Guest]

6 hours ago, rbridges said:

10x the fuel.  

You can always buy more full, you can’t buy back time.

Clarence

[jaylw314]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 5:35 PM, MIm20c said:

I’d fly the plane over to @Cody Stallings and have him take a look at it.  He is pretty close to your location. You don’t want to end up with a new top prop if you can help it. 

Ugh.  I resemble that remark