starting engine de-cowl'd

[eman1200]

any concerns firing up the engine with the side and top cowl off?   more specifically, I'm just a little concerned with the lower portion of the front cowl and if that is strong enough not to wobble too much and potentially cause damage.  I have to imagine everyone does this post oil change.  thanks!

 

[RobertGary1]

Yea, I've never had problems with vibration or temperatures.

 

-Robert

[N201MKTurbo]

26 minutes ago, eman1200 said:

any concerns firing up the engine with the side and top cowl off?   more specifically, I'm just a little concerned with the lower portion of the front cowl and if that is strong enough not to wobble too much and potentially cause damage.  I have to imagine everyone does this post oil change.  thanks!

 

It'll be fine. Just keep an eye on your CHTs. Done it many times.

Just make sure the cowl pieces aren't setting in the prop blast. The wind will blow them around, scratch your paint and you will be sad.

[jaylw314]

You're cowl is different than my J cowl, but when I had my prop dynamically balanced, the A&P just used safety wire and zip ties to hold down any suspect areas of the cowling, especially the parts near the spinner.

[eman1200]

I did a pretty thorough pre-check, then ran it for probably less than 3 minutes. Basically just to check for leaks. Re-cowl’d but lunch break is over so I’ll do a few laps in the pattern tonight.


Thanks!

[Marauder]

I did a pretty thorough pre-check, then ran it for probably less than 3 minutes. Basically just to check for leaks. Re-cowl’d but lunch break is over so I’ll do a few laps in the pattern tonight.


Thanks!

Hey! Are you friends with YouTuber “310 Pilot”?


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[eman1200]

Just now, Marauder said:

 

Hey! Are you friends with YouTuber “310 Pilot”?


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He's active on PoA and I met him at the Kentucky fly-in we had.  Why?

[Marauder]

He's active on PoA and I met him at the Kentucky fly-in we had.  Why?

I saw the video from the Kentucky flight. He mentioned his friend “Eman” and I thought how many of them, who own a Mooney, could there be?


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[eman1200]

Just now, Marauder said:

 

I saw the video from the Kentucky flight. He mentioned his friend “Eman” and I thought how many of them, who own a Mooney, could there be?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

lol yep, that was me.  he makes some pretty good videos and they are good peeps.

[Yetti]

Well if you are doing it to check for leaks, there will be one, it is a Lycoming after all.   Just marking it's spot.

[ArtVandelay]

Well if you are doing it to check for leaks, there will be one, it is a Lycoming after all.   Just marking it's spot.

Seriously, I have a leak (somewhere low) and it’s not enough to affect my usage too much, I have looked for, I’ve ask mechanics about it, don’t know where it’s coming from. It ends up on the nose gear, and bottom of course.

[Bryan]

3 hours ago, Yetti said:

Well if you are doing it to check for leaks, there will be one, it is a Lycoming after all.   Just marking it's spot.

And I though Continental's were the only airframe lubricating engines.

[bradp]

After I replaced my Crank gasket my engine is only getting a leak after i spill oil during a  change ... at least for now. 

[ArtVandelay]

After I replaced my Crank gasket my engine is only getting a leak after i spill oil during a  change ... at least for now. 

How did you go about finding the source of the leak? I assume that required a tear down.

[Yetti]

How old is your engine rebuild?   There are a couple places to check.  The oil return lines from the Valve cover gaskets.   The dipstick tube gasket.  The engine halves.  The cylinders.    

[ArtVandelay]

How old is your engine rebuild?   There are a couple places to check.  The oil return lines from the Valve cover gaskets.   The dipstick tube gasket.  The engine halves.  The cylinders.    

Not a rebuild, 2200 hrs SNEW, which is why mechanics usually recommend an overhaul. Top half is dry including all cylinders , it’s somewhere down low. Didn’t think about the dipstick tube gasket, what about where the oil return lines opposite end?

[bradp]

10 hours ago, teejayevans said:

How did you go about finding the source of the leak? I assume that required a tear down.

Mine was pretty simple - oil collecting on the starter and starter adapter. Tracked it up to the crank seal. Prop needs to come off but it’s a one hour job and a $30 seal once the area is exposed.  

[Yetti]

On our engines the aluminum tube that come off the rocker arm area is connected to the case haves with with rubber hose and 2 clamps.   The original were thumb screw, some people replace with a hex head so they can put a flexible shaft socket drive to tighten up.  

Most of the thumb screws if positioned right way can be tightened with the right size socket.  I think it is a 1/2 or 7/16.  They were designed for thumb pressure/hand tight so don't go crazy.  Usually you can take a flashlight and see where they have a drip on them after sitting.  Also the rubber hose gets old. I replaced all my rubber hose 4 years ago and still have to tighten up the clamps every now and then.

It may also be that your pan or case halves bolts have loosened up.  

I can buy lots of cases of oil before paying for an engine overhaul

[bob865]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 1:16 PM, teejayevans said:

Seriously, I have a leak (somewhere low) and it’s not enough to affect my usage too much, I have looked for, I’ve ask mechanics about it, don’t know where it’s coming from. It ends up on the nose gear, and bottom of course.

Check your prop governor.  Mine was leaking and directly below it is a little 'shelf' for lack of a better term that it would collect on.  Once enough collected it would then show up as streaks on the NLG doors.

[mike_elliott]

On 8/9/2018 at 1:16 PM, teejayevans said:

Seriously, I have a leak (somewhere low) and it’s not enough to affect my usage too much, I have looked for, I’ve ask mechanics about it, don’t know where it’s coming from. It ends up on the nose gear, and bottom of course.

Tom, decowl it, clean it really well with mineral spirits where you suspect leak to be coming from. Then get some of this

https://smile.amazon.com/Aircraft-Tool-Supply-Magnaflux-Spotcheck/dp/B005VR2RDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534178348&sr=8-1&keywords=magnaflux+developer&dpID=31xb0A1RlKL&preST=_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and spray it all over the area after the cleaned engine dries.  

Then fire it up, run it hard for a bit. Your source of the leak will be apparent.

CB version is some spay foot powder, but not as good.