When should I change the oil?

[RLCarter]

top of the list, well 5 item down on Mooneys100 Hour-Annual Inspection Guide

[Lance Keve]

Good timing. Just changed my oil today, outside, in 33 degrees. Used to go to our beloved Air-Mods, but they charge $250...so, my task now. Isn’t a big deal. 

[DonMuncy]

PT20J,

Everyone giving you numbers about the time it takes to change the oil, generally have been talking about theoretical or maybe ideal conditions. Her is a real account. (I am not making this up).

I arrived at the hangar a little after 11:00 this morning to change the oil. Taking the cowl off, I found that someone had put additional washers on the lower two camlocks on the lower cowl, to help with wallowed out camlock holes. One of them made the camlock so tight, it would not come loose. After trying three screwdrivers, I had to use a Dremel tool abrasive wheel to cut the washer before it would come off. Then I put the hose on the quick drain and attempted to push it up and latch it "open". No luck; no oil cam out. I cut its safety wire  and discovered my open end/box end wrench set skips from 3/4 inch to 7/8ths inch, and the quick drain is 13/16ths. Trip to Lowes to get a 13/16ths wrench. Removed the quick drain, draining the oil into a plastic pan. (I usually drain directly into empty milk jugs). I cleaned out the quick drain and it was open. Cleaned it up, replaced it and re-safety wired it. I still have no idea why it would not drain. Attempted to remove the oil filter, finding someone had used gorilla strength torque installing it. Too tight to remove with the usual box end wrench. Hooked up a 1 inch socket with a long break-over bar and a 2 inch extension, since the cowl flap linkage prevents reaching it without the extension. Loosened the filter and while putting the plastic zip lock bag around the filter to keep it from leaking too much oil, a friend showed up in front of my hangar to chat. I didn't time our chat, but it was probably 45 minutes or so. It was actually kind of nice, as it gave the oil time to run down into the zip lock bag, and created less of a mess. Uneventfully installed and re-safety wired the new filter. Poured in the fresh oil and set out the empty oil containers to drain, since I don't like waiting for the length of time it takes to completely drain the quart containers, and I'm too much of a CB to toss them with a tablespoonful or so of oil remaining in each one. Emptied the plastic drain pan into my container to take to the oil disposal place, and set the filter to drain. I will go back tomorrow to cut the filter and replace the cowling.  I left the hangar at 2:45. Re-cowling,  filter cutting, inspecting, oil disposal and logbook entry, yet to go.   

[jaylw314]

1 hour ago, DonMuncy said:

PT20J,

Everyone giving you numbers about the time it takes to change the oil, generally have been talking about theoretical or maybe ideal conditions. Her is a real account. (I am not making this up).

I arrived at the hangar a little after 11:00 this morning to change the oil. Taking the cowl off, I found that someone had put additional washers on the lower two camlocks on the lower cowl, to help with wallowed out camlock holes. One of them made the camlock so tight, it would not come loose. After trying three screwdrivers, I had to use a Dremel tool abrasive wheel to cut the washer before it would come off. Then I put the hose on the quick drain and attempted to push it up and latch it "open". No luck; no oil cam out. I cut its safety wire  and discovered my open end/box end wrench set skips from 3/4 inch to 7/8ths inch, and the quick drain is 13/16ths. Trip to Lowes to get a 13/16ths wrench. Removed the quick drain, draining the oil into a plastic pan. (I usually drain directly into empty milk jugs). I cleaned out the quick drain and it was open. Cleaned it up, replaced it and re-safety wired it. I still have no idea why it would not drain. Attempted to remove the oil filter, finding someone had used gorilla strength torque installing it. Too tight to remove with the usual box end wrench. Hooked up a 1 inch socket with a long break-over bar and a 2 inch extension, since the cowl flap linkage prevents reaching it without the extension. Loosened the filter and while putting the plastic zip lock bag around the filter to keep it from leaking too much oil, a friend showed up in front of my hangar to chat. I didn't time our chat, but it was probably 45 minutes or so. It was actually kind of nice, as it gave the oil time to run down into the zip lock bag, and created less of a mess. Uneventfully installed and re-safety wired the new filter. Poured in the fresh oil and set out the empty oil containers to drain, since I don't like waiting for the length of time it takes to completely drain the quart containers, and I'm too much of a CB to toss them with a tablespoonful or so of oil remaining in each one. Emptied the plastic drain pan into my container to take to the oil disposal place, and set the filter to drain. I will go back tomorrow to cut the filter and replace the cowling.  I left the hangar at 2:45. Re-cowling,  filter cutting, inspecting, oil disposal and logbook entry, yet to go.   

Unfortunately, that sort of experience is painfully familiar

[TheTurtle]

On 12/10/2018 at 9:02 AM, Bob_Belville said:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/1201676.php

Make sure to do the math if you use an extension on a torque wrench per 41.(something)

https://www.engineersedge.com/manufacturing_spec/torque_wrench_1.htm

though on an oil filter it probably doesnt matter.

[jetdriven]

2 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

PT20J,

Everyone giving you numbers about the time it takes to change the oil, generally have been talking about theoretical or maybe ideal conditions. Her is a real account. (I am not making this up).

I arrived at the hangar a little after 11:00 this morning to change the oil. Taking the cowl off, I found that someone had put additional washers on the lower two camlocks on the lower cowl, to help with wallowed out camlock holes. One of them made the camlock so tight, it would not come loose. After trying three screwdrivers, I had to use a Dremel tool abrasive wheel to cut the washer before it would come off. Then I put the hose on the quick drain and attempted to push it up and latch it "open". No luck; no oil cam out. I cut its safety wire  and discovered my open end/box end wrench set skips from 3/4 inch to 7/8ths inch, and the quick drain is 13/16ths. Trip to Lowes to get a 13/16ths wrench. Removed the quick drain, draining the oil into a plastic pan. (I usually drain directly into empty milk jugs). I cleaned out the quick drain and it was open. Cleaned it up, replaced it and re-safety wired it. I still have no idea why it would not drain. Attempted to remove the oil filter, finding someone had used gorilla strength torque installing it. Too tight to remove with the usual box end wrench. Hooked up a 1 inch socket with a long break-over bar and a 2 inch extension, since the cowl flap linkage prevents reaching it without the extension. Loosened the filter and while putting the plastic zip lock bag around the filter to keep it from leaking too much oil, a friend showed up in front of my hangar to chat. I didn't time our chat, but it was probably 45 minutes or so. It was actually kind of nice, as it gave the oil time to run down into the zip lock bag, and created less of a mess. Uneventfully installed and re-safety wired the new filter. Poured in the fresh oil and set out the empty oil containers to drain, since I don't like waiting for the length of time it takes to completely drain the quart containers, and I'm too much of a CB to toss them with a tablespoonful or so of oil remaining in each one. Emptied the plastic drain pan into my container to take to the oil disposal place, and set the filter to drain. I will go back tomorrow to cut the filter and replace the cowling.  I left the hangar at 2:45. Re-cowling,  filter cutting, inspecting, oil disposal and logbook entry, yet to go.   

I bet your next time will go much faster, not having to fix others shoddy workmanship

[amillet]

My first few oil changes required several attempts to get the filter safety wire installed to an acceptable condition 

[RLCarter]

1 hour ago, TheTurtle said:

Make sure to do the math if you use an extension on a torque wrench per 41.(something)

https://www.engineersedge.com/manufacturing_spec/torque_wrench_1.htm

though on an oil filter it probably doesnt matter.

here is the formula (Desired Torque X B divided A +B 

Edited December 12, 2018 by RLCarter

[kpaul]

4 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

set out the empty oil containers to drain, since I don't like waiting for the length of time it takes to completely drain the quart containers, and I'm too much of a CB to toss them with a tablespoonful or so of oil remaining in each one.

Don,

Sounds like you need to make one of these...

[Bob_Belville]

21 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

here is the formula (Desired Torque X B divided A +B 

It's simple to tighten the filter with the extension at ~90 deg which makes the arm the same as the wrench itself. 

[DonMuncy]

22 minutes ago, kpaul said:

Don,

Sounds like you need to make one of these...

Mine is different, but does the same job. I'll try to remember to take a picture.

[RLCarter]

11 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

It's simple to tighten the filter with the extension at ~90 deg which makes the arm the same as the wrench itself. 

true...but not wanting to get into a piss'n contest it will change the resulting torque..Pythagorean Theorem

[DonMuncy]

1 minute ago, RLCarter said:

true...but not wanting to get into a piss'n contest it will change the resulting torque..Pythagorean Theorem

Don't you just hate guys who know mathematics.  

[RLCarter]

2 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

Don't you just hate guys who know mathematics.  

I use to be really good at Math, pocket calculators and the personal computers have all but ruined me

[Bob_Belville]

4 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

true...but not wanting to get into a piss'n contest it will change the resulting torque..Pythagorean Theorem

I hope you're kidding. I used the tilde to indicate the extension should be angled to make the triangle isosceles but since the arm of the wrench is much longer than the extension the difference is negligible relative to the 16-18 ft lb spec. 

[rbridges]

17 hours ago, kpaul said:

Don,

Sounds like you need to make one of these...

looks like a mutant deer.  

[kpaul]

3 hours ago, rbridges said:

looks like a mutant deer.  

Ha, yeah you are right.  I snapped that photo about 3 years ago during a fly-in in Brewton, AL, it belonged to the maintenance facility there.  I wish I flew enough to see any significant recoup in oil compared to the money I would spend in PVC to build one.

[DonMuncy]

Here is mine. Sorry I took the containers out before taking the pic. Incidentally, I recovered almost 8 ounces of oil from my oil change. Naturally, it would be much less (or none) if you are willing to wait 15 or twenty minutes between pouring in each quart.

[RLCarter]

@kpaul, @DonMuncy we did the same at a shop I worked at, we just drained a single qt at a time into a 1 gallon water/milk jug. We never ran it anything other than our forklift due to the fact it was a  potpourri of brands and weights. 

[carusoam]

Don has some amazing fancy sheet metal skills too!

• machine builder
• circuit builder
• Honorary CB, environmentalist, and Sheet metal artist!  (Saving the oil, not discarding the oil improperly)

Way to go Don!

Best regards,

-a-

[jaylw314]

2 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

Here is mine. Sorry I took the containers out before taking the pic. Incidentally, I recovered almost 8 ounces of oil from my oil change. Naturally, it would be much less (or none) if you are willing to wait 15 or twenty minutes between pouring in each quart.

You are god-like, @DonMuncy !  I shall kneel before Zod! 

[Guest]

23 hours ago, RLCarter said:

here is the formula (Desired Torque X B divided A +B 

Or just use an extension and place the crows foot at 90 degrees to the torque wrench, no math required.

Clarence

 

[ArtVandelay]

Or just use an extension and place the crows foot at 90 degrees to the torque wrench, no math required.
Clarence
 

Or just choke up on the torque wrench the inch or so.

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

Or just choke up on the torque wrench the inch or so.

That’s like flying the ILS a few dots off of perfect.

Clarence

[ArtVandelay]

That’s like flying the ILS a few dots off of perfect.
Clarence

Only if you know the ILS is not aligned correctly and you try to compensate.