Do you change your own oil?

[Hank]

Quote: Mooneymite

I've always done my own oil changes since I've owned my Mooney.  It is a great time to do a mini-100 hr inspection on the engine.

That being said, changing the oil is simple.  Cutting open/inspecting the filter medium is a nasty, messy, rotten job.  Anyone who does an oil change on an engine with a filter, but doesn't thoroughly inspect the filter hasn't done the whole job!

You may not like what you find, but it is one of the first ways an engine has of warning you of impending failure!

[carusoam]

Anthony,

Torque wrench, deep socket, new crush washers and anti-seize.

Check the insulation on the leads, you may consider new wires if the existing ones are ancient.  

Best regards,

-a-

[PTK]

Quote: jetdriven

Do some more reading.  Synthetic oil blends are not optimal for an air cooled Lycoming or Continental engine.

 

from;  http://www.avweb.com/news/savvyaviator/savvy_aviator_52_thinking_about_oil_changes_196730-1.html

[Mike Busch]  My own personal experience agrees with this: I have investigated many cases of premature cam and lifter distress(generally caused by corrosion during periods of disuse) and without exception they all involved engines operating on Aeroshell 15W-50 multigrade.

 

Ed Kollin: First problem;

Polyalpha olefin (PAO), is the synthetic basestock used in AeroShell 15W-50 (at 50%) and Exxon Elite (at 26%) and the defunct Mobil AV1 (at 100%). It has excellent high and low temperature viscometric properties, high viscosity index (doesn't’t thin as much with increasing temp) and (low temp pour point) and good high temperature stability (when used with the proper antioxidant package). However, NONE OF THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR AIR-COOLED AIRCRAFT ENGINES! PAO has terrible solvency characteristics. It is so bad, that most additives will not dissolve in it. It needs to be combined with an ester (10-20%), alkylated naphthalene (5-25%) or mineral basestock (40-75% Aeroshell and Elite) just to get the additives to dissolve. This is fine for a heavily additized passenger car motor oil but NOT for a low additive treat rate oil used in a very high blow-by, leaded fuel aircraft engine. The ability to keep an engine clean by keeping combustion by-products in suspension is essential for an aircraft oil and the basestock works hand in hand with the dispersant to achieve this.

In my opinion PAO is the worst possible choice of basestock for piston aviation oils, and Exxon and Shell did not learn anything from Mobil’s AV1 spectacular failure. Mineral oils (non dispersant) by themselves, have difficulty solubizing the blow-by for long (witness the engine varnish with the use of non-dispersant oils) but it is nothing compared to the problem PAO has with it. The problem with Mobil AV1 was never the lead bromide (lead salt) particles, it has always been the partially combusted blow-by fuel in the crankcase that forms resinous varnish and captures the lead particles making a thicker deposit that is the problem. It was that way with Mobil AV1 and it remains so with the semi-synthetics.

from: http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=58932&p=605424

 

 

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-12586945/Aircraft-engine-oils-BP-vs.html

http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/answers_about_oil_195194-1.html

 

 

[jetdriven]

How about the part where PAO synthetic  oil cannot suspend lead, so it precipitates out, and then collects more lead.  Seeing as how spectacular the failure of Mobil AV1 full synthetc.   Synthetic also may run off parts sooner.

Look how long it takes W100 to show that last quartmnon the dipstick after flying. About 3 days or so. 15W50 is much faster.

Anyways, Busch and Kollin both don't like it. Aviation Consumer did a test with metal coupons for rust and X/C 20W50 with Camguard came out on top.

[Hank]

Quote: nosky2high

Hank,

Do you have some guidance/advice for a rookie conducting sparkplug maintenance? The use of spark plug thread lubricate, recommended tools, tricks of the trade, etc.?

Thanks,

Anthony

[Txbyker]

How does everyone clean your engine after the oil change?

On my motorcycles and cars I wash them with a water hose but doubt that would be a good thing to do with the Mooney.  I have only wiped mine off with a cloth so far but would like to be able to degrease some areas.

[PTK]

Quote: jetdriven

How about the part where PAO synthetic  oil cannot suspend lead, so it precipitates out, and then collects more lead.  Seeing as how spectacular the failure of Mobil AV1 full synthetc.   Synthetic also may run off parts sooner.

Look how long it takes W100 to show that last quartmnon the dipstick after flying. About 3 days or so. 15W50 is much faster.

Anyways, Busch and Kollin both don't like it. Aviation Consumer did a test with metal coupons for rust and X/C 20W50 with Camguard came out on top.