Normal Oil Consumption - TSIO-360-LB ?

[hubcap]

I have been flying My M20K 231 for close to 300 hours. It is approaching 800 hours SMOH. What is normal oil consumption for a mid-time TSIO-360-LB?

[A64Pilot]

My SWAG is 1qt between 5 and 10 hours for average consumption, I try to stay away from the word normal as some very healthy engines consume quite a bit of oil, it’s one indicator, but not the only or even primary indicator. I’d be concerned if there was a sudden jump in oil consumption though sudden increases are more telling than just consumption.

[carusoam]

Continentals are typically tighter on oil use than Lycoming…

So…

if a quart every ten hours or so is normal…. Continentals would get more hours than that…

Realistically, it takes very consistent readings to see it….

Some engines may take more than a day for the oil to drain from the oil cooler down to the oil pan… where the level is being measured from….

 

This becomes obvious when you check the oil level before a flight… it is a quart low so you add a quart….

You go fly for an hour and check the oil again after you land… it is a quart low again…. So you add another quart….

It appears that your engine is now burning a quart every hour….

Then you come back the next weekend… and magically, there is more oil in the oil pan than expected…

One of the quarts that went missing has just reappeared…. 

Continental oil coolers mounted on the front of the engine have a tendency to play tricks on the oil level measurer….

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic…

Best regards,

-a-

[GMBrown]

The POH and TCM specify a minimum oil level of 5 quarts for the K.  I let the oil level get to 6 then add a qt.  I get better than 10 hours per qt and measure the oil at least 2-3 days after the flight, otherwise, per above discussion, you will end up putting more oil in the plane than you want.

[M20F]

https://resources.savvyaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/articles_eaa/EAA_2014-02_high-oil-consumption.pdf
 

[81X]

4 hours ago, GMBrown said:

The POH and TCM specify a minimum oil level of 5 quarts for the K.  I let the oil level get to 6 then add a qt.  I get better than 10 hours per qt and measure the oil at least 2-3 days after the flight, otherwise, per above discussion, you will end up putting more oil in the plane than you want.

Spot on.  If you are measuring the oil within a few to several hours after a flight, it will typically read up to a quart lower than if you waited a day or two. 
 

To answer your question, I get about 8-10 hours per quart on my TSIO360LB.  My engine is a little over 1600SMOH on the original cylinders.  Hoping to get another several hundred hours on it!   
 

[A64Pilot]

On 9/6/2022 at 8:05 PM, 81X said:

To answer your question, I get about 8-10 hours per quart on my TSIO360LB.  My engine is a little over 1600SMOH on the original cylinders.  Hoping to get another several hundred hours on it!   
 

It’s not uncommon for people who regularly run 65% or less to get TBO or even longer from Cylinders, life seems to be correlated with how hard they are run.

[M20F]

10 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

It’s not uncommon for people who regularly run 65% or less to get TBO or even longer from Cylinders, life seems to be correlated with how hard they are run.

How hot they are run and how often they are run is more my experience.  

[hubcap]

Sounds like my 1 quart for 10 hours is "normal" range for consumption. 

[A64Pilot]

7 hours ago, hubcap said:

Sounds like my 1 quart for 10 hours is "normal" range for consumption. 

I’d say one quart in ten is excellent

[M20F]

7 hours ago, hubcap said:

Sounds like my 1 quart for 10 hours is "normal" range for consumption. 

It is normal for you.  When it changes to 8 or 12hrs that is when you start to be concerned.