Oil change methods

[Mac80]

I was back reading old discussions about oil change intervals.  

My local mechanic  is not a fan a changing oil prior to annual, at least on my 1994 M20 J. I am running about  50 hours annually.

I tried it a couple times and with electric cows flaps lowering the bottom cowl off while leaving bottom cowl screws attached. This does not work well for me and was wondering about not taking bottom cowl off or technic of lowering it without dropping.

The other issue I had problems with  is tightening the safety wire correctly. I have the pliers needed but getting it snug was a problem?

 

 

[A64Pilot]

Remove the bottom cowling, best if you have a friend, but there are several methods that work, I use an office chair under the cowling, but have seen someone use a bungee cord, it looked to be a good idea. I need to give that a try

I’ve seen people who will back off the oil filter to get the wire tight. I’ve been doing safety wire for over 40 years so I don’t, but I see no harm in that, but honestly if the wire is just a tiny bit loose I don’t see the harm in that either

[ArtVandelay]

Install a quick drain and you don’t need to remove the lower cowl.

[A64Pilot]

22 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

Install a quick drain and you don’t need to remove the lower cowl.

I can’t change the filter without making a mess and I’ve tried the freezer bag trick, but I think everything needs inspecting and the engine lightly covered with Gunk and washed off, to keep things clean and that requires cowling removal. I usually find something that needs attention

On mine it’s time to check and likely replace some of the anti-chafe tape too on the bottom of the cowl as any oil gets there and it softens the adhesive. My cowling has a good bit of wear because I think I’m the first to use anti-chafe tape

I did forget to mention something in his post, he indicates he flies about 50 hours between Annuals which seemed to indicate that he only changes oil once a year, if that’s true in my opinion that’s too long to wait. I think ideally every Quarter, but every six months is probably good I guess, better than yearly.

I’ve only had one airplane without a quick drain, a C-210 and it can’t have one because the nose wheel would break it off if it did. Doesn’t  pretty much every airplane have quick drains?

[Mac80]

 

43 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

Install a quick drain and you don’t need to remove the lower cowl.

It has a push stop easy drain. So are you taking oil filter off from above with bottom cowl attached?  I did read where can access drain with cam lock released and left cowl flap down. Times I tried to get filter off with rags still had some oil dripping.
 

 

 

 

 

[McMooney]

you need one of those flimsy plastic bags to fit around all the bends, freezer bags are too stiff

Edited May 7, 2023 by McMooney

[ArtVandelay]

 
It has a push stop easy drain. So are you taking oil filter off from above with bottom cowl attached?  I did read where can access drain with cam lock released and left cowl flap down. Times I tried to get filter off with rags still had some oil dripping.
 
 

 

 
 

Yes, I disconnect the left cowl flap, attach a hose, drain the oil. Then remove the oil filter from the top, I made a plastic drain to catch the oil.
I still managed to spill sometimes, like losing a grip on the filter.

[EricJ]

Getting the bottom cowl off just takes some practice.    I do it routinely by myself, but I have a fairly decent arm spread, too.

The safety wire doesn't need to be super tight if the filter is torqued correctly.    It's mostly there to keep the filter from backing out if it does manage to get loose, which it shouldn't if it is properly torqued, and won't go far if there is safety wire there, even if it's a little bit loose.

 

[amillet]

Quart size ziplock works for me 

[warren.huisman]

Changing oil to me is a pain as I seemingly haven't figured out how to get the filter off without making a mess and getting oil everywhere, the rest is not big deal to me.  Any of you see the AOPA video demonstrating the anti-splat tool?  Thoughts??

[EricJ]

3 minutes ago, warren.huisman said:

Changing oil to me is a pain as I seemingly haven't figured out how to get the filter off without making a mess and getting oil everywhere, the rest is not big deal to me.  Any of you see the AOPA video demonstrating the anti-splat tool?  Thoughts??

On a J model the PVC half-pipe or foldable funnels don't work very well because there's stuff in the way.   I take the filter off after after the airplane has sat for a while, usually at least overnight, since being run last.    Usually there's very little oil left in the filter then and either nothing comes out or little enough that it's easy to catch and clean up with some shop towels.

 

[Mac80]

35 minutes ago, EricJ said:

On a J model the PVC half-pipe or foldable funnels don't work very well because there's stuff in the way.   I take the filter off after after the airplane has sat for a while, usually at least overnight, since being run last.    Usually there's very little oil left in the filter then and either nothing comes out or little enough that it's easy to catch and clean up with some shop towels.

 

Since plane is in a private hangar that does not need to be shuttled I am considering using drain thru the right side cowl flap with cam lock released and letting it drain over night after flying. Then hopefully most of the filter oil will drain back to engine then remove filter with shop rags under the attachment point. I tried a plastic bag once. It was still messy. 

Thank you for all the suggestions. I try it again.

 

[larryb]

On the J it is possible to change the oil without dropping the cowl. I had a quick drain, and when I completed the flight before the change I would connect the tube and activate the quick drain. A day or two later, as EricJ says above,  all of the oil will have drained, including the oil in the filter itself. But yes, if you change the oil immediately after flight there will be a ton of oil all over the place.

 

That said, it is always a good idea to inspect everything during the oil change. So I do recommend knowing how to drop the cowl.  I would tie a 1/4" cord from one camlock hole, across the top, to the matching camlock hole on the other side. Then loosen all of the other camlocks. Put a 5 gallon bucket below the cowl in front of the nose gear. Once all the fasteners are un-done, untie the cord from one side and gently lower onto the bucket, holding the cowl on your side, and lowering the other side with the cord. 

 

Now that I have an Encore with the carbon fiber cowl, I no longer need the cord trick. It's light enough that I can un-do all of the camlocks and then stand in front and below the prop, wiggle it loose, and lower it on to the bucket.

[carusoam]

Carbon fiber cowling is sooooo cool.  It weighs near nothing…

I saw/lifted the parts on display at KOSH one year… 

Best regards,

-a-

[PT20J]

I always remove the cowling because I want to inspect the engine.

Removing lower cowl on a J is easy single handed. Just get two short bungee chords that stretch from the lifting eye to a camloc socket for the upper cowl that is about midpoint the lower cowl on each side. Then disconnect the cowl flaps and landing light (if the light is in the lower cowl), put the prop horizontal, and then unscrew all the lower cowl camlocs. The bungees will support the lower cowl. Next, support the cowl with one hand while unhooking the bungee on one side, switch hands supporting the cowl and remove the remaining bungee. Then, just lower the cowl moving it down and forward away from the prop. 

[Hector]

Changing oil to me is a pain as I seemingly haven't figured out how to get the filter off without making a mess and getting oil everywhere, the rest is not big deal to me.  Any of you see the AOPA video demonstrating the anti-splat tool?  Thoughts??

I did see that today but started thinking the high pressure shop air might clean out any metal debris from the filter media? Not sure if that would happen but If my engine started making metal I would want to know. I open my filter every oil change. It did look like an interesting way to avoid any oil spills. In my C model it is not a problem. I cut a pvc pipe in half and sneak it under the filter to catch any oil drips.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PT20J]

6 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Again I’ll be the odd one, I never take a cowl off a customers airplane without having an extra pair of hands.  I’ve seen far too many nice airplanes with scratched side skins and scratched prop spinners.

No, not odd at all. If I am paying someone to work on my airplane, I want them to take due care. It's entirely different if I'm working on my own airplane. 

[EricJ]

6 hours ago, M20Doc said:

Again I’ll be the odd one, I never take a cowl off a customers airplane without having an extra pair of hands.  I’ve seen far too many nice airplanes with scratched side skins and scratched prop spinners.

When the extra hands are available it is definitely best done as a two-person job.   Many of us just don't have that option most of the time.

[Shadrach]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:54 PM, A64Pilot said:

I did forget to mention something in his post, he indicates he flies about 50 hours between Annuals which seemed to indicate that he only changes oil once a year, if that’s true in my opinion that’s too long to wait. I think ideally every Quarter, but every six months is probably good I guess, better than yearly.

I am skeptical that calendar time matters as much as we've been led to believe.  I've heard and read plenty about combustion byproducts and acidic oil.  I've seen the insides of many aircraft engines as well as a few ground based air-cooled engines with various numbers of hours with the oil inside some of which sitting for years bathing parts of the crank.  I have never seen an indication of PH level induced corrosion on parts that are submerged is old oil. One might expect at the very least that the oil varnish on engine internals would show signs of acidic breakdown, but I've never seen it. Have you? Anyone else?

[T. Peterson]

34 minutes ago, EricJ said:

When the extra hands are available it is definitely best done as a two-person job.   Many of us just don't have that option most of the time.

Don’t you have a wife?

[M20F]

I use plastic grocery bags (2 because they are thin) for the filter.  Would agree ziploc is probably too rigid. 
 
Would also echo the quick drain and see no point in pulling the cowling.  At least on my F I can see whatever I need with a flashlight and a mirror if needed.  The more you take apart the more likely one is not to put back the right  way.

My 2 cents and like gas, oil is cheap in the grand scheme of things.  I change it more often then is probably needed but it’s cheap, so why not. 

[Ibra]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:27 AM, Mac80 said:

Times I tried to get filter off with rags still had some oil dripping

Has anyone ever ever managed to remove oil filtre without dropping anything and making huge mess? unless you do it in zero gravity  or as mentioned above by letting it drain for day or two?

On removing cowling, I had my 3 year old kid to help by holding it against a folding chair, my wife sent me this picture after he went to nursery the next day, they were asking what is this? 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Ibra

[Ibra]

On 5/8/2023 at 4:36 AM, PT20J said:

put the prop horizontal,

Sir, I am stuck on this one, any hints? we got 3 blades 

[Fly Boomer]

54 minutes ago, Ibra said:

On removing cowling, I had my 3 year old kid to help by holding it against a folding chair, my wife sent me this picture after he went to nursery the next day, they were asking what is this? 

Priceless!

[A64Pilot]

On 5/8/2023 at 1:26 PM, Shadrach said:

I am skeptical that calendar time matters as much as we've been led to believe.  I've heard and read plenty about combustion byproducts and acidic oil.  I've seen the insides of many aircraft engines as well as a few ground based air-cooled engines with various numbers of hours on them and the oil inside some of which  were sitting for years with dirty oil bathing the crank.  I have never seen an indication of PH level induced corrosion on parts that are submerged is old oil. One might expect at the very least that the oil varnish on engine internals would show signs of acidic breakdown, but I've never seen it. Have you? Anyone else?

I’ve not seen it either, and on my cars etc have adopted an OCI of 10,000 miles and maybe once a year, same with the bike and lawnmower, running Shell Rotella 5W-40 Diesel oil.

Wife Inherited a 1923 Ford Model-T that had very dirty oil in it that has been there I’m pretty sure since before WWII. It was always stored covered and I had its head off etc to replace valves and saw no evidence of etching on the cam etc that you might expect to see if there was even a slightly corrosive environment over so many years. The 5 ton truck I drove as an Enlisted soldier for four years never had its oil changed in those four years, because ad the operator I woukd have been the one to change it.

I believe for those that do Oil Analysis the the TBN and TAN will tell the tale.

Many years ago, at least 40 because that’s when I joined, the US Army adopted the strategy of only changing oil on vehicles when SOAP analysis indicated it and dropped the calendar interval, and at least when I Retired in 03 were still doing it that way, I have no idea when they started, but the policy was in place when I joined in 82 so before then.

Doing so has saved the taxpayer no telling how much money and supposedly the environment, I say supposedly because 100% of Army oil is recycled

However the airplane just costs so much and the possible repercussions so severe that I’m reticent to completely drop the calendar interval and adopt an hour interval, but am seriously considering going to 25 hours OCI as it just looks too black if I let it go further. I don’t do analysis, if I did then I’d be more comfortable.

I am not against oil analysis, just think it’s being mis-used and not marketed for what it is, it’s absolute perfect to analyze your oil, tell you exactly what condition the oil is in, how dirty, if there is fuel dilution etc., but many are using it an an engine analysis, and I don’t think that’s what it’s best use is.