How much oil does your engine use?

[FloridaMan]

Just curious. I seem to get around 5-8 hours before I need to add a quart. My engine has 18 years and 1500 hours on it. 

[Scott Aviation]

Chrome jugs

3-4 hours/ litre.

Talk to engine shop and was told that's about right, a re-ring could make it better or worse

I inherited the engine w/ the plane. I would never put chrome jugs on an engine.

[DaveL]

I too have chrome cylinders and use at least a quart every three+ hours. #2 cylinder seems to be the main culprit with oil on the plugs, and definitely getting blowby as the bottom of the plane is definitely rust-proof.

[Sabremech]

1 quart every 10 hours or so.

[Scott Aviation]

I'm glad not the only one with higher oil consumption on chrome. It's bugged me for 8 months and I too have a perma corrosion proofing on the belly

[Hank]

The first quart at about 20 hours, gradually more often, the last usually around 40 then change at 50.

Now around 650 hours on Signature overhaul in 2003.

Gotta love the O-360!

[carusoam]

O360 is good, IO550 is strangely better, in terms of oil use.

Just putting a piece of data in the ring. Not competing.

Best regards,

-a-

[Piloto]

I think I would have help if in this poll the type of engine and oil used was included. Different viscosities and brands have different rate of consumption.

 

José 

[AmigOne]

About 600 hrs on my O-360, had #3 & #4 overhauled after an educated guess that they were the culprits for high oil consumption, confirmed when they were removed (one ring was stuck in carbon). Now 1 qt every 6-8 hrs depending on type of flying. Say I am practicing approaches, landings, local flights, etc (1 qt every 5-6/hrs), as opposed to a 7-8 hr x-country in two legs (1 qt).

[larryb]

6 to 7 hours per quart, io360. 900 smoh unknown builder.

[David Mazer]

When I purchased my plane with a 1200 hr TSIO 540 it used about a qt every 2-3 hrs.  I was told that was typical and okay.  My friend Coy Jacobs got a hold of my plane and when he returned it it was using 1-2 qts/hr!  After a few hours the consumption declined closer to previous requirements but not as good as BC (before Coy).  The engine was rebuilt at the next annual by Zephyr Hills and I haven't ever put in a qt of oil between oil changes yet (30 hr changes).  Not one.  I have no idea how much oil I use per hr and it is great to say that.  Currently using Phillips XC and Camgaurd.

[FloridaMan]

I figured it being the vintage group that we all had the IO360s or O360s

[FloridaMan]

deleted

[mikesalman]

I put 22 hours on my M20F since the last oil change and she's about 1/2 qt. low. I feel lucky since I just bought her 4 months ago.

[BigTex]

My O-360 oil usage depends on its level. At 7 qts, I have to add a quart every couple of hours... At 6 qts, I can go 10 hours between additions.

[yvesg]

Trick is to add 1/2 littre (sorry folks, metric here) when it gets below your prescribed limit. I run somewhere between 15 to 25 hours for 1 littre. (From memory)

Yves

C-FQKM

[jetdriven]

Around 8-10 hours per quart, this is a fresh factory Lycoming IO-360 with 150 hours.  The previous mill used a quart every 6-8 hours and it had 1200 hours on it. I suppose Lycomings like oil more than Continentals do. Some of those guys run 25 hours per quart.

[romair]

have you had any overhaul on yours Antares?

Stefan

'89 J

[Mooneymite]

I too have chrome cylinders and use at least a quart every three+ hours. #2 cylinder seems to be the main culprit with oil on the plugs, and definitely getting blowby as the bottom of the plane is definitely rust-proof.

I had a Mooneymite (A-65) with Chrome cylinders....used a quart every 4 hours and there was always oily residue on the right side of the fuselage. I now have a Hatz (O-320) with chrome cylinders and, as far as I can tell, it uses 1 qt every 10-11 hours. Lore is that chrome is great if the break-in is just right, otherwise plan on high consumption. The two different O-360 engines I've had in my C model with original Lyc steel cylinders have had identical consumption...about 10 hrs/qt.

[rbridges]

I'm guessing a quart every 10 hours or so when it settles down to 6 qts.  If I'm higher than 6-6.5 qts, it blows out pretty fast.

[mschmuff]

I was burning 1qt every 2-3 hours (after the initial 6 hours after oil change) - IO360 chrome cylinders.  We did a compression check on all.  I replaced the lowest compression cylinder with a nitrite and re-ringed one other.  I am now 60 hours from the maintenance and am buring 1qt every 6.23 hours!! I change the oil every 25 and oil and filter every 50 with Phillips 15-50W.

Hope this helps....

[Jerry 5TJ]

O360 600TT factory cylinders ~6 hours per half quart, which is what I add when level drops to "6" on dipstick.

[jlunseth]

I originally was going through about 1 qt. per ten hours in my 231, then it increased to 1 qt. per 2-4 hour trip in the flight levels. That was a leaking quick drain. Since finding the quick drain we (my A&P and my $$) have cured all the various leaks and did a field overhaul on the engine. Just fixing the quick drain alone brought it to about 1 qt. in 20. Now I will add maybe 1 qt. somewhere during the 50 hours I usually go between changes when I am flying frequently in the summer.

[kmyfm20s]

When I purchase my 82J it had 1300 hrs on the original engine with the lowest compression at 70 the highest at 74. From the 1st oil change after the pre buy, it consumed 2-3 qts/ hr. I fix a few leaks and the next oil change averaged around 4-5 qts/hr. The next oil change I added the favored oil additive on this forum because I still had some wheaping of the old gaskets at the base of the cylinders, I thought I would test out there claims. It appeared to help marginally for the wheaping but to my suprise the oil looked different at this oil change and on inspection of the filter more specs and bit of carbon or sludge in it, this oil change averaged 6 qts/ hr. The last oil change was at the annual and almost exactly 100 hrs after purchase and the oil is a nice dark brown and I now average 7-8 qts/hr. compressions jumped to 74,74,76,76. I was pretty happy about that and goes to show planes love to be flown!

Has anyone calibrated the dip stick on there plane? After oil changes they always put in 8 qts but it shows 7 on my stick. Is this typical? I have a 82J with the IO-360. I am going to request only 6 qts at oil changes from now on because I still get a oily belly.

[FloridaMan]

have you had any overhaul on yours Antares?

Stefan

'89 J

 

It had a cylinder replaced at annual about 20 months ago at annual by the previous owner; he said it'd been slowly losing compression each year and decided to just go ahead and have it replaced. It's due for an annual within the next month (I had an early annual when I purchased it as part of the sale). I have a couple oil leaks, one of them being at the oil pressure relief valve, the other at the bolts that go through the crank case. 

 

I change the oil every 25-30 hours as that's how long it takes to get dirty. It feels like one of the cylinders is a bit weaker than the others when I pull the prop through, but I don't hear it in the starter.