Question about O-200 (specifically, O-200D) oil consumption.
I've previously topped the 162 off to 5 qts and flown it on a 3 hour xc, no problems. Before the return leg, I'd add half a quart or a quart to bring it back up to 5 qts, and head home.
Yesterday, the dipstick read 4.5 qts, and I set off on a 1 hour flight. When I checked the oil before returning, it read 4. Half a quart in an hour seemed like a lot to me.
The aircraft is around 800 tach / 1000 Hobbs since new.
When I'm out boring holes in the sky, I typically cruise at 2450 and lean a lot.
Does something happen around the 1000 hour mark that causes oil consumption to go up, and is it anything to be concerned about?