Where did the oil go?

Graueradler

Graueradler

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
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Russellville, AR
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Graueradler
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KRUE, Russellville, AR
A plane came in today with prop governor acting up. Found that he only had about 2 qts. of oil left. No sign of a leak and no oily belly.
 
Pilot was lazy and didn't check his oil for a long time? Engine consumed a few quarts.
 
What does the inside of the exhaust pipe look like? Light grey? Dark brown? Or does the pilot just think that oil isn't a necessary additive?

I have neighbors who run cars that way.....
 
Lot larger plane, but when we do our feather check (shutdown to feather and pump back flat) on the 208 our oil will be 1/2 of where it was on the dipstick, oils still there just not where the stick is.
 
I wasn't there. Going on the attendant's phone report, the inside of the exhaust pipe was black.
 
bbchien said:
...I have neighbors who run cars that way.....
Click to expand...

A friend of mine had a nephew who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and was doing his first oil change on his Toyota pickup. He came in the house and told his uncle that he had put the entire case of oil in and it still wasn't full.

Turned out he had no idea what a dipstick was and was just trying to "fill it up" by looking in the oil filler cap. :eek:
 
Silvaire said:
A friend of mine had a nephew who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and was doing his first oil change on his Toyota pickup. He came in the house and told his uncle that he had put the entire case of oil in and it still wasn't full.

Turned out he had no idea what a dipstick was and was just trying to "fill it up" by looking in the oil filler cap. :eek:
Click to expand...

My wife's BMW has no dipstick; you have to navigate a half-dozen menus on the iDrive computer to get to the oil level reading.

Really?
 
FWIW, many turbine aircraft that do not have a dipstick or a sightglass, but an electronic level indicating system.


 
Top piston ring on one cylinder was broken. About an inch and a half of pieces fell out of the groove into the cowling when they pulled the cylinder. (Lyc. I/O-360). Both plugs completely oil fouled. Vibration was from only running on 3 cylinders. Prop governor acting up as previously reported is questionable. 2'nd ring and oil ring no obvious issues with just a cursory look.
 
bbchien said:
What does the inside of the exhaust pipe look like? Light grey? Dark brown? Or does the pilot just think that oil isn't a necessary additive?

I have neighbors who run cars that way.....
Click to expand...

My great-grandfather was the same way. "Buicks are greased at the factory!" The only reason his last car still ran was family would take it in for servicing on the sly when visiting. Papa wouldn't have approved. :D
 
Prop governor acted about right for low oil.

If there was truly only two quarts Lycoming may have something to say about it
 
Silvaire said:
A friend of mine had a nephew who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and was doing his first oil change on his Toyota pickup. He came in the house and told his uncle that he had put the entire case of oil in and it still wasn't full.

Turned out he had no idea what a dipstick was and was just trying to "fill it up" by looking in the oil filler cap. :eek:
Click to expand...

My Jaguar V12 holds 11-1/2 US quarts. I just put in a case at change and monitor the dipstick, whose mark reads "add 2-1/2 quarts."

For the plane, capacity is 8 quarts, but she blows out anything over 6, so I add 6 quarts plus 1 for the filter.

It's all in what you're oiling . . . .
 
Hank S said:
My Jaguar V12 holds 11-1/2 US quarts. I just put in a case at change and monitor the dipstick, whose mark reads "add 2-1/2 quarts."

For the plane, capacity is 8 quarts, but she blows out anything over 6, so I add 6 quarts plus 1 for the filter.

It's all in what you're oiling . . . .
Click to expand...

Yup. It's way too easy to overthink this stuff when you're listening to people who only listen to lawyers.
 
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