The dumbest thing we've done, yet...

[Jay Honeck]

So last night (our "Friday" night) Mary and I spent four hours at the
hangar, remounting our "new" wheel pants.

At the same time we decided to change the oil and filter, which had around
35 hours on them. Knowing that we would be doing this, yesterday I had
attached the hose to the quick-drain on the bottom of the engine, and had
let the warm, post-flight oil drain overnight.

I finished changing the filter, cut it open and inspected it, and then moved
on to the wheel pants.

As we began reattaching the wheel pants, it became apparent that this was
not going to be a two-person job. Thus, Mary began to look around for
productive things to do. She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and then
decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while I
cursed at the wheel pants.

What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....

:-(

The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Peter R.]

Jay Honeck ) wrote:

> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....

Ouch. I feel your pain.

--
Peter

[Marco Leon]

Well Jay, if you would have forgotten to add the oil altogether, THAT would
have been quite dumb. I see your experience as a MRM (Maintenance Resource
Mgmt) issue...

Marco

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:HRz6d.281696$Fg5.186950@attbi_s53...
> So last night (our "Friday" night) Mary and I spent four hours at the
> hangar, remounting our "new" wheel pants.
>
> At the same time we decided to change the oil and filter, which had around
> 35 hours on them. Knowing that we would be doing this, yesterday I had
> attached the hose to the quick-drain on the bottom of the engine, and had
> let the warm, post-flight oil drain overnight.
>
> I finished changing the filter, cut it open and inspected it, and then
moved
> on to the wheel pants.
>
> As we began reattaching the wheel pants, it became apparent that this was
> not going to be a two-person job. Thus, Mary began to look around for
> productive things to do. She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
> brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and
then
> decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while
I
> cursed at the wheel pants.
>
> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
> :-(
>
> The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>
>

[C J Campbell]

Boy, if that is the dumbest thing you've ever done, you sure are a dull
person. :-)

[Darrel Toepfer]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
> brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and then
> decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while I
> cursed at the wheel pants.
>
> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
> :-(
>
> The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.

Didn't they tell you that if you put that much oil in, its just gonna
blow it right back out? ;-)

[Ben Jackson]

In article >, Marco Leon <mmleon(at)yahoo.com> wrote:
>Well Jay, if you would have forgotten to add the oil altogether, THAT would
>have been quite dumb.

I was cringing expecting that from the start of the story. It didn't
help that I started draining my oil right after I put the plane away
last time and despite the obvious open cowling, bucket of used oil, etc
I am still paranoid that somehow I could forget to finish the oil change.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Jim Burns]

Sounds like that new air/oil separator really works!!.... just doesn't sound
like it's plumbed correctly! :)
Jim Burns



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.756 / Virus Database: 506 - Release Date: 9/8/2004

[PaulH]

> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
> :-(
>
> The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.

If that's the dumbest thing you've ever done with an airplane, you're
a far better pilot than I :-)

[G.R. Patterson III]

PaulH wrote:
>
> If that's the dumbest thing you've ever done with an airplane, you're
> a far better pilot than I :-)

Or a better liar. :-)

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

[Matt Whiting]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> So last night (our "Friday" night) Mary and I spent four hours at the
> hangar, remounting our "new" wheel pants.
>
> At the same time we decided to change the oil and filter, which had around
> 35 hours on them. Knowing that we would be doing this, yesterday I had
> attached the hose to the quick-drain on the bottom of the engine, and had
> let the warm, post-flight oil drain overnight.
>
> I finished changing the filter, cut it open and inspected it, and then moved
> on to the wheel pants.
>
> As we began reattaching the wheel pants, it became apparent that this was
> not going to be a two-person job. Thus, Mary began to look around for
> productive things to do. She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
> brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and then
> decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while I
> cursed at the wheel pants.
>
> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
> :-(
>
> The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.

I hope your drain pan was large...


Matt

[Matt Whiting]

Jim Burns wrote:

> Sounds like that new air/oil separator really works!!.... just doesn't sound
> like it's plumbed correctly! :)

Sounds more like the engine/oil separator....


Matt

[Montblack]

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
> As we began reattaching the wheel pants, it became apparent that this was
> not going to be a two-person job. Thus, Mary began to look around for
> productive things to do. She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
> brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and then
> decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while I
> cursed at the wheel pants.
>
> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....


Oops. Were you wearing your Vikings "oil changing" T-shirts?

Unless, of course, they've already been "re-gifted" <g>.


Montblack

[Bob Fry]

Which reminds me of this joke...guess Mary needs to study this too.

Oil Change instructions for Women:
1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the
last oil change.
2) Drink a cup of coffee.
3) 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly
maintained vehicle.

Money spent:
Oil Change $20.00
Coffee Free
Total $20.00

~~~~~~~~~~
Oil Change instructions for Men:
1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of
oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a
check for $50.00.
2) Stop by 7-11 and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20.00,
drive home.
3) Open a beer and drink it.
4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7) Place drain pan under engine.
8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
10) Unscrew drain plug.
11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in
process. Cuss.
12) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and
arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.
13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.
14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.
15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil
filter and twist off.
16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing oil
everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash
in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.
17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Decide to finish
oil change tomorrow so you can go see his new garage door opener.
18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta finish the oil change."
Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car. Cleverly dump oil
in hole in back yard instead of taking it back to Kragen to recycle.
19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20) Beer? No, drank it all yesterday.
21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to
gasket surface.
23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24) Remember drain plug from step 11.
25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard,
along with drain plug.
27) Drink beer.
28) Shovel out hole and sift oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily
dirt into hole. Steal sand from kids sandbox to cleverly cover oily
patch of ground and avoid environmental penalties. Wash drain plug in
lawnmower gas.
29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw
kitty litter on oil spill.
30) Drink beer.
31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with
oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench
tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.
32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.
33) Begin cussing fit.
34) Throw stupid crescent wrench.
35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December (1992)
in the left boob.
36) Beer.
37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood
flow.
38) Beer.
39) Beer.
40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
41) Beer.
42) Lower car from jack stands.
43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.
44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled
during steps 23 - 43.
45) Beer.
46) Test drive car.
47) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.
48) Car gets impounded.
49) Call loving wife, make bail.
50) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.

Money spent:
Parts $50.00
DUI $2500.00
Impound fee $75.00
Bail $1500.00
Beer $40.00
Total-- $4165.00
-- But you know the job was done right!

[Jay Honeck]

> Money spent:
> Parts $50.00
> DUI $2500.00
> Impound fee $75.00
> Bail $1500.00
> Beer $40.00
> Total-- $4165.00
> -- But you know the job was done right!

ROTFLMAO!

Good one!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> Oops. Were you wearing your Vikings "oil changing" T-shirts?

Actually, we were wearing our Ebay-obtained surplus flight suits.

Get 'em a bit oversized, and they work GREAT for knocking around the hangar.
They've saved my clothes several times, since I inevitably seem to spill oil
on myself at some point in the process...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Honeck]

> I hope your drain pan was large...

Thankfully, yes.

Actually, by the time we noticed the problem, we only lost between 2 and 3
quarts of oil. Thankfully, it drains out slower than it goes in.

When I told my mechanic this story, he just laughed, and said that we were
lucky that we at least had a drain pan under the quick drain. Apparently he
has made this same mistake, years ago, and his first indication of trouble
was when he tried to take a step!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[john smith]

Wallet/money separator.

Matt Whiting wrote:
> Jim Burns wrote:
>
>> Sounds like that new air/oil separator really works!!.... just doesn't
>> sound
>> like it's plumbed correctly! :)
>
>
> Sounds more like the engine/oil separator....
>
>
> Matt
>

[Nathan Young]

On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 14:42:47 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
> wrote:

>So last night (our "Friday" night) Mary and I spent four hours at the
>hangar, remounting our "new" wheel pants.
>
>At the same time we decided to change the oil and filter, which had around
>35 hours on them. Knowing that we would be doing this, yesterday I had
>attached the hose to the quick-drain on the bottom of the engine, and had
>let the warm, post-flight oil drain overnight.
>
>I finished changing the filter, cut it open and inspected it, and then moved
>on to the wheel pants.
>
>As we began reattaching the wheel pants, it became apparent that this was
>not going to be a two-person job. Thus, Mary began to look around for
>productive things to do. She thoroughly cleaned the wheels, scissors, and
>brakes (which would soon be covered once again by the wheel pants), and then
>decided that she would add the 12 fresh quarts of oil to our engine while I
>cursed at the wheel pants.
>
>What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
>:-(
>
>The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.

I have a PA28-180 with a quick drain on the bottom of the Lycoming.
You can take off the lower cowl to drain the oil -or- you can attach a
flexible hose to the quick drain and route the oil to a bucket.

I had the hose slip off the quickdrain and dump about 2 quarts of oil
into the bottom of the cowling, front wheelpant, and eventually the
hangar floor. What a mess to cleanup.

I now make sure the hose is fully attached, and stress relieved
/supported before activiating the quick drain.

-Nathan

[Bob Chilcoat]

My daughter drove away on a 75-mile trip just after my oldest son had
changed the oil (Dodge minivan). She'd been gone only ten minutes when we
noticed the filler cap on the bench, and a trail of oil in the street. We
started chasing, but couldn't catch her. We left a message for her to check
the oil when she arrived (this was before cell phones). She called later
and reported that there was no oil on the dipstick, and that she was filling
it back up. Took 4 quarts. She bought a new cap and returned a few days
later. Amazing how much oil came out of that uncapped filler opening. A
year or so later we had to replace a head gasket and do some other major
repairs. Coincidence? I'm not sure.

I suppose it could have been worse. Might have been the drain plug.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love
America

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:AbK6d.135152$MQ5.35854@attbi_s52...
> > I hope your drain pan was large...
>
> Thankfully, yes.
>
> Actually, by the time we noticed the problem, we only lost between 2 and 3
> quarts of oil. Thankfully, it drains out slower than it goes in.
>
> When I told my mechanic this story, he just laughed, and said that we were
> lucky that we at least had a drain pan under the quick drain. Apparently
he
> has made this same mistake, years ago, and his first indication of trouble
> was when he tried to take a step!
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>
>

[Richard Russell]

On 29 Sep 2004 18:16:36 -0700, Bob Fry
> wrote:

>Which reminds me of this joke...guess Mary needs to study this too.
>
>Oil Change instructions for Women:
>1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the
> last oil change.
>2) Drink a cup of coffee.
>3) 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly
> maintained vehicle.
>
>Money spent:
>Oil Change $20.00
>Coffee Free
>Total $20.00
>
>~~~~~~~~~~
>Oil Change instructions for Men:
>1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of
> oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a
> check for $50.00.
>2) Stop by 7-11 and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20.00,
> drive home.
>3) Open a beer and drink it.
>4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
>5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
>6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
>7) Place drain pan under engine.
>8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
>9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
>10) Unscrew drain plug.
>11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in
> process. Cuss.
snipped....

Have you been spying on me?
Rich Russell

[Jay Honeck]

> I have a PA28-180 with a quick drain on the bottom of the Lycoming.
> You can take off the lower cowl to drain the oil -or- you can attach a
> flexible hose to the quick drain and route the oil to a bucket.

That's the same set-up we have.

> I had the hose slip off the quickdrain and dump about 2 quarts of oil
> into the bottom of the cowling, front wheelpant, and eventually the
> hangar floor. What a mess to cleanup.

A little bit of oil looks like a LOT of oil. I can't imagine 2 QUARTS on
the floor.

I spilled maybe a pint once, and it took an entire roll of paper towels.

(We won't talk about the time I dumped an entire quart of dark brown wood
stain on the carpet in the meeting room at the inn.... Although, amazingly,
it eventually did come out with repeated shampooing with alcohol.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Nathan Young > wrote:
>I had the hose slip off the quickdrain and dump about 2 quarts of oil
>into the bottom of the cowling, front wheelpant, and eventually the
>hangar floor. What a mess to cleanup.

That's why I put a spring clamp on the hose where it slips over the
quick drain.

I still haven't mastered filter removal...

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[G.R. Patterson III]

Ben Jackson wrote:
>
> I still haven't mastered filter removal...

Can't claim to have "mastered" it, but here's my technique.

My plane is a tailwheel design with an O-320. Because it sits tail-down, the filter
doesn't drain much back into the crankcase.

I take a heavy-duty garbage sack to the airport with me. I tape the top edges of the
sack to the engine mount in such a way that there is plastic under every part of the
filter. When I remove the filter, the oil goes into the sack. I then tear the sack
loose while keeping the filter above and inside it (but *not* letting the filter
drop) and lift the sack out. Dangers to this method are 1) there are various little
items below the filter that can snag on and tear the sack, and 2) if you drop the
filter, it may go right through the bottom of the sack.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

[Jay Honeck]

> I take a heavy-duty garbage sack to the airport with me. I tape the top
edges of the
> sack to the engine mount in such a way that there is plastic under every
part of the
> filter. When I remove the filter, the oil goes into the sack. I then tear
the sack
> loose while keeping the filter above and inside it (but *not* letting the
filter
> drop) and lift the sack out.

I'm going to try this method next time.

Even with our Air Wolf remotely (vertically) mounted oil filter, I STILL
make a mess of myself each and every time I change the oil. And I usually
manage to cut myself on the oil filter while opening it for inspection --
even with the special oil filter cutter I bought from Spruce.

This time, with two people, the mess was considerably less, since once I
removed the oil filter (and dropped it into a milk jug that I've cut to the
proper size and shape), Mary was able to immediately duct tape a plastic
beer cup over the oil filter mounting plate, which effectively caught the
inevitable oil that continues to drain.

Of course, as we learned, having two heads working a task is not ALWAYS
better than one...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[[email protected]]

On 30-Sep-2004, (Ben Jackson) wrote:

> That's why I put a spring clamp on the hose where it slips over the
> quick drain.
>
> I still haven't mastered filter removal...


Here's an alternate method. Cut a groove around the outside of the drain
hose, maybe 3/8'' from the end that attaches to the quick drain. Slip a
rubber O-ring into this groove. The O-ring size should be such that it
alllows the hose to slip on and off the quick drain with modest force
applied, but provides enough clamping force to keep it in place otherwise.
Finding the right size may take some trial-and-error.

--
-Elliott Drucker

[G.R. Patterson III]

Jay Honeck wrote:
>
> Of course, as we learned, having two heads working a task is not ALWAYS
> better than one...

One of the characters in Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" states "If a job can
effectively be done by one person, it is best done by one person." -- or words to
that effect.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

[Russell Kent]

"Jay Honeck" >:
> (We won't talk about the time I dumped an entire quart of dark brown wood
> stain on the carpet in the meeting room at the inn.... Although,
amazingly,
> it eventually did come out with repeated shampooing with alcohol.)

I would've thought long and hard about dying the rest of the carpet to
match...

Russell Kent

[Gene Seibel]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message news:<HRz6d.281696$Fg5.186950@attbi_s53>...

>
> What she didn't know was that the quick drain was still open....
>
> :-(
>
> The inside of our crankcase is really, REALLY clean now.

Been there, done that. Fortunately it was outside and I caught it
after the first quart.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Ben Jackson]

In article <NmX6d.181877$3l3.89196@attbi_s03>, Ben Jackson > wrote:
>In article >,
>That's why I put a spring clamp on the hose where it slips over the
>quick drain.
>
>I still haven't mastered filter removal...

The day after I posted that I finished my oil change. I found that the
spring clamp worked just fine, but at some point the quick drain started
draining AROUND the plunger part, down the outside of the tube, along
the clamp and into my cowling, where it threaded its way just far enough
along the gear opening that it missed the bucket and puddled on the floor.
Luckily it was only a third of a cup or so.

Oh, and I cut up an empty quart oil container and used it to catch the
spill from the filter and it was very tidy.

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/