Another Story

[Michelle P]

As promised the reason I did not fly my airplane on the Angel Flight.
Some time about ten days ago Elizabeth (my airplane) developed an oil
leak. My airplane went from using a quart about every 10-12 hours to a
quart every 2 hours. The belly was wet. I had an obvious leak. I looked
at the drain back lines and all of them were dry and the clamps were
tights. I looked at the oil filter and it was dry. Every thing on the
accessory case from one mag to another and down was wet. This left both
mags, the fuel pump and the oil filter adapter as the possible suspects.
Since I had removed a Mag that was mis-behaving and done a mini overhaul
I took that as the likely suspect. I removed it cleaned off the old
gasket and put new one on. Nope that did not do it. I checked the other
mag. Replaced that gasket, not that either. This was getting frustrating.

By now I had replaced both gaskets and re-timed both magneto's. This
time I sprayed down the engine and ran it without the cowlings on.
Everything from the mags down was once again wet. I cleaned her once
again and ran it for a short time. Now the culprit was making itself known.

It appeared to be the oil filter adapter. I hope so. I was not about to
order parts and not have it be what I suspected. Instead of ordering
another adapter and making changing the oil filter a pain in butt for
the next ten or so years. I ordered a remote filter kit. Now I could
finally get ot the filter without needing the dimple in the firewall. I
installed the hardware last weekend. I primed the oil filter with oil.
It took nearly a quart of oil. I ordered the hoses this morning. I
should have the tomorrow morning. Hopefully Elizabeth will operational
tomorrow afternoon.

Michelle

[Mike W.]

I hope this works out for you, let us know. The extra cooling and oil
capacity are a bonus.

"Michelle P" > wrote in message
nk.net...

> It appeared to be the oil filter adapter. I hope so. I was not about to
> order parts and not have it be what I suspected. Instead of ordering
> another adapter and making changing the oil filter a pain in butt for
> the next ten or so years. I ordered a remote filter kit. Now I could
> finally get ot the filter without needing the dimple in the firewall. I
> installed the hardware last weekend. I primed the oil filter with oil.
> It took nearly a quart of oil. I ordered the hoses this morning. I
> should have the tomorrow morning. Hopefully Elizabeth will operational
> tomorrow afternoon.
>
> Michelle

[zatatime]

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:15:49 GMT, Michelle P
> wrote:

>As promised the reason I did not fly my airplane on the Angel Flight.
>Some time about ten days ago Elizabeth (my airplane) developed an oil
>leak. My airplane went from using a quart about every 10-12 hours to a
>quart every 2 hours. The belly was wet. I had an obvious leak. I looked
>at the drain back lines and all of them were dry and the clamps were
>tights. I looked at the oil filter and it was dry. Every thing on the
>accessory case from one mag to another and down was wet. This left both
>mags, the fuel pump and the oil filter adapter as the possible suspects.
>Since I had removed a Mag that was mis-behaving and done a mini overhaul
>I took that as the likely suspect. I removed it cleaned off the old
>gasket and put new one on. Nope that did not do it. I checked the other
>mag. Replaced that gasket, not that either. This was getting frustrating.
>
>By now I had replaced both gaskets and re-timed both magneto's. This
>time I sprayed down the engine and ran it without the cowlings on.
>Everything from the mags down was once again wet. I cleaned her once
>again and ran it for a short time. Now the culprit was making itself known.
>
>It appeared to be the oil filter adapter. I hope so. I was not about to
>order parts and not have it be what I suspected. Instead of ordering
>another adapter and making changing the oil filter a pain in butt for
>the next ten or so years. I ordered a remote filter kit. Now I could
>finally get ot the filter without needing the dimple in the firewall. I
>installed the hardware last weekend. I primed the oil filter with oil.
>It took nearly a quart of oil. I ordered the hoses this morning. I
>should have the tomorrow morning. Hopefully Elizabeth will operational
>tomorrow afternoon.
>
>Michelle


Aren't airplanes fun? Hope this ends your search, and that the new
set up works well for you.

z

[Denny]

I am also chasing a leak - on the port engine on Fat Albert... Nothing
of any magnitude but over the past month it has started dripping on the
hangar floor after flying... I don't tolerate leaks... This one is also
in the accessory section.. I cleaned the engine and ground ran it ..
Nada, nuttin... Put the cowls back on (~1 hour job on an Apache) and
flew it for 40 minutes... Pulled the upper cowl and looked, and sure
enough there were several drops on the bottom cowling... By that time
it was Sunday afternoon and I had lost interest in hanging around for
40 minutes while the engine cooled down enough to pull the entire
cowling, so I bagged it and went home... Tomorrow afternoon I will go
out and pull the cowls and see if I can find it... I am suspicious of
the fuel pump gasket, and of the mags, and also the outboard corner
bolt of the oil pan.. We'll see what it turns out to be... I hope it is
inexpensive... Just changed a starter, but that's another story...

denny

[Michelle P]

I checked all of the bolts on the oil pan. They were fine. My fuel pump
is factory original with the engine. I hope it is not the pump gasket.
The bolts are still tight and safetied.
I will know this afternoon. my hose are due to arrive in about an hour.
Michelle

Denny wrote:

>I am also chasing a leak - on the port engine on Fat Albert... Nothing
>of any magnitude but over the past month it has started dripping on the
>hangar floor after flying... I don't tolerate leaks... This one is also
>in the accessory section.. I cleaned the engine and ground ran it ..
>Nada, nuttin... Put the cowls back on (~1 hour job on an Apache) and
>flew it for 40 minutes... Pulled the upper cowl and looked, and sure
>enough there were several drops on the bottom cowling... By that time
>it was Sunday afternoon and I had lost interest in hanging around for
>40 minutes while the engine cooled down enough to pull the entire
>cowling, so I bagged it and went home... Tomorrow afternoon I will go
>out and pull the cowls and see if I can find it... I am suspicious of
>the fuel pump gasket, and of the mags, and also the outboard corner
>bolt of the oil pan.. We'll see what it turns out to be... I hope it is
>inexpensive... Just changed a starter, but that's another story...
>
>denny
>
>
>

[Montblack]

("Morgans" wrote)
> By the way, when you said "fat albert" at first, I thought you were
> talking
> "Blue Angel's Fat Albert." <g>


If you get confused, The Blue Angel's Fat Albert is a high wing.


Montblack :-)

[Morgans]

"Michelle P" > wrote

> I checked all of the bolts on the oil pan. They were fine.

I don't know if you know it, but many times, oil pan leaks are from bolts
being too tight. The likely solution to that, is to remove the pan to make
sure the pan flange is still flat (undistorted) and replace the pan gasket,
and this time, not over tightening. The torque values for these bolts are
really low.

Good luck.

By the way, when you said "fat albert" at first, I thought you were talking
"Blue Angel's Fat Albert." <g>
--
Jim in NC

[Denny]

Hey, they infringed on Fat Albert's copyright... Wait till I tell him -
the air will be blue...
denny

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Denny wrote:
> Hey, they infringed on Fat Albert's copyright... Wait till I tell him -
> the air will be blue...


He was a Johnie Come Lately. Back in the 1950s, the SA-16 Grumman Albatross was
also called "Fat Albert". My dad used to fly them in the Air Rescue Service.
And I believe Chalk's still operates them down in Miami....



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN