M20 Air/Oil separator

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 01:41:17 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Below

Well, I've now flown the plane on four cross-country flights with the new
M20 installed, for a total of 5.1 hours, since Sunday.

The results: Oil level is unchanged and stable at a hair below 12 quarts,
while oil temperatures (according to the JPI engine analyzer) are
stabilizing in the 190 degree range -- unchanged from before.

Intangibles: It may be my imagination, but the prop seems to be cycling
just a tad slower than before during our pre-flight checks. I could be
crazy, though . (Mary didn't sense it, but I find that I am much more "in
tune" with mechanical things than she is...)

Could more oil in the system cause such a thing? It seems illogical, from
what I know about the variable-pitch prop system.

I just paid my son to clean the belly "one last time" today -- I hope from
now on it's just dust and dirt, not oil!

I can't really speak with any authority on the whole "putting crud
back in the crankcase" deal, but I can add that every 325-350 hp
Navajo breathes through a factory-installed air/oil sep.

The Navajo runs a higher horsepower version of my engine, right TC?

Not exactly. The cylinder design is canted-valve, with the intake
coming in the bottom side and the exhaust exiting on top-opposed to to
your engine with parallel valves, and the intake and exhaust pipes on
the bottom. It also has a slightly different induction housing with a
larger common plenum with internal extensions to effectively lengthen
the intake pipes.

I probably should have made it clear that the air/oil sep is a Piper
factory installation, not Lycoming.

TC

The plane I just bought has an Airwolf adapter according to the paperwork
but I haven't even seen it yet. I'll let you know.

Mike
MU-2
Helio Courier


"Kai Glaesner" wrote in message
...
All,

I just checked the airwolf.com site. [...]

I did, too. It's slightly OT, but has anyone tried their remote
oil-filter?
The idea looks promising (and our hangar floor would benefit from
"hassel-free" oil-filter change ;-)

Regards

Kai

I did, too. It's slightly OT, but has anyone tried their remote
oil-filter?
The idea looks promising (and our hangar floor would benefit from
"hassel-free" oil-filter change ;-)

We installed one on our O-540 during the rebuild two years ago, and love it.
It makes changing the oil MUCH easier, especially on an O-540, where the
filter was mounted horizontally on the top/back of the engine. When you
unscrewed it, the filter would literally back up into the firewall (which
was dented from all the years of doing this), and you could just barely get
it out.

Meanwhile, of course, you were dumping the entire quart of oil all over the
engine...

Now, it's ALMOST a clean job. I still seem to manage to get oil everywhere,
but that's probably just me!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I probably should have made it clear that the air/oil sep is a Piper
factory installation, not Lycoming.

That's interesting. Who manufactured it for Piper?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Bushy wrote:
I did, too. It's slightly OT, but has anyone tried their remote

oil-filter?

If the installation involves running hoses to the remote location, I'd see that
as an unnecesary extra leak risk.

If the installation involves running hoses to the remote location, I'd see
that
as an unnecesary extra leak risk.

I agree, but in our case the convenience out-weighed the risk.

The previous owner admitted that he only changed his oil every 50 or more
hours, simply because of the incredible mess and hassle. We change ours
every 25 or so, for the good of the engine and because it's really easy.

BTW: The hoses Air Wolf supplied are extremely high quality stainless-steel
braided lines. They appear pretty bullet-proof.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 15:54:40 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

I probably should have made it clear that the air/oil sep is a Piper
factory installation, not Lycoming.

That's interesting. Who manufactured it for Piper?

No clue. Had a generic Piper part number inked on it.

Looks about like a tuna can with a shallow funnel attached to the
bottom with a drain fitting attached.

Inlet is a piece of tubing scarf-cut and welded on to the side of the
"can" so the airflow would tend to rotate around in the can (I guess).

Outlet straight up out of the center of the flat lid screwed to the
top of the sep. There's a cylindrical (sp?) screen with a flat bottom
welded to the inside of the lid.

Is mounted relatively close to the breather fitting on the accessory
case, I'm guessing the hose connecting the engine to the sep inlet is
less than six inches long.

TC

Dave,

If the installation involves running hoses to the remote location, I'd see
that
as an unnecesary extra leak risk.

I'm concerned about this, too. In addition I wonder if there is a noticeable
drop in oil pressure due to the extra resistance in the hoses.

Otherwise changing the oil filter in our Club's Warrior and Dakota IS a mess
and I never stay unstained ... ;-)

Regards

Kai

I have to wonder about the statements that an oil/air separator will
increase the sludge because H2O will be retained.

I assume there's an atmosphere vent on the separator, no? [Cars no longer
have same; the PCV system ducts the vapor back into the air cleaner
to be burned...]

ISTM that as you reach operating temperature, the water in the oil gets
evaporated out and vented off; separator or not. Is there some reason this
does not happen?

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

John_F wrote:
By flying at 8000 to 14000 feet for 41 hours
on a trip I only used 2 quarts in 41 hours. Since I was running wide
open throttle I had no engine manifold vacuum most of the time. It
would appear to me that the extra oil usage at part throttle was
caused by the oil being sucked down the intake valve guides.
Someone more knowledgeable may comment on this.

My guess would be that your engine makes only 50% or less, much less at
14,000 feet, percent power, and it won't use much oil at such low power
settings.