Logging oil changes

Go to Office Depot and get those little one inch diameter round stick on
tabs. You see them as price tags at garage sales. Write the date and
tach time for the next oil change. That way you can simply compare the
tach time to the time on the tag. Tag comes right off when you want to
replace it with a new one.

http://www.dealersupplyonline.com/ and click on Lube Stickers.
$29.95 gets you a life time supply of date/mileage (ok, use hours here)/
Oil Grade static cling stickers.

Go to Jiffy Lube, get an oil change, ask the tech if you can have about a
dozen of his stickers. That's almost a lifetime supply for free. Nothing
like a Jiffy Lube sticker in your plane to show you care.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...


Go to Office Depot and get those little one inch diameter round stick on
tabs. You see them as price tags at garage sales. Write the date and
tach time for the next oil change. That way you can simply compare the
tach time to the time on the tag. Tag comes right off when you want to
replace it with a new one.

http://www.dealersupplyonline.com/ and click on Lube Stickers.
$29.95 gets you a life time supply of date/mileage (ok, use hours here)/
Oil Grade static cling stickers.

dave" wrote in message
...I would guess that if they're not
logging the changes that they're not
doing the changes. All my oil changes are logged by the mechanic. Why
wouldn't someone log the change? Frequent oil changes are a plus not a
minus.

Dave
68 7ECA

We don't log ours in the regular logbook. We keep a separate one just for
oil changes. We also add if screens and filters were changed, and I also
include if oil (and how much) was added between changes. This helps us keep
a close track on oil consumption. We use a separate log because we change
every 25 hours, and I fly about 150 a year. It takes alot of pages in the
little logbooks.

Deb

--
1946 Luscombe 8A (His)
1948 Luscombe 8E (Hers)
1954 Cessna 195B, restoring (Ours)
Jasper, Ga. (JZP)

On 15 Nov 2004 18:16:49 GMT, (Jay Masino)
wrote:

ShawnD2112 wrote:
I do log oil changes, otherwise I wouldn't know when to do the next 25 hr or
6 month change. Also, I want to have a good maintenance record in case I
decide to sell the airplane.

Right after I bought my plane, many years ago, I purposely "synchronized"
my oil changes to an exact multiple of 25 hours on the tach (3325, 3350,
3375, etc). Now, every time I see the tach getting close to a multiple of
25, I know the oil change it due, without pulling out my logs.

Jay,

Nice idea, I will have to follow suit.

Thanks,
Nathan

Dan Thompson wrote:
Go to Jiffy Lube, get an oil change, ask the tech if you can have about a
dozen of his stickers. That's almost a lifetime supply for free. Nothing
like a Jiffy Lube sticker in your plane to show you care.

I think I already suggested that.

" wrote
I've noticed that some people log oil changes but some do not.

Yeah. That's life. As usual, it's the FAA's fault.

Do you log oil changes?

Yes. Eventually. I have a log in the plane where I track flight time
(air and engine), VOR checks, and oil consumption. It also has a
place to show any notes, like where I landed, IMC time, approaches,
whatever. When I change the oil, that log shows it. Eventually, I'll
go back and catch up the official log books for my airplane and
myself. Usually that happens the next time I need my A&P's signature
on something.

Here's the thing, though - if I knew someone was going to look at my
logbooks (as I would expect any airplane purchaser to do) I would have
them caught up. Not because it means much, but because it's so easy
to do. It takes all of five minutes.

Now let me tell you why some people don't log oil changes.

Oil changes are not actually required. It's perfectly legal to fly
the plane all year on the same oil, adding as necessary. The 25 (or
50, 100) hour interval is just a recommendation. Ditto gapping plugs,
changing filter, etc. So no entry in the logbooks isn't something you
can get busted on.

On the other hand, if you do make an entry, an ambitious fed can bust
you on it. For example, how many of you log that you performed the
change (gapped plugs, changed filter) in accordance with the Lycoming
(or Continental) service manual? And maybe there is an aircraft
manufacturer's manual that takes precedence?

An owner is permitted to perform preventive maintenance (elementary
operations in Canada) but he is still required to perform it in a
manner acceptable to the administrator. That generally means in
accordance with the aircraft (or engine) service manual or other
publication. If you didn't log it, it didn't happen. So clearly, you
performed the preventive maintenance in a manner that might not have
been acceptable to the administrator. Busted.

I don't hold with that view myself, because if you've ****ed off a fed
enough that he's willing to bust you on this, he will find SOMETHING
to bust you on, right or wrong - but there are people out there who
believe that it's a bad idea to log anything you don't absolutely have
to, because that will be used against you. They may even have a
point.

So basically, because the FAA allows its inspectors to get away with
bull**** busts like this, some people are defensively not logging
anything they don't have to.

Does it mean anything? Not really. Just because it was logged
doesn't mean it was done, and vice versa. According to my logbooks,
all my hoses were replaced 7 years ago. Thus I was pretty surprised
when my left brake hose (in the cabin) blew on brake application.
When I removed it (a process that requires lying on your back with
feet on the left front seat, holding one wrench in each hand and
flashlight in the teeth) I noted that the faded metal tag (unreadable
by flashlight, but barely legible in good daylight) said it was
manufactured in 1964. Remember, just because it's in writing doesn't
mean it's true.

Michael

Variation to this question.
Does anyone enter the addition of oil between changes into the engine log? I
keep a separate record for myself but do not enter it in the official log.
Also, my oil change by my A&P costs about $110 including filter and oil sample
amalysis with my supplying the oil. How does this compare?
Chuck

Also, my oil change by my A&P costs about $110 including filter and oil
sample
amalysis with my supplying the oil. How does this compare?

I Buy my filters 8 to 10 at a time from Aircraft Spruce.
Get my oil from Sam's Club a case or two at a time.
Change my oil every 50 hours or there about. Every other oil change I send the
oil to the lab cost about $10.00
Also have my AP do a compression check at 100 hours. $40.00
I think that $110.00 is a lot for an oil change, but then it denpends on the
labor rate of you AP.
Hank 172 driver

Michael wrote:



On the other hand, if you do make an entry, an ambitious fed can bust
you on it. For example, how many of you log that you performed the
change (gapped plugs, changed filter) in accordance with the Lycoming
(or Continental) service manual?

Not necessary in the US.



An owner is permitted to perform preventive maintenance (elementary
operations in Canada) but he is still required to perform it in a
manner acceptable to the administrator.

Yes.


That generally means in
accordance with the aircraft (or engine) service manual or other
publication.

Yes, but you don't have to write that in the logbook.


If you didn't log it, it didn't happen. So clearly, you
performed the preventive maintenance in a manner that might not have
been acceptable to the administrator. Busted.

No. Prove the oil change was done wrong.

Hankal wrote:

Also, my oil change by my A&P costs about $110 including filter and oil
sample
amalysis with my supplying the oil. How does this compare?


I Buy my filters 8 to 10 at a time from Aircraft Spruce.
Get my oil from Sam's Club a case or two at a time.
Change my oil every 50 hours or there about. Every other oil change I send the
oil to the lab cost about $10.00
Also have my AP do a compression check at 100 hours. $40.00
I think that $110.00 is a lot for an oil change, but then it denpends on the
labor rate of you AP.

$110 is ridiculous, do it yourself, it ain't rocket science. Mine costs
$18 total for 9 quarts of oil. I don't have a filter and only do the
screen at the annual.