Oil change questions

Well, it was time to change the oil in the old bug smasher. Seeing this
is my first time, I hired a mechanic to walk me through it. Of course
it is pretty straight forward, but a few questions came up.

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

What is your opinion?

TIA!!!!

In article k.net,
"Jimmy B." wrote:

Well, it was time to change the oil in the old bug smasher. Seeing this
is my first time, I hired a mechanic to walk me through it. Of course
it is pretty straight forward, but a few questions came up.

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

I'm not an A&P

When I'm doing under supervision, I use the A&P's method.
When I'm doing it on my own, I torque it (as long as I have
a calibrated torque wrench).

I've never had a problem removing a filter that I torqued.


2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

What is your opinion?

I do it every 50 hours or 4 months, whichever comes first.
(and I can't remember where the 4 month thing came from).

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

Torque to specs and use Dow Corning DC-4 on the seal, you shouldn't have any
problems getting it off. A 1" socket works better for us than the typical
oil filter wrench. Learn how and where to safety wire the filter. Make
sure you watch him cut and examine your filter. If you don't cut it and
inspect it, you might as well not even change it.


2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

http://www.lycoming.textron.com/main...oilFilter.html

Says 4 months. I'd say simply fly more. However with oil changes, more
often is better than less often. We typically change oil at 33 hours and
the filter at 66, slightly less than the Lyc recommendation on the oil,
slightly longer than the recommendation on the filter.

Jim

On 7-Jul-2005, "Jim Burns" wrote:

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

We ALWAYS torque to spec, and have never had the slightest problem removing
the filter from our Lyc. IO-360.



If you don't cut it and
inspect it, you might as well not even change it.

I HOPE that's a tongue-in-cheek comment. Sure it's a good idea to open up
the filter to inspect for metal, but if that can't be done right away it
doesn't mean you shouldn't change the filter when appropriate.
--
-Elliott Drucker

"JB" == Jimmy B writes:

JB What is your opinion?

Get another mechanic, the one you have is bull****.

About the same as your mechanic. I can't get a torque wrench on it so I
just handtighten to "that's about right" and safety wire properly.
Never leaked, never stuck.

I set my 300XL to notify 35 hours after the last change. I won't let it
go past 50. I won't let it go past 6 months but I fly often enough that
it's not a problem.

I skipped the filter and oil analysis on my last 2 changes for no good
reason other than I have a bad filter cutter and ran out of analysis
samplers. Ordering now.

Jimmy B. wrote:
Well, it was time to change the oil in the old bug smasher. Seeing this
is my first time, I hired a mechanic to walk me through it. Of course
it is pretty straight forward, but a few questions came up.

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

What is your opinion?

TIA!!!!

I HOPE that's a tongue-in-cheek comment.

Kind of, it's meant to put the emphasis on inspecting the filter rather than
just changing it and blindly tossing it in the trash.

Sure it's a good idea to open up
the filter to inspect for metal, but if that can't be done right away....

I wasn't inferring that you had to do it right away, just that it should be
done.

it
doesn't mean you shouldn't change the filter when appropriate.

Agreed.

Here's a quote from a Lycoming publication that more eloquently puts my
point across....

"In summing up this brief supplemental bit of information about the oil and
your engine, remember that it was not intended as instruction as detailed as
the knowledge required of a mechanic. But we think you will agree that the
"Typical Pilot" should know more about his aircraft engine than "Mr. Typical
Driver" knows about his automobile engine-the penalty for not knowing the
basics is greater in aviation."
An easy way to know more about your engine is to cut the filter each time
you change it.

Jim

As others have stated, use Dow Corning DC-4 (Chief Aircraft supply ). It
makes removing the filter easier than with plain oil. Torque to spec or
3/4 turn past gasket contact when you don't have a wrench (as it says on
the filter). 1 turn seems a bit much, but you can check it with a torque
wrench to see how close it is to spec.

As to the time limit, you are correct. Acids form in the oil that
corrode the insides of the engine. Not sure if the Lycoming spec was 3
or 4 months or something else, but there was a time limit.

Many mechanics are used to changing oil at the request of cheapskate or
neglectful owners. By the time that happens, the oil is usually a year
old and has turned to black sludge. Surprising the mechanic would give
you such a tongue in cheek answer when the engine manufacturers have a
recommended time limit.

Good Luck,
Mike

Jimmy B. wrote:
Well, it was time to change the oil in the old bug smasher. Seeing this
is my first time, I hired a mechanic to walk me through it. Of course
it is pretty straight forward, but a few questions came up.

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

What is your opinion?

TIA!!!!

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Thank you to all who replied. Most informative.

I really liked Jim's suggestion to fly more often. Why didn't I think
of that? ;-)

I've already ordered the DC-4 and I'm looking for a source for
calibrated torque wrenches. All the automotive tool shops around here
sell the cheap uncalibrated wrenches. Any one know a good source?



Jimmy B. wrote:
Well, it was time to change the oil in the old bug smasher. Seeing this
is my first time, I hired a mechanic to walk me through it. Of course
it is pretty straight forward, but a few questions came up.

1) The oil filter specified a torque setting of 16 to 18 ft-lbs. The
mechanic told me mot to do that, just 1 more turn after the gasket
seats. He said that if I used the torque setting, it would be very hard
to get the filter off again.

What do you all do? Torque to the specification, or just 1 turn?

2) A lot of people to change the oil every 3 months regardless of hours
on the oil. Combustion waste gets absorbed by the oil. The mechanic
said he liked that idea because it would generate more revenue for him,
but he felt it was not really necessary.

What is your opinion?

TIA!!!!

Jimmy B. wrote:
Thank you to all who replied. Most informative.

I really liked Jim's suggestion to fly more often. Why didn't I think
of that? ;-)

I've already ordered the DC-4 and I'm looking for a source for
calibrated torque wrenches. All the automotive tool shops around here
sell the cheap uncalibrated wrenches. Any one know a good source?

http://www.harborfreight.com

http://www.rutlandtool.com


--
Jim Pennino

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