Oil & Filter Supplies?

455 Bravo Uniform

455 Bravo Uniform

Final Approach
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
5,881
Location
KLAF
Display Name
Display name:
455 Bravo Uniform
I went to order Aeroshell 15w50 and Champion 48108-1 from Spruce and got a back ordered notice until April 28 and May 23 for each respectively.

I didn’t try other brands or other stores. I ended up getting what I needed from the FBO instead.

Is anyone else seeing this as well? 2-3 months is bound to put a damper on flying if someone is expecting a quick oil change. Or an extended oil & filter change interval instead.
 
I haven't checked on my filters recently as I have 4 or 5 in stock (as I do with filters for everything I own), but @Jay Honeck mentioned on FB that his filters are similarly backordered. I assume you checked the Tempest filters as well? Bad part is that now everyone is ordering a bunch to have in stock, which exacerbates the issue. I am guilty too as I bought a set of spark plugs that I don't expect to need for a couple hundred hours so I'd have one if I needed it.
 
I know our local supplier has advised us not to start an oil change without a new filter in hand. They are not receiving their orders for oil or filters.
 
No, hadn’t checked other brands. I should order for the oil change after next now though!
 
I just got a case each of Phillips 20W50 and mineral oil, and a few Tempest 48110 filters from Spruce. They were here in four or five days.
 
I’ve noticed similar with cars. My local chain stores normally have shelves packed with every oil filter imaginable, and are now barren. My truck (Silverado) has a very common filter, as it shares a filter with several sizes of GM’s V8 used in numerous GM trucks/SUVs, and they were completely out (other than Fram, which I wouldn’t use on my lawnmower). They normally stock AC Delco, WIX, Mobil 1, etc etc.
 
I was at Walmart getting some commodities for the cars and found the oil/supply shelves to be very picked-over and limited in qty.

I have a supply for aircraft oil and now keep two cases on hand, which I have never done before.

I was warned to pick up an air filter well-before it’s needed for the annual in OCTOBER.
 
Right now, at this very minute, aircraft Spruce says Phillips 20 W 50 is in stock. I didn’t look at filters because I got a box of those
 
Yes, the mechanic here has been having trouble sourcing filters, not to mention a lot of other things right now. Welcome to the new normal for awhile… <sigh>
 
There has been a big shortage of Rotella T5/T6 oils for diesels. It was cheaper and easier for me to buy 4 gallons of Amsoil full synthetic than it was to buy the same in Motorcraft lol. Amazing that the cost of a top of the line full synthetic is now competitive with the regular stuff due to scarcity.
 
Just ordered oil from Amazon, eta 7-10 days delivery. Filter, not so lucky.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
I went to order Aeroshell 15w50 and Champion 48108-1 from Spruce and got a back ordered notice until April 28 and May 23 for each respectively.

I didn’t try other brands or other stores. I ended up getting what I needed from the FBO instead.

Is anyone else seeing this as well? 2-3 months is bound to put a damper on flying if someone is expecting a quick oil change. Or an extended oil & filter change interval instead.
Click to expand...
Switch to tempest filters while you’re at it.They're much better
 
Order shipped one day after ordering. Seems like they’re delivering by bicycle so it’ll take a week to get here.
 
Just ordered oil from Aviation Oil Outlet and appreciate the recommendation. Free shipping on $75 and over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
eman1200 said:
Order shipped one day after ordering. Seems like they’re delivering by bicycle so it’ll take a week to get here.
Click to expand...

oil delivered. so oil ordered wednesday, delivered monday, not too shabby. filters on the other hand.....
 
I ordered 2 filters (tempest 48110-2) from mcfarlane last Thursday. They were back ordered until April sometime. However, I just received them both today without even getting a shipment email. I only paid about $33 each including shipping. Crazy. Maybe I should play the lottery today…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just ordered 2x12 quarts from PSC and it was shipped right away.
 
just got this puppy delivered today. I'm thinking of selling it for best offer over $1200, but I can't find a #2 pencil.......


IMG_1830.jpg
 
Oshkosh and Sun n fun was the cheapest I could buy aero shell and they would deliver it to my RV to haul home.

I also could find it at home through a wholesale distributor as I am in the oil business.

That distributor quit carrying it late last year.

Now Aircraft Spruce is the best price I can find. The FBO also now buys from AS since it is not available locally anymore.

I bought 4 cases a couple months ago from AS and was in stock 15/50. I also got 1 (12 qts) last week from AS , came in 3 days.

Airport manager told me he had trouble getting W100 aero shell from AS.

This sucks.
 
Lowflynjack said:
It's weird that Champion and Tempest are both out of stock.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. Like toilet paper, a this was a commodity product which likely had a very steady demand, day in and day out, over many years.

Because sales are predictable, the manufacturers don't invest in excess capacity they never needed.

It doesn't take too many aviation forums or Facebook groups to amplify a small blip in supply into a Black Friday rush of people and businesses buying "a few extra (or cases) to have on hand."

The predictable annual demand is suddenly sold out by March, and because there is little excess capacity, it takes a good chunk of the year to replace what was on every supplier's shelves.




Speaking of, I guess I'd better order a few extra filters to put in the hangar...
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
I don't think so. Like toilet paper, a this was a commodity product which likely had a very steady demand, day in and day out, over many years.

Because sales are predictable, the manufacturers don't invest in excess capacity they never needed.

It doesn't take too many aviation forums or Facebook groups to amplify a small blip in supply into a Black Friday rush of people and businesses buying "a few extra (or cases) to have on hand."

The predictable annual demand is suddenly sold out by March, and because there is little excess capacity, it takes a good chunk of the year to replace what was on every supplier's shelves.




Speaking of, I guess I'd better order a few extra filters to put in the hangar...
Click to expand...

Hhhmmm, not sure I’d equate tp usage to oil filter usage. All I ever heard on this forum was how people were flying less during the pandemic (which made very little sense to me), not more.
 
My 0360 a3a originally had no filter, just a screen. Kind of regretting that now.
 
I just hoardered 2 Champion filters from Spruce, expected delivery early September. My hangar neighbor ordered his in January, still hasn’t gotten his yet.

I did my oil change this weekend, but some of April and May I’ll be flying rentals to get my 10 hours of complex and TAA time for commercial, so that’ll save me a few hours of oil time (expensive way to do it).

So I just re-read my original post. A month ago it was back-ordered about 2.5 months; A month later, they’re back ordered 5 months.

Saw one on EBay for $100.

Did I yell “fire!” in a movie theater?
 
Last edited:
eman1200 said:
Hhhmmm, not sure I’d equate tp usage to oil filter usage. All I ever heard on this forum was how people were flying less during the pandemic (which made very little sense to me), not more.
Click to expand...

I would. Paper in a roll that's used in a can...

Seriously, though, isn't most every shop booked full right now from everyone who used their play money to upgrade their planes during covid?

And don't you think most of those got oil changes while they were in for service anyway?

I don't believe that the US crapper volume really went up 10X to drive that crisis -- "Most" of us still took one dump per day on a good day.

Historical steady state demand, social media, and a supply blip caused panic hoarding. No excess capacity on a commodity product means a long time to recover.



Now over to Spruce's website to order yet a few more filters to make sure I've got my things covered...
 
Last edited:
Well huh. Reading this thread is yet another reason I'm glad to fly an experimental RV-8. I run automotive oil filters, can get 'em all day long at O'Reilly Auto for 10 bucks.

Now, if I could just get my freakin cylinders back from the overhaul shop I'd be happy. Creeping up on 3 months to get 4 O-360-A1D wide deck nickel plated jugs overhauled... ugh.
 
Walked into Spruce’s Alaska store yesterday and saw stacks of cases of popular aviation oils and shelves full of filters.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top