Oil Level Check

Saleh Alzarqa

Saleh Alzarqa

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jun 16, 2021
Messages
6
Display Name
Display name:
salzarqa
I am planning on purchasing a 1969 Cherokee -140 with
  • Engine Model:O-320-E2A
  • Engine Power:150 hp | 111 kW
with TT 5184, 333 SMOH. Not knowing the oil burn rate, How far should I fly before I should check the oil level? My total trip is about 7 hours with a fuel stop of course in between where I will check the oil. Should I stop before the Fuel stop or just wait till the fuel stop?
 
I would think that you would want to do a local flight or two just as a check-out familiarization ride before setting out on a cross country in an unknown aircraft..... Even if just a post-maintenance type of check flight. You'd probably be able to see a trend that you might crudely extrapolate from based on oil loss on a 1 hour local flight.
 
Fuel stop should be fine.

How long since the overhaul?

To be extra safe, I would fly a 1 hour local flight and check the oil. Either to a pattern then check for "start" oil level, or let it sit long enough to the oil to drain down after the hour flight.

My plane, if I check right after flying, it looks like it burned a good bit, but the next morning the level is up.
 
Per Pinecone's post, I'd guess at your fuel stop, at least a quart will be distributed around the engine/filter and not in the pan.

During your preflight, I would suggest pulling the spark plugs and examining them. Are the tops sooty? Are the bottoms wet? This may indicate excessive oil consumption. Also examine the exhaust stacks. Are they oily, sooty, or wet?
 
Saleh Alzarqa said:
I am planning on purchasing a 1969 Cherokee -140 with
  • Engine Model:O-320-E2A
  • Engine Power:150 hp | 111 kW
with TT 5184, 333 SMOH. Not knowing the oil burn rate, How far should I fly before I should check the oil level? My total trip is about 7 hours with a fuel stop of course in between where I will check the oil. Should I stop before the Fuel stop or just wait till the fuel stop?
Click to expand...

I would say check your oil at fuel stops is fine, be aware of airports en route in case you need to land, fly during the day and in good weather. Bring a red + white flashlight, don’t assume everything will work flying night time. Put 3-4 quarts of oil in the baggage compartment.
 
If you are burning oil an early tip -off is a 300 rpm mag drop that
“ burns off”.

Has the aircraft been flying lately or being resurrected?
 
Be aware that if you fill it it’ll probably spit a couple of quarts out. If you’re doing a couple of hours before heading on a long trip, start with 6 quarts and see how the consumption goes.
 
If you don't do a local flight first, making the first leg on your trip home a short one, no more than an hour, is a good idea to verify fuel and oil consumption. And as @Stewartb said, you may not want to fill it, ask the seller how the oil runs... the O-290 in my Hatz holds 8 quarts but there's no point in adding anything more than 6 as it blows right out.
 
Domenick said:
Per Pinecone's post, I'd guess at your fuel stop, at least a quart will be distributed around the engine/filter and not in the pan.
Click to expand...
This is important to remember. My plane holds 12 qts. If it had (for instance) 10 qts, at my fuel stop and for a few hours more it would probably show about 8.5 or 9 qts. If I let it sit a day, it will show the 10.
 
kgruber said:
The lowest number on your dipstick is the minimum oil level required.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with this. But I'm pretty sure you can fill in the blank for me.

On my TIO-540, the dipstick goes from 6 to 12.

No one flies these things at 12. (I know.... someone does.... but damn few do...)

Most seem to fly at 9, and add when it hits 8.

The minimum-safe oil from the mfgr is just a shade under 3.

Does the stick stop at 6 for a reason that it's the minimum dispatch level? (How's that for me making up a term?)
 
Rgbeard said:
I'm not familiar with this. But I'm pretty sure you can fill in the blank for me.

On my TIO-540, the dipstick goes from 6 to 12.

No one flies these things at 12. (I know.... someone does.... but damn few do...)

Most seem to fly at 9, and add when it hits 8.

The minimum-safe oil from the mfgr is just a shade under 3.

Does the stick stop at 6 for a reason that it's the minimum dispatch level? (How's that for me making up a term?)
Click to expand...


That is what I heard 50 years ago. Sounds logical but can't back it up and too lazy to search!
 
kgruber said:
The lowest number on your dipstick is the minimum oil level required.
Click to expand...

Isn’t the minimum oil half of the lowest number on your dipstick? Provided you have the correct dipstick, very possible that one has incorrect dipstick.
 
I thought minimum oil was 1/2 sump capacity.
Ie, 12=6
 
Minimum safe operating oil level must be no less than 1/2 the maximum. This is a REGULATION

§ 33.39 Lubrication system.
(a) The lubrication system of the engine must be designed and constructed so that it will function properly in all flight attitudes and atmospheric conditions in which the airplane is expected to operate. In wet sump engines, this requirement must be met when only one-half of the maximum lubricant supply is in the engine.


That is why some engines have a maximum at 12, but blow out everything over 10.

https://www.t-craft.org/documents/reference/Aircraft.Oil.Usage.pdf
 
Pinecone said:
Minimum safe operating oil level must be no less than 1/2 the maximum. This is a REGULATION
Click to expand...
While most engines were certified under CAR 13 and which states the same thing, the half quantity point is simply a cert requirement. You'll find most engines will exceed that requirement at a lower oil level. Hence the reason Lycoming shows 2-3 quarts as the minimum safe oil level in their documentation.
 
I fly behind an O-320-E2G. A low time engine should be getting around 10-15 hours per quart. Even a high time engine of this model should be getting 6-8 hours per quart if it is properly maintained. You should be checking oil before each flight anyway, and that should be sufficient to alert you to any anomalous oil consumption. Bear in mind that checking oil after flying will result in a lower reading, as not all the oil will have drained back into the sump. It might read up to a quart low immediately after flight. To rigorously check oil consumption, check oil after the plane has sat overnight. Most O-320 models, which hold up to 8 quarts, will quickly dispense of one quart if completely filled. I usually fill my engine to 7 quarts, and replenish when it reaches 6. This usually takes me about 15 hours of operation. I've operated my engine this way for decades with no issues.
 
Consistent readings rely on consistent aircraft attitude.

Some can vary a lot.
 
Pinecone said:
Minimum safe operating oil level must be no less than 1/2 the maximum. This is a REGULATION

§ 33.39 Lubrication system.
(a) The lubrication system of the engine must be designed and constructed so that it will function properly in all flight attitudes and atmospheric conditions in which the airplane is expected to operate. In wet sump engines, this requirement must be met when only one-half of the maximum lubricant supply is in the engine.
Click to expand...
Read it carefully, the word "minimum" is nowhere in this. It says it has to work at 1/2, but does not exclude working at less than 1/2, still complies with what's written.
 
Possilby.

I read on another forum that this was the reason that some engines puke out oil if you fill them to maximum.

But that may be true for only a few engines, where the real minimum was determined, and the max set to be 2x the minimum
 
I keep a small notepad on which I list all oil adds and oil changes.
The oil changes obviously have a more verbose entry in the engine log book.
When I add a quart of oil, those notations on my small notepad do not make it into the engine log book.

I find my little notepad helpful to myself to keep track of how much oil is being used over time and the interval. Otherwise it gets hazy in my mind when thinking back regarding the oil usage.
 
Saleh Alzarqa said:
I am planning on purchasing a 1969 Cherokee -140 with
  • Engine Model:O-320-E2A
  • Engine Power:150 hp | 111 kW
with TT 5184, 333 SMOH. Not knowing the oil burn rate, How far should I fly before I should check the oil level? My total trip is about 7 hours with a fuel stop of course in between where I will check the oil. Should I stop before the Fuel stop or just wait till the fuel stop?
Click to expand...

Any update?
 
To your original question ,you should be good till the first fuel stop.
 
;)
kgruber said:
The lowest number on your dipstick is the minimum oil level required.
Click to expand...
The minimum on the dipstick in my Warrior is 4. I’m not running it at 4 - intentionally. Just me…;)AD7889D4-5F11-4B87-A883-6B0DC8E996B0.jpeg
 
Pinecone said:
Minimum safe operating oil level must be no less than 1/2 the maximum. This is a REGULATION

§ 33.39 Lubrication system.
(a) The lubrication system of the engine must be designed and constructed so that it will function properly in all flight attitudes and atmospheric conditions in which the airplane is expected to operate. In wet sump engines, this requirement must be met when only one-half of the maximum lubricant supply is in the engine.


That is why some engines have a maximum at 12, but blow out everything over 10.

https://www.t-craft.org/documents/reference/Aircraft.Oil.Usage.pdf
Click to expand...
That's the maximum minimum, not the minimum minimum.
 
Lycoming minimum is 2 Qts for the 360 series. Not advocating running at that, but it's well below half and well below the end of the dipstick. Which begs the question of how would you measure it.

From the POH>
Oil Sump Capacity
All Models (ExceptAIO-360 Series,O-360-J2A)................................................8U.S.Quarts
Minimum Safe Quantity in Sump (Except–IO-360-M1A,-M1B;HIO-360-G1A)................................................2U.S.Quarts
IO-360-M1A,-M1B;HIO-360-G1A..................................................................4U.S.Quarts
AIO-360Series...........................................................................................................DrySump
O-360-J2A..............................................................................................................6U.S.Quarts
 
That min amount is mostly for working while you have that oil leak, during your divert.

What respecting pilot is gonna take off with min oil?
 
sourdough44 said:
That min amount is mostly for working while you have that oil leak, during your divert.

What respecting pilot is gonna take off with min oil?
Click to expand...

You mean like those who take off with less than min fuel?????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top