Would this oil level sensor work on an IO540-C4D5D?

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peter-h

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For $140 or so it looks a bargain, and in case of say a burst oil pipe would give you a useful warning.

What would be the paperwork issues on a certified aircraft, US reg? It should be a Minor Alteration because it does not constitute a "basic change" to the oil system or the electrical system.

Would it need its own CB?

I would wire it up to drive an LED.

Many thanks for any feedback or tips.
 
I have a chip detector, and it came with an STC, but there are plenty of products for which STCs have been obtained but for which the STC was not required, often as an aid to marketing.

If you're putting this in, in place if the drain plug, I'd believe it to be a minor mod.

I would certainly expect it to have its own circuit protection (CB or fuse).
 
peter-h said:
here

For $140 or so it looks a bargain, and in case of say a burst oil pipe would give you a useful warning.

What would be the paperwork issues on a certified aircraft, US reg? It should be a Minor Alteration because it does not constitute a "basic change" to the oil system or the electrical system.

Would it need its own CB?

I would wire it up to drive an LED.

Many thanks for any feedback or tips.
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I would think that can be installed on a log book entry. You would have to check on the draw of it to see if you can tie it into a current breaker or if it requires its own. If this is a milliamperes circuit you could tie it into the Instruments breaker.
 
Thank you all for your comments.

The current consumption would be under 100mA (0.1A). The whole "system" is just a switch and an LED.
 
I am not going to install this device. It cannot be installed on an uncertified aircraft.
 
peter-h said:
I am not going to install this device. It cannot be installed on an uncertified aircraft.
Click to expand...

What's the reason?

Having recently had a few oil related diversions, this would be a very useful safety backup to have.
 
No TSO, no nothing :)

A typo above: I meant to say it cannot be installed on a certified aircraft.
 
peter-h said:
here

For $140 or so it looks a bargain, and in case of say a burst oil pipe would give you a useful warning.

What would be the paperwork issues on a certified aircraft, US reg? It should be a Minor Alteration because it does not constitute a "basic change" to the oil system or the electrical system.

Would it need its own CB?

I would wire it up to drive an LED.

Many thanks for any feedback or tips.
Click to expand...

If a oil pipe burst.... You will smell it in about 2 seconds..:yes::rolleyes:
 
I have to believe a field approval would be a no-brainer but, to be honest, I'd be tempted to just install.

Suggestion: install it and power from a battery pack, no wiring to the aircraft bus at all. No alteration to the aircraft, nothing to disapprove. Power from the cigarette lighter.
 
I had bought it anyway; arrived today. I posted a quick review here

I am not entirely convinced of how robust it is...

The problem with this sensor is that if it fails, you have an instant "brown trousers" moment and will head for the nearest airport regardless of cost (which in Europe could be $1500). You will know that since you had ~ 9 qts in there before the flight, and this sensor activates at ~ 2 qts, you have very little time before the engine seizes up.

With EGTs and CHTs, you have plenty of sensor failures (well, on EGTs, for sure) but you can cross-ref them e.g. an EGT of 2000F is not physically possible on an IO540, especially if the CHT is normal and everything else is fine.
 
peter-h said:
I had bought it anyway; arrived today. I posted a quick review here

I am not entirely convinced of how robust it is...

The problem with this sensor is that if it fails, you have an instant "brown trousers" moment and will head for the nearest airport regardless of cost (which in Europe could be $1500). You will know that since you had ~ 9 qts in there before the flight, and this sensor activates at ~ 2 qts, you have very little time before the engine seizes up.

With EGTs and CHTs, you have plenty of sensor failures (well, on EGTs, for sure) but you can cross-ref them e.g. an EGT of 2000F is not physically possible on an IO540, especially if the CHT is normal and everything else is fine.
Click to expand...

Then again, your oil pressure would have been gradually dropping down way before the 2qts warning would activate...
On my recent oil related precautionary landing, the oil pressure dropped from halfway-in-green to bottom of yellow when oil qty dropped from 6 to 3 qts.
 
Not if the leak is before the oil pump.
 
How does that happen when there is a pressure regulator?
 
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