X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com X-SpamCatcher-Score: 30 [X] Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:51:25 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from global.delionsden.com ([66.150.29.112] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.1.8) with ESMTPS id 1991143 for lml@lancaironline.net; Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:35:31 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=66.150.29.112; envelope-from=n103md@yahoo.com Received: from bmackey by global.delionsden.com with local (Exim 4.62) (envelope-from ) id 1He3kD-0005At-54; Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:34:21 -0400 Received: from 69.12.132.145 ([69.12.132.145]) (SquirrelMail authenticated user bmackey) by www.bmackey.com with HTTP; Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:34:21 -0700 (PDT) X-Original-Message-ID: <8387.69.12.132.145.1176878061.squirrel@www.bmackey.com> X-Original-Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:34:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: [LML] air-oil separator From: "bob mackey" X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net X-Original-Cc: micah@froese.com User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.8 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) Importance: Normal X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - global.delionsden.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - lancaironline.net X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [32015 2012] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - yahoo.com X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: Micah Froese writes: > I am getting oil on the belly of my Continental IO-500 powered > Legacy. When I shut down after a flight, the breather tube makes > a mess on the ground. I had this problem for a short time with my O-320. The problem was a stuck compression ring caused by carbon accumulation. The stuck ring caused excessive blowby, which in turn pressurized the crankcase, blowing oil mist out through the breather. Another side effect was foul-smelling, black oil. Oil temp on the high side also. A complete engine rebuild solved the problem, but just cleaning the piston ring grooves would have sufficed. Did your oily belly start recently? Or has it always been a problem? How's the compression? Got a low cylinder? Does the oil smell bad or darken quickly after an oil change? Crankcase pressurization can be checked by fitting a pressure gauge (airspeed indicator) to the oil filler tube. According to the Sky Ranch Engineering Manual, a Continental IO-500 (or 550?) should show no more that 95 mph during a ground run. Other possible causes (again from SREM pages 346-347): 2. loose seal on oil filler 3. engine breather exposed to low pressure 4. nose seal loose 5. (applies only to IO-360) 6. Defective wet vacuum pump (Garwin or Pesco) 7. Poor engineering at the factory. Call service department. (yes, it really says that)