X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:42:37 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from smtp.perigee.net ([173.188.254.45] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.4c3j) with ESMTPS id 4999366 for lml@lancaironline.net; Tue, 31 May 2011 14:24:17 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=173.188.254.45; envelope-from=jschroeder@perigee.net Received: from john-study-2.perigee.net (dsl-208-26-41-156.perigee.net [208.26.41.156]) (authenticated bits=0) by smtp.perigee.net (8.14.1/8.14.1) with ESMTP id p4VINg8h014935 for ; Tue, 31 May 2011 14:23:43 -0400 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=----------Ug4tcjiTwM3BQnaeDmUG1N X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Optimum IO-550 oil level - zero oil pressure event References: X-Original-Date: Tue, 31 May 2011 14:23:34 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 From: "John Schroeder" X-Original-Message-ID: In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Opera Mail/11.10 (Win32) ------------Ug4tcjiTwM3BQnaeDmUG1N Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-15; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Mike Busch, the maintenance guru, in his webinar on oil, says that Continental had to prove the IO-550 could run on as low as 3 quarts before the FAA certified the engine. We keep ours between 5 and 6 quarts on the dip stick to keep the belly reasonably clean. We also have a light, run by a pressure switch set to 30 psi. This is in addition to the oil pressure sensor for the electronic engine monitor. John Schroeder Lancair ES On Tue, 31 May 2011 09:33:27 -0400, Jay Phillips wrote: > > I aim for 6 quarts. As you mention, anything more tends to end up on the > belly. > > Jay Phillips > > Legacy N92SX > > From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of > Frederick Moreno > Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 5:17 AM > To: lml@lancaironline.net > Subject: [LML] Optimum IO-550 oil level - zero oil pressure event > > >> We have been over this issue in the past, and I have reviewed the >> archives, but with a lot of new Legacies flying, it is time to ask the >> question: what is the optimum oil level for the IO-550? > > > The reason I ask is that I had an incident during final when my MVP 50 > engine monitor lit up the red Master Warning light on a two mile final > and I got voice alerts from the Chelton and the engine >monitor: "Check > Engine" and "Check oil pressure." A check of the oil pressure on the > engine monitor showed a big red zero. This went on for a few seconds, > then the alarm went off, then it went >on and off several times. > > Taxiing back on the runway I twice hit the brakes, first while moving > fairly slowly and second while moving faster, but holding engine RPM > constant (about 900 RM according to the data). Both >times the oil > pressure sagged momentarily (but not low enough to trigger an alarm). > > > I downloaded the engine monitor data and sure enough the oil pressure > dropped to zero for several seconds, then went up and down to zero > several times, total elapsed time of 37 seconds. I >downloaded and > studied the data for the entire flight and found an oil pressure sag > while taxiing out for take off when I braked before the U turn at the > end of the runway, but not low enough for an >alarm. I also found an > oil pressure sag (not low enough to trip the alarm) during deceleration > during landing roll out. > > I had another engineer in the right seat who watched all of this. We > examined the data traces. None of it looked like an electrical > intermittent on the oil pressure sensor which is mounted on the >fire > wall. Our conclusion: we had sucked air. > > We check oil pressure at every stop. During a multi-stop long cross > country in March, we landed with as little as 5 quarts after some long > legs. The engine has about 30 hours on it since overhaul, >and is still > breaking in, but we have never seen an oil alarm even with some severe > test flying (steep departures and descents as well as hard braking > during short field practice). > > > Sump capacity is 8 quarts although the dip stick goes up to 12. We > normally run at 6 quarts since prior experience is that more than 6 > quarts blows oil out the breather an on to the belly. After >shutdown > we measured approximately 5 quarts on the dip stick. A day later it > still read 5 quarts. (For reference, I found that Lycoming says the > absolute minimum is 2 quarts, but Cirrus >recommends a minimum of 6 on > the IO-550N, same engine. Presumably there is allowance for oil loss > during flight with the Cirrus numbers.) I put a piece of welding rod > down the dipstick hole, >and found the oil to be just shy of 2 inches > deep in the pan. The dipstick comes to within about 0.4 inches of the > bottom of the pan. We measured the oil pan and then calculated the oil > volume >based on the area and depth of oil, and came up with about 5.5 > quarts. We had also checked the dipstick at the last oil change, and > while not perfect, it checked reasonably well with the oil as we >added > it quart by quart. > > Since the oil pressure alarm was on and off for 37 seconds, we pulled > the engine for a full inspection. Current guess work suggests something > wrong in the oil pump pick up area. The engine is >under warranty, so > I am driving it up to the shop and we will disassemble it while we are > all present and watching. > > So, again, what are you IO-550 guys using for normal oil level, and when > do you add oil? What oil stories can others tell? > > > Curious Fred > > > -- Cheers, John ------------Ug4tcjiTwM3BQnaeDmUG1N Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary=----------Ug4tcjiTwM3BQntcnuXHnQ ------------Ug4tcjiTwM3BQntcnuXHnQ Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-15 Content-ID: Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-Printable