Jack,
if you really used up 1 quart of oil within two hours, there are only two places where the oil can go to. By saying really I mean you might have misread your oil level before flight for any reason. Before jumping to conclusions I would repeat the test and validate the reading of 1/2 quart per hour. When your engine compartment does look clean as a whistle, the oil can only go out of the engine breather or is being consumed (burned) in the engine. The first will make your airplanes belly section look black and shiny, the second will make your exhaust look dark or black inside. Both cases indicate not good performing piston rings. To get further with the analysis one would need to know what type of oil you are using, and whether you experienced higher oil temperatures than usual. As a step of precaution, I would change the oil before next flight and test again. Continental defines a maximum of half a pint oil consumption for a C-85 engine. And welcome to the forum. It is like using your e-mail as usual, just hit reply all and you are sending the message to all members of the forum. You need to think twice about what you write, but one is getting used to that real quick. Hartmut To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:05:36 -0500 Subject: FW: [ercoupe-tech] RE: Oil Sorry. I'm new at any kind of forum activity. -----Original Message----- From: Ed Burkhead [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 1:55 PM To: 'Jack Burwell' Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] RE: Oil Jack, It’d be a lot better if you’d post your messages and questions to the forum (unless you want to discuss something privately). I’m not a mechanic and I try to avoid playing one on the Internet. However, we have a bunch of experts including a handful of professional mechanics on the forum. Often, it’s a non-expert who has encountered your problem who provides the best answer. So, please post your message to the forum, directly, at [email protected] Ed From: Jack Burwell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 12:47 PM To: 'Ed Burkhead' Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] RE: Oil Sorry it took me so long to respond to this one. I bought the airplane August 8, 2004 from the prior owner in Ohio. It was advertised then as an Ercoupe 415C/D, although the logs and data plate show it was recertificated by the FAA in April 1985, as a "D". I only know that the engine was removed in August 1974 and shipped to Columbia Aircraft Services in Bloomberg, PA for overhaul, and was reinstalled and converted to a C-85-12-F in November '74. I'm a former USAF all weather jet fighter pilot but I'm an attorney by profession, and hasten to say, that I'm not even very much of a handy man, much less much of a mechanic. So, I certainly didn't add any material or do anything to prevent oil leaks. But the airplane has always been as clean as a whistle. It's been a good little performer. On the other hand, I haven't been flying the airplane enough or as often as I would like. I don't know whether that has any affect on oil consumption, but I flew it from Brighton, Michigan down to Rochester Indiana November 14th, a distance of 142.2 nm. Strong headwinds on the way down made it a 2 hour flight, and it used a quart of oil, which seems like quite a lot. I wonder what your experience and knowledge would reveal in this regard. Maintenance and Annuals since I've owned the airplane has been done by Airservices Enterprise, Inc., at Livingston County Airport at Howell, Michigan; but, I'm making a change for this December's annual (AEI has been and is too expensive in my opinion). -----Original Message----- From: Ed Burkhead [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 27, 2009 4:43 PM To: 'Jack Burwell' Subject: RE: [ercoupe-tech] RE: Oil Jack, Congratulations! Were there any things you did or had done for you that made it leak-free? Who did the last overhaul (major or top) on it? Please post a response to the forum if you did something that might help others. Ed _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live: Make it easier for your friends to see what you’re up to on Facebook. http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windows/windowslive/see-it-in-action/social-network-basics.aspx?ocid=PID23461::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-xm:SI_SB_2:092009
