Here’s a quick note that can make you feel good (or maybe worse if you don’t see it) when looking at a used engine. Paint wear on the nut that holds the oil suction screen in place is a good thing! It tells you that the screen has actually been removed and checked – at least occasionally. If you find the nut safety wired with no paint wear at all—as if it has been in place once the engine was built, then run away quickly, or at least be very suspicious as to how the engine has been maintained. This screen is supposed to be checked at every oil change, so the paint wear should be proportional to age and hours. This is on our 270 hour IO-540 that we bought used, and it looks to me as if the paint I scratched just amount for the number of oil changes the engine has seen. And the screen was clean!
In Case You Missed It
25th Anniversary: Rotax Run
The Rotax engines continual development over the years has led it to become the dominant engines among todays Light Sport Aircraft. Dave Martin details the engines evolution, and takes a look at what may be next.
Sneaky thinking. I like it.
Now Im going to go scratch up my oil screen nut. 8^)
(OK, I do check every other change)
Thanks for the tip, Paul. Good reminder that even small details can be significant and that visual inspection (or simply observation) can provide useful data!
What is and where do I get the O ring or gasket for a Lycoming 320 ?