Logging oil changes

Newps wrote:


$110 is ridiculous, do it yourself, it ain't rocket science. Mine costs
$18 total for 9 quarts of oil. I don't have a filter and only do the
screen at the annual.


The first time I called up my mechanic for an oil change she said bring it over.
She opened it up and changed the oil while I watched. When done she billed
me $38 + the oil.

The second time I called up, she said bring it over. She handed me a screw
driver, a bucket, and the case of oil. I paid only for the oil.

She divides her customers into two groups. "Owners" and "just pilots."
Owners take an active role in the maintenance of their aircraft. The
"just pilots" just write checks.

Michael wrote:
: Now let me tell you why some people don't log oil changes.

: Oil changes are not actually required. It's perfectly legal to fly
: the plane all year on the same oil, adding as necessary. The 25 (or
: 50, 100) hour interval is just a recommendation. Ditto gapping plugs,

In the old piston engine airliner days the oil wasn't changed until engine
overhaul. No oil analysis either - it was the 1950's. The oil probably
didn't need to be changed because it leaked out of the radials quickly, so
the oil was probably "replaced" every 50 hours anyway. Presumably the oil
screens were cleaned at some interval, though.
--
Aaron Coolidge

$110 is ridiculous, do it yourself, it ain't rocket science. Mine costs

$18 total for 9 quarts of oil. I don't have a filter and only do the
screen at the annual.

I'd recommend, just like my airplane service manual says, to check both the
pressure and suction screens at every oil change. Why? Well, I found a hunk of
bearing in my sump screen last oil change. Nothing weird on the oil analysis,
nothing weird in the pressure screen, engine was running great and has
excellent compression and performance with no sign of trouble. I'm waiting to
get the engine split open to find out the extent of the trouble. If it did
destroy a bearing, then maybe I just averted an in-flight engine failure. At
the very least, I might have saved myself buying a new crank.

Lycoming pressure screen gasket: $0.97
AN900-16 crush washer for the suction screen: $0.39

Case of oil: $30-$50 depending on preference.

Add $15 for a filter if you have one.

Should also check the gascolator and fuel screens while you're at it. Never
know when a hunk of fuel bladder or sloshing compound might show up. Sure would
make for a bad day if it clogged up.

$110 isn't out of line. $40-60 for materials and an hour labor to clean
everything, cut open the oil filter, wash down the engine with solvent, run up
and check for leaks, sign the paperwork.




--
Dr. Nuketopia
Sorry, no e-Mail.
Spam forgeries have resulted in thousands of faked bounces to my address.

No problem, file it with the Department of Redundancy Department.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...
Dan Thompson wrote:
Go to Jiffy Lube, get an oil change, ask the tech if you can have about a
dozen of his stickers. That's almost a lifetime supply for free.
Nothing like a Jiffy Lube sticker in your plane to show you care.

I think I already suggested that.

Since the FAA has been citing owner/operators for INCORRECT WORDING in
maintenance logs, what IS the correct wording for an oil change log?

Doug wrote:

Since the FAA has been citing owner/operators for INCORRECT WORDING in
maintenance logs, what IS the correct wording for an oil change log?

I write...
Drained oil, serviced with 9 qts of Phillips XC 20W-50. Test ran and
leak checked good.
The I sign it, write in my cert # and also write "owner" next to it.
That's it.

Newps wrote:


Doug wrote:

Since the FAA has been citing owner/operators for INCORRECT WORDING in
maintenance logs, what IS the correct wording for an oil change log?


I write...
Drained oil, serviced with 9 qts of Phillips XC 20W-50. Test ran and
leak checked good.
The I sign it, write in my cert # and also write "owner" next to it.
That's it.

Yep, all the regs require is a:

1. Description of the work.
2. The Date
3. The name of who did the work if different than the signer
4. The signature, cert type and number of the person approving the work.

The only cases I've heard about the FAA having issues is when the pilots
did not make the entry indicating that the aircraft has been approved
for flight after the maintenance (that's what the item #4 does).

Newps wrote
If you didn't log it, it didn't happen. So clearly, you
performed the preventive maintenance in a manner that might not have
been acceptable to the administrator. Busted.

No. Prove the oil change was done wrong.

Unfortunately, that's not how it works with the FAA. The ALJ's
handbook specifically states that you are an interested party, and the
inspector is not, so if it's his word against yours, he is
automatically right.

With the FAA, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Michael

Michael wrote:
Newps wrote

If you didn't log it, it didn't happen. So clearly, you

performed the preventive maintenance in a manner that might not have
been acceptable to the administrator. Busted.

No. Prove the oil change was done wrong.


Unfortunately, that's not how it works with the FAA. The ALJ's
handbook specifically states that you are an interested party, and the
inspector is not, so if it's his word against yours, he is
automatically right.

With the FAA, you are guilty until proven innocent.

No, if they are going to assert I did not do my oil change correctly
they have to have proof. Saying I did it wrong is not proof

Newps wrote:

Doug wrote:

Since the FAA has been citing owner/operators for INCORRECT WORDING in
maintenance logs, what IS the correct wording for an oil change log?

I write...
Drained oil, serviced with 9 qts of Phillips XC 20W-50. Test ran and
leak checked good.
The I sign it, write in my cert # and also write "owner" next to it.
That's it.

My wording is similar. I also change the filter, so I add a note about that.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.