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-   -   Haste makes Waste - Oil Filter Edition (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=182880)

JKevin 05-26-2020 06:48 PM

Haste makes Waste - Oil Filter Edition
 
Looking for some advice...

I was changing my oil filter last night and got careless cutting the safety wire to the oil filter. I managed to tear the tab on the accessory case that has the hole for the safety wire. So there is no hole for safety wiring the oil filter in place now.

As a best I could do at the time, I ran the safety wire around the boss for the oil temp sender. It's secure, just not the way Lycoming planned it.

So as I see it my options going forward are:
-continue to wire around the base of the boss for the oil temp sender
-JB weld a small piece of tubing where the old safety wire hole was
-remove accessory case and repair via weld+drill, or replace acc case (I REALLY don't want to do this)
-don't use safety wire - has anyone ever REALLY had an oil filter fall off? Never had one fall off my car.
-something else I haven't thought of?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

FWIW O-360 on RV-6

swjohnsey 05-26-2020 07:03 PM

I don't safety wire the oil filter on my IO-360/RV-4.

John RV8 05-26-2020 07:33 PM

Safety wire
 
That is pretty common issue, just keep running the wire around the oil temp sensor.

JDeanda 05-26-2020 07:35 PM

Ah,That Thing
 
Yeah, I?ve seen lots of these fragile things torn out over the years. I don?t recall breaking any myself, but I?ve been very careful, especially since they almost always belonged to someone else. No big deal, just safety to the temp boss, just like you did. I don?t think I?ve ever seen an oil filter on an aircraft that wasn?t safetied. I?ve also never seen an oil filter come loose on a car, and I?ve never even heard of anybody safetying one on a car. Maybe it?s just professional momentum, but I always safety them on airplanes. The consequences of one coming loose could ruin somebody?s whole day.

Carl Froehlich 05-26-2020 07:42 PM

As a side note, an experienced A&P taught me early on with my first RV to use 0.032? wire for the oil filter, not 0.040?. The smaller wire is less likely to wear out the engine retaining tab.

Carl

JDeanda 05-26-2020 08:09 PM

Yup!
 
Carl, here, hear!

F1R 05-26-2020 08:29 PM

Forget the safety wire on the filter.

Use the 3/4 turn after gasket contact method. Then use a marker pen to put a witness mark on the filter OD that lines up with some feature on the filter mount flange, that you can SEE when you preflight , every time you check your oil level.
After a few oil changes and pre flight inspections you will gain confidence that the filter does not back off.

Robinson Helicopter officially no longer requires safety wire on the oil filters of their Lycoming engines. You should be OK

RV8JD 05-26-2020 08:58 PM

Oil Filter Safety Wire
 
I've posted this before, but what the heck:

It's interesting to note that Robinson Helicopter does not require the safety wiring of the Lycoming engine oil filter per their Service Letter shown below:

https://robinsonheli.com/wp-content/...2/r44_sl45.pdf
SUBJECT: Deleted Safety Wire
"BACKGROUND: Safety wire and safety wire provisions have been deleted from various installations and parts. Deleting safety wire reduces maintenance cost and decreases the potential for safety wire-related FOD. This letter provides guidance for installing parts with or without safety wire provisions."

...

"? Lycoming engines: Oil filters and D723-1 adapter assemblies with or without safety wire provisions do not require safety wire. Installation instructions are on the oil filter."

If a helicopter manufacturer doesn't think it's necessary ...

(For transparency, my oil filter is safety wired.)

lr172 05-26-2020 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swjohnsey (Post 1433628)
I don't safety wire the oil filter on my IO-360/RV-4.

same here. Just like I don't safety wire the oil filter on my car. Time has proven over 100's of millions of vehicles that they don't come off if installed properly. An aircraft filter is pretty much identical to their auto counterparts, as well the mating piece on the block.

Pilot135pd 05-26-2020 09:48 PM

My RV8 with Titan 0-360 has been flying with a WIX 51515 oil filter without a safety wire for over 10 years.


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