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View Poll Results: You find a puddle of oil 3" X 5" under your aircraft after you land. What do you do?
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Get back in the aircraft and fly 17.5 NM home?
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8 |
4.30% |
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Make a post to VAF asking what to do?
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3 |
1.61% |
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Phone your A&P Mechanic?
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0 |
0% |
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Pull cowl and investigate?
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170 |
91.40% |
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Find an A&P to investigate?
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1 |
0.54% |
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Other?
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4 |
2.15% |

09-03-2015, 05:41 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Secluded Lake,Alaska (AK49)
Posts: 359
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Cause
Oil leaks MAY be cause to ground it. Definitely cause to investigate. Find out, then decide. Anyone can inspect, making determinations on the other hand....
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09-03-2015, 06:33 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: So. Cal & AZ
Posts: 40
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African or European Swallow? is there a treadmill involved?
Synthetic oil? Maybe it's marvel mystery oil.
__________________
flying RV4
building RV7
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09-03-2015, 07:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Stilwell, KS
Posts: 1,096
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I wouldn't assume a small leak is going to stay small, until I see where it's coming from. What could have started as a small leak under low power could blow out altogether under high power when you take off. I don't fly anywhere without enough tools to remove the cowl... So investigation is my vote.
__________________
Katie Bosman
RV-3B sold, but flying!
Next project: ???
Builders gonna build...
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09-03-2015, 07:57 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Chesterfield, Missouri
Posts: 4,514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RV6_flyer
You?re out flying meeting your buddies for lunch. After lunch on your way home, there is a rainstorm at your home airport. You divert to a nearby airport to visit friends so that there is time for the storm to pass. When you get out of your aircraft, you find a puddle about 3? X 5? of oil under the airplane and it is coming from cowl exit. Oil is noticed by the air inlet in front of the #2 cylinder. Pulling the dipstick, the oil is down ? of a quart from what it was when you took off 1.1 hours earlier. What do you do?
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Gary,
An oil leak of this magnitude with a Lycoming engine has to be repaired before flight.
What is the point of doing a poll on it?
__________________
RV-12 Build Helper
RV-7A...Sold #70374
The RV-8...Sold #83261
I'm in, dues paid 2019 This place is worth it!
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09-03-2015, 08:13 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Senoia, Georgia
Posts: 802
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I once found a "small" oil leak. Heck, it didn't even drip on the ground. I found it while doing a preflight with a flash light in a dark hangar. It was a small amount, maybe half a teaspoon, on the right cowl inlet lip. Small, but unusual. I pulled the top cowl and and found the problem immediately... A broken crankcase thru-bolt! The nut and the remaining piece of the bolt were still sitting on top of the inter-cylinder baffle.
You must pull the cowl and inspect before further flight. She's talking to you and you need to listen.
Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE
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09-03-2015, 08:54 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Pilot Hill, CA
Posts: 845
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"Pull cowl and investigate"
I'm a very curious person, investigator by trade.
__________________
Charlie
RV-8
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09-03-2015, 09:10 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ijustwannafly
I see most folks would pull the cowl to investigate.
One thing to consider, you are not at your home airport. You have no tools and no proper place to do a genuine inspection.....
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My plane ALWAYS has the basic tools to do some things: change a spark plug, add brake fluid, change an inner tube, and obtain access to do these things. I regard that kit as part of the minimum required equipment.
The OP wouldn't have bothered mentioning this if it wasn't an unusual experience for him; his engine doesn't normally leak oil. Therefore, there's an anomaly. Better see what's going on. Might be easy, might be hard, might be safe to fly home, might not be. Better to know on the ground, and if it's my plane, I'd sure find out.
Wouldn't be the first time I'd pulled a cowling away from home.
Certainly, if you need more capability or expertise than you have with you, get that A&P. If there's one available at that airport.
Dave
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09-03-2015, 11:06 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,670
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I might move the plane a few feet away, and see if it is still leaking. Maybe I parked right on top of an existing puddle.
Scared myself with my car once on that one.
__________________
Pete Hunt, [San Diego] VAF #1069
RV-6, RV-6A, T-6G
ATP, CFII, A&P
2020 Donation+, Gladly Sent
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09-04-2015, 08:22 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Chino, CA
Posts: 738
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Other.... call my friend Gary and ask him what he would do 
__________________
Tom Prokop
Chino, CA
RV-8A,180/CS/Carb, AFS 4500 EFIS/EMS
RV-6, sold, 820 hrs of fun.
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09-04-2015, 12:54 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: KCCB
Posts: 195
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@ Scard - Yea some do not realize who Condor is. I know the answer but it is a trick question ... well sort of. It happened to him.
__________________
Mike Divan
N64GH - RV6,flying 
Once an Airman always an Airman (SSgt 78-82)
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE - THANK THE AMERICAN SOLDIER FOR YOURS!
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