oil leak from sump at temporary carb cover plate

[alpinelakespilot2000]

I have a 3 mos. old new Aerosport 0-320 that just started leaking oil from the cover plate on the sump where the carb goes. Aerosport uses a plastic gasket and metal cover plate for the cover and the oil is leaking down the bolts that hold that (and the carb) on. I assume this is normal, but what will I encounter when I actually take that plate off to put the carb on? Am I going to get dumped with oil, or is there probably just a little bit of preservative oil that has found its way down to the sump?

Thanks.

[Kyle Boatright]

Normally, there isn't a passage where oil can move from the sump into the carb. I can think of two possibilities for what is causing your situation.

1) Oil from the cylinders is coming down the induction tubes - maybe you changed the attitude of the engine and some oil found its way into a cylinder and out an open intake valve. This won't happen once the engine is placed in service.

2) You have an external leak which has found the lowest possible point to migrate towards. For example, maybe you have a sump/crankcase gasket leak and the oil is taking the "most downhill" path, which ends up on your carb studs.

Personally, I would not worry about it unless this continues after the engine is mounted and in operation. If that happens, you've got some head scratching to do.

[kevinh]

No problem. Same thing on my aerosport back before I installed it. Just some of the oil in the cylinders working past the valves and down through that opening. When I removed that plate I got about a tablespoon...

All is well.