Filling the Oil Cooler

[mfleming]

Getting ready for the first engine start. Lycoming Service Instruction 1241C says to fill the oil cooler before first engine start.

My question is How do you fill the cooler without making a mess? I've seen videos where they use a small pump but I don't have one and live may hours away from a big box store that does.

 

[PilotjohnS]

Hoping

Please tell us we can just fill the crankcase and turn the prop by hand????

 

[Taltruda]

I recently did this.. I disconnected one of the oil cooler lines (I forget which one) and used a hand pump thing to push oil into it until it flowed though the oil galleries and out the oil cooler, making a mess. It even make 2 or 3 psi on the EFIS. On engine start, oil pressure was instant. The hand pump thing looks about the size of a grease gun but operates like a giant hypodermic needle. It’s got a 10 inch hose that we just jammed into the oil line and kinda sealed.

 

[BH1166]

Please tell us we can just fill the crankcase and turn the prop by hand????

I read/heard, turning prop on our modern ancient engines by hand not enough to get oil pump to pump, but effective in maybe removing oil in cylinder walls..

On filling the cooler…..thought Vernatherm was in play, bypassing cooler till needed for cooling. Seems to contradict the recommendation, or am I’m missing sumptin ?

 

[PilotjohnS]

Must fill

I read/heard, turning prop on our modern ancient engines by hand not enough to get oil pump to pump, but effective in maybe removing oil in cylinder walls..

On filling the cooler…..thought Vernatherm was in play, bypassing cooler till needed for cooling. Seems to contradict the recommendation, or am I’m missing sumptin ?

If the oil cooler is bypassed until warmed up, this is a problem because than a slug of air is released when the engine is running.

I will fill my oil cooler before first start. Thanks for bringing it up. I will make a hose with an AN fitting to avoid the mess. Maybe my EAA chapter has a tool?

 

[Mconner7]

Oil pump

I saw a video of a rebuilder using this pump to pre-oil via the galley plug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCb4f8EQIos


Lycoming says to leave the bottom plugs out and motor the engine with the starter until oil pressure is achieved.

 

[Vlad]

Lycoming says to leave the bottom plugs out and motor the engine with the starter until oil pressure is achieved.

That's what I did before first engine start.

 

[Carl Froehlich]

Please tell us we can just fill the crankcase and turn the prop by hand????

Yep. Pull a plug from each cylinder, eat your Wheaties and turn the prop in the normal direction. You are done when you get oil pressure indication.

Vetterman oil cooler bypass valve position makes no difference as with the valve open (cold oil) there is still flow to the cooler.

Carl

 

[rocketman1988]

Also

If you are using a CAI system, and your engine has been sitting for an extended period, pulling the prop through by hand or motoring it without plugs may still be insufficient. Best bet is to preoil using a small pump.

 

[Bavafa]

Lycoming says to leave the bottom plugs out and motor the engine with the starter until oil pressure is achieved.

I believe the primary purpose of this practice is to make sure there is no issue with oil pressure and the engine is fired up.

As for filling the oil cooler, I disconnected one of the oil hose and put a very small funnel. Heated up the oil to get thin and just slowly added till it got full. It did not get much effort and no mess.

 

[lr172]

I saw a video of a rebuilder using this pump to pre-oil via the galley plug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCb4f8EQIos


Lycoming says to leave the bottom plugs out and motor the engine with the starter until oil pressure is achieved.

oops, I left the top plugs out. Can't believe I made such a mistake Doesn't take long to get pressure this way. Just be sure to honor your starters duty cycle limitations.

 

[mfleming]

oops, I left the top plugs out. Can't believe I made such a mistake Doesn't take long to get pressure this way. Just be sure to honor your starters duty cycle limitations.

You did it correctly. The Lycoming service letter 1241C just says remove one spark plug per cylinder, nothing about top or bottom.

 

[andoman]

I was planning on filling and pre-oiling by pumping oil into the Oil Cooler IN fitting.
Will that work?

 

[Southern Pete]

I don't believe anything special is required, just spin the engine with the plugs out so there will be oil pressure as soon as the engine fires. While the engine warms up the Vernatherm will be closed so only a small amount of oil will go to the cooler, by the time the Vernatherm opens the cooler will be full. Trying to fill the cooler will just make a mess and is not necessary.

 

[mfleming]

I don't believe anything special is required, just spin the engine with the plugs out so there will be oil pressure as soon as the engine fires. While the engine warms up the Vernatherm will be closed so only a small amount of oil will go to the cooler, by the time the Vernatherm opens the cooler will be full. Trying to fill the cooler will just make a mess and is not necessary.

Sounds good, except the the Lycoming Service Instruction 1241C says to fill the oil cooler. My guess is they know it will fill with oil after starting but must have a reason for the the instruction.

 

[mfleming]

So here’s my follow up.

The method used for filling my cooler was pretty basic. I used a funnel with a clear very flexible hose attached to it. The top oil fitting was pulled and just slowly poured in warmed up oil. The torturous path the oil must follow means it’s slow going. I put about a half a quart in and called it good. I had plenty of rags to catch the mess, so that wasn’t too bad.