Getting YIO390 Ready for first start

[rockitdoc]

How did you guys clean the 'packing' oil out of the combustion chambers prior to first start? My lower plug holes are dripping with the stuff.

 

[Carl Froehlich]

How did you guys clean the 'packing' oil out of the combustion chambers prior to first start? My lower plug holes are dripping with the stuff.

Let it drain. Fill up the sump with break in oil. With the plugs out hand prop the engine until you see oil pressure come up. In addtion to being a good upper body workout, you pre-lube the engine.

Carl

 

[Bavafa]

How about while all the plugs are out, spin the prop with hand a few turns. The compression of the cylinder should push the major part of the oil out.

 

[Desert Rat]

Lycoming has instructions for this. "Prepping the engine for installation" starts on pg 25. If it's already installed, you can't exactly tip it over on its side but as the previous posters said, leave the bottom plugs out while you rotate the prop by hand. It will allow piston compression to force any residual preservative out. A little bit of oil will come shooting out of the lower spark plug holes no problem other than a mess to clean up. But if you have gobs still in there rotating it slowly by hand allows you to make sure it's got time to ooze out. You probably already know this, but you absolutely must get that oil out. Fluid doesn't compress so if you crank it with the spark plugs in and still have a significant amount of preservative oil in there you can bend a connecting rod.

note- Lycoming says to fill the oil cooler up by hand as part of the prelube process. Quite a few guys skip this part and count on the oil pump to just purge the air out of there. That will eventually happen, but depending on the size of your oil cooler and how long the lines are, it can hold close to a quart, so if you don't fill it up before hand you might have to crank it for an uncomfortably long time to make that happen.

However you do it, for a constant speed prop count on putting 8 qts in. By the time all the nooks and crannys get filled up it will likely be showing about 6.5 on the dipstick.

https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/files/attachments/IO-390-A%2520Op%2520%2526%2520Install%2520Manual%252060297-34.pdf

 

[Aden Rich]

Let it drain. Fill up the sump with break in oil. With the plugs out hand prop the engine until you see oil pressure come up. In addtion to being a good upper body workout, you pre-lube the engine.

Carl

You can use the starter to do that when there are no plugs in the cylinder. Ground out the mags or just don't turn on the Emags.

 

[RV6_flyer]

Let it drain. Fill up the sump with break in oil. With the plugs out hand prop the engine until you see oil pressure come up. In addtion to being a good upper body workout, you pre-lube the engine.

Carl

I have been know to use the starter motor to turn the engine over to do what Carl suggests. I typically run it long enough that I see oil pressure on the gauge.

 

[georgemohr]

I have been know to use the starter motor to turn the engine over to do what Carl suggests. I typically run it long enough that I see oil pressure on the gauge.

We did this.