I0-540 Oil Leak after Annual on RV-10

[ScottSchmidt]

Just finished up my annual last week and took a flight to Moab and found a little oil on my front wheel pant after we came back from some Jeeping.

Just wanted to see if anyone can figure out what happened.

Here are the facts. I did all my engine work on a Friday and had an A&P come by and do my compression check and mag timing on my only mag (right side) on Saturday.

Did an engine runup after and everything looked great. There was no oil leak before the annual and it was caused by the A&P.

Any answers or thoughts?

When I pulled the cowl in Moab it obvious what had happened.
Wasn't a big deal but I should have double checked a couple of things after the A&P was there.

 

[Mel]

If the A&P caused the leak...

and all he did was a compression check and mag timing, he R&R 6 spark plugs and loosened and adjusted the mag. So the only thing I can see happening is that he failed to sufficiently tighten a spark plug or the mag.

 

[L.Adamson]

So the only thing I can see happening is that he failed to sufficiently tighten a spark plug or the mag.

And I figure that the timing could easily be off; if loose..........after a 600 mile trip to Moab and back.
That leaves the plug?

edit: and how would the plug effect the runup mag check???

L.Adamson

 

[ScottSchmidt]

Answer

I don't have a great picture but this is what happened.

The lower nut on the mag is 1/2". About 1" away is a plate (the A&P in Moab told me what it was but I can't remember now) that has four 1/2" nuts that hold it on.

When the A&P loosened the mag, he went to loosen the bottom nut to rotate it and put the socket on the wrong nut and loosened the top right nut on this inspection plate. He then tried to rotate the mag and couldn't so he went back to loosen it more and put the socket on the mag nut and never knew he loosened the wrong one.

When I pulled the cowling it was very obvious that this nut was loosened after I had torqued them during my annual.

Just thought I would share this everyone to recheck the tightness of nuts after work has been done. If I had a mag timer I could have done the exact same thing. I'm not blaming anyone, just showing how easy little problems like this occur. The fact that they are both 1/2" nuts and are very close together is what causes little issues like that.

 

[Mel]

If you are talking about the plate where the prop governor goes, I can't imagine him mistakenly loosening that nut. It's not even in the same plane as the mag. But I guess it's possible.

 

[Ron Lee]

Actually Mel it is in the same plane as the mag.

 

[ScottSchmidt]

Prop Gov. Plate

I will try to get a better picture of it.
When I pulled the cowls after I got back to make sure everything is clean, I took a close look at and tried it myself. It was actually pretty easy, especially if you were standing above it, reaching down and not looking directly at the nut.

I could be wrong but I felt good about finding the leak at on offsite airport and thinking about how it possibly could have happened.

I also found the lost Sony Camera battery during my annual. My brother thought he had brought two batteries for his little Sony camera earlier this year on a flight but could only find one. When I pulled the covers under the seats there it was. It must have fallen straight down, hit the stick and dropped into the hole where the stick comes out by your heels.