Oil System

[dsm8]

Fellow RV-12ers.

I have completed the powerplant installation and will be ordering the avionics kit shortly. Does anyone have an opinion on charging and purging the oil system at this point? Since the engine was ordered two years ago and am concerned about the lack of oil in the engine. The engine has been in an environmentally controlled environment since it arrived.

Thanks

 

[Rv-12David]

I’m in a similar spot. Engine is on and now completing the installation. I’m interested to hear what to do next.

 

[lr172]

sitting two weeks or two years is about the same when it comes to oil drainback, at least for things you could do something about. This assumes your engine was run on a test stand. Freshly overhauled is a bit different. In those cases, assembly grease is typically used to survive the first startup. If only oil was used, priming is desirable.

You can pull the plugs and crank until the OP comes off the 0 if you feel the need for priming.

 

[bruceh]

You can pre-oil the engine with a pressure pot. I had access to an old fire extinguisher that was filled with oil and pressurized with compressed air. Got it hooked up to the oil pressure sender line and monitored the oil level. You can also squirt some oil in the cylinders (taking the spark plugs out) and spin the engine with the starter until you get oil pressure indication on the gauges.

 

[Piper J3]

You can remove upper spark plugs and hand-spin the engine to develop oil pressure. Very easy to do...

 

[AN23]

Yes, remove top plugs and hand spin the engine. It took maybe twenty to thirty revs on my overhauled engine before it indicated 20-25 psi.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Lots of advice from operators of Lycomings…
A Rotax is quite different and requires a specific process.
It is detailed in Service Instruction 912-I-004.
A copy is typically included with the other documents in the engine crate.

If I was in the OP’s situation, I would probably add oil and do the purge process.

 

[G JWTP]

Have a read here, it's a bit old but ,I think, still valid.

Storage and preservation directives for a new engine

ROTALK is a web based support system which provides a common access point for locating key Information - Education - Support for their Rotax Aircraft Engines such as the Rotax 912, Rotax 914, Rotax 912 iS, Rotax 915 iS, Rotax 503 and Rotax 582.

www.rotax-owner.com

John.