Michael Burbidge
Well Known Member
My engine has about 1100 hours SMOH.
I just finished an oil change. I found three small pieces of non-ferrous material in the sump screen. They were 1/32 inch in diameter or smaller.
My oil analysis came back with elevated aluminum (32 ppm) and elevated iron (255 ppm) Previously they had been at 5 ppm and 48 ppm respectively.
I did not find anything unusual in the oil filter. The filter contained about 1/32 teaspoon of ferrous material, and 1/32 teaspoon of non-ferrous material. No chunks. It was all dust-like size material.
My interpretation of the Lycoming guidance would be to check at next scheduled oil change. i.e. In 25 hours. That's my plan.
Some of you might remember, that a few months ago I installed a p-mag to replace one of my magnetos. You also might remember that I dropped a mag nut into the sump and had to fish it out with a boroscope and magnet. I'm wondering if all the stirring around I did in the sump might have stirred up some material that had been sitting in the bottom of the sump. It took quite a bit of fishing to retrieve the nut.
Also I had a question about the oil analysis. Do they prorate the ppm based on the number of hours? Because I noted on the form I sent to them that I had 25 hours on the oil, but I actually had 33. Not a big difference. But I was just curious. Would oil that had 50 hours on it have accumulated twice as much metal as oil that had 50 hours on it? i.e. would ppm be twice as high?
Thanks,
Michael-
I just finished an oil change. I found three small pieces of non-ferrous material in the sump screen. They were 1/32 inch in diameter or smaller.
My oil analysis came back with elevated aluminum (32 ppm) and elevated iron (255 ppm) Previously they had been at 5 ppm and 48 ppm respectively.
I did not find anything unusual in the oil filter. The filter contained about 1/32 teaspoon of ferrous material, and 1/32 teaspoon of non-ferrous material. No chunks. It was all dust-like size material.
My interpretation of the Lycoming guidance would be to check at next scheduled oil change. i.e. In 25 hours. That's my plan.
Some of you might remember, that a few months ago I installed a p-mag to replace one of my magnetos. You also might remember that I dropped a mag nut into the sump and had to fish it out with a boroscope and magnet. I'm wondering if all the stirring around I did in the sump might have stirred up some material that had been sitting in the bottom of the sump. It took quite a bit of fishing to retrieve the nut.
Also I had a question about the oil analysis. Do they prorate the ppm based on the number of hours? Because I noted on the form I sent to them that I had 25 hours on the oil, but I actually had 33. Not a big difference. But I was just curious. Would oil that had 50 hours on it have accumulated twice as much metal as oil that had 50 hours on it? i.e. would ppm be twice as high?
Thanks,
Michael-
Last edited: