Maintenance
Items
MAINTENANCE ITEM # 24 [July 2009]
Lee Beery
This maintenance item
deals with an engine oil leak. Not the everyday oil
leak, a strange one and it was our plane so I have first hand knowledge of what
happened. I
first noticed a strong engine or exhaust odor on climb out. I first checked for
an open hose in the cabin heat system. Everything was fine. Then I noticed an
oil trail
com
ing from the hinge line on the left side of the upper cowling and a little on
the front of the engine case.
At this point, I was positive that the crank case seal was leaking. To make sure I was
correct, I washed the engine with solvent to remove the oil and while the engine
was wet with solvent, I dusted the area with baby talcum powder. I then made a test
flight and rechecked the area for the source of the oil.
The oil was
com
ing out of the engine as vapors between the engine case halves about 2” aft of
the front seal area. This
indicated the case was pressurized. What I found was the
crank case vent tube was plugged with mud. We do have problems
with mud dauber wasps in our area. It wasn’t long ago
that the mud daubers plugged the fuel vent tee located on the bottom of the
fuselage. After
clearing the vent tube and re-torque of the engine case bolts, the engine is
once again, dry. No
more oil leaks.