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O-290 oil leak

RobW56

Registered User
Rio Vista, CA
Whats the standard oil consumption rate for an O-290D? I have a small leak and I'm wondering how much of the oil the engine is burning and how much is leaking out.
 
My O290 D2 consumed about 1 quart every four hours, but it was pretty variable. O290s are notorious for blowing oil out the breather tube, especially during slips.

Regards,
Steve
 
Rob,

I agree with about 4 to 6 hours is very common among O-290's.

But if you have a noticable oil leak, you should still fix it.

This summer I should put you in contact with my brother-in-law; he has a 135 hp 140 and flies in the backcountry a lot. You'd have fun with him. He lives in Spokane but frequents eastern Oregon and the Snake River a lot. He has been into Salmon Bar and the others.

Did I see a picture of yours at Copalis? If so we can trade some lead time; I'll lead you over here if you'll lead me over there.

Nice Airplane,
 
My 135 cub threw lots of oil out the breather at higher RPM.s..........my 125 didn't.
 
sjohnson said:
My O290 D2 consumed about 1 quart every four hours, but it was pretty variable. O290s are notorious for blowing oil out the breather tube, especially during slips.

Regards,
Steve

Well I'm not so worried anymore, I do alot of slips(probably half of my landings).

Yesterday it consumed around a half a quart in two and a half hours, this is what it has been doing normally. But I noticed some oil on the belly and on the outside of a hose fitting on the oil cooler. This made me wonder how much oil the O-290 should be going through. Thanks for your responses!
 
funseventy said:
Rob,

This summer I should put you in contact with my brother-in-law; he has a 135 hp 140 and flies in the backcountry a lot. You'd have fun with him. He lives in Spokane but frequents eastern Oregon and the Snake River a lot. He has been into Salmon Bar and the others.

Did I see a picture of yours at Copalis? If so we can trade some lead time; I'll lead you over here if you'll lead me over there.

Nice Airplane,

...Yeah that was me at Copalis.

That sounds awesome, I would love to do some flying with you and/or your brother-in-law. Any flying we do has to be before June 29th though, that's when I'm leaving for the AirForce.

Eastern Oregon sounds fun, I was just over at Wasco State on sunday and I met a Super Cub pilot at the restaraunt. He had just been to a few spots down on the John Day River. I would like to go check those strips out some time. My neighbor Larry is also interested in doing some flying in eastern Oregon, he flies a Maule.

When we walked back to the airport he took me for my first Super Cub flight over to Hood River where my dad picked me up in the 120.

If your ever over this way send me an e-mail or a PM and we'll go flying, I'm always looking for people to go flying with.

Oh yeah, My dad and I are planning on flying to Idaho in June, If we do you could show us around if you want.

What kind of plane do you fly and what do you cruise at?
 
Speaking of 0-290's, mine seems to be doing about the same thing on consumption, but after parking it pukes out a small amount of oil from the breather. This, I am told is quite normal. I guess I was curious if it really is "normal"

Rick
 
All engines will puke oil on the hanger floor. The crankcase vents the blow-by from the cylinders through the vent and gets an oil vapor mixed with the air. The O-290 has a problem with blowing oil out of the crankcase due to the vent being in the front of the engine and I suppose it has a greater crankcase pressure because I have operated a lot of O-235s that didn't blow alot of oil. A cure is the next time the crankcase is split is to open up the opening in the front cavity where the crankcase vent elbow is screwed in. A fix I have used that works sometimes is to install a tight fitting piece of tubing into the elbow with a scarf cut into it that obstructs the blast air/oil mixture and catches some of the oil and allows it to run back into the engine. There is a service bulletin for the small Continentals that does the same thing and it was discussed in the Cub Club Clues recently.
 
I have a good friend with an O-235 PA-12. It was spewing some oil from the breather and getting on his belly. Installed a M-20 oil seperator and he does not clean off his belly. The thing works GREAT! I bet it would solve the 290 issue??
 
Phil Kite said:
I have a good friend with an O-235 PA-12. It was spewing some oil from the breather and getting on his belly. Installed a M-20 oil seperator and he does not clean off his belly. The thing works GREAT! I bet it would solve the 290 issue??

If you really want that moisture laden crap going back in your engine!
Worth a thought before you install one of these. If I installed one I would drain to a tank for disposal/dust supression usage in the laneway or similar. Sure wouldn't be putting it back in the engine!

Cheers,
Wayne
 
Had an O-290-D2 fill an M-20 up and keep on spewing. Tore the engine down, new rings etc. same thing. I didn't know about the modification to make to the case at the time. Don't know what ever happened to the engine. After talking to some cylinder overhaulers in OK they had tried everything on the same engine. I think the modification to the case would have solved the problem. Good thing to check on a pre-buy.

Question: If you put the moisture/oil back in the engine won't the temps and pressures push it back out. Have installed several M-20 air/oil seperators on engines I maintain and run oil analysis on regularly and have had no problems, just a cleaner belly.
 
Steve Pierce said:
Question: If you put the moisture/oil back in the engine won't the temps and pressures push it back out. Have installed several M-20 air/oil seperators on engines I maintain and run oil analysis on regularly and have had no problems, just a cleaner belly.

Might not be an issue in Texas, but in colder climates we're doing good to get enough heat in the engine to get the moisture vapourized and out of the engine.... to avoid rusting etc of internals. A seperator seperates the air coming out of the engine from liquids and I think you'll find it will put most of the water vapour and blow by oil back in the engine. Nice clean belly, but you've created a closed loop system that is going to keep circulating that moist air and most of us don't do a long enough flight that you would ever dry the thing out inside. No scientific evidence or proof, just my thoughts on what is going on! Wayne
 
robw,My o290 d2 has about 700 smoh and uses a little less .Around 1qt in 6 or so hours.Alot depends on how you fly ,i.e. turbulance,slips,and yanking it around.I have found that never putting more than 6 qts in will help some.
 
My 0290D-2 has just hit the 40 hr. mark since major (w/Cerminil jugs, Spelling?) It used a 1 1/2 quarts during this first 10 hrs. Then changed oil & filter and have added 2 1/2 quarts since. I run it at 6 qts. After 15 hrs. we put the M20 oil seperator on as I had the oil all over floor also. But more upsetting was oil all over the fresh dope. The seperator solved most of that problem. I have been following the pro & cons of a seperator for a few years. . . I will be on oil analysis & watching. At any hint of problems it is coming off. And if so . . will post info. As for slips . . . mine is "flapless" . . . . enough said. Larry C.
 
I have a L-21 with the 0-290 and have found that the separator has helped tremendously. I have found that if you put more that 6 qts it will blow it out so I just keep at 6.

I did have an scar recently, I purchased a Air Wolf filter kit and my oil pressure was all over the place from 10psi to 100. After screwing around with more washers, less washers, inspect oil plunger, it was missing. replacing that helped but still crazy readings, called air wolf and they said that the 0-290 needed a pressure plate due to issues by lycomings manufacture problems with this engine??

My issue with air wolf is that nothing is mentioned about this in the instructions or the STC. So their solution is buy the product pay your A & P to install. Now you to pay for trouble shoot time, call and find out your missing a very important part, pay $20 for the missing part and pay your A & P to reinstall .

Don't get me wrong I think this will add years to engine its just that they should have a warning inclosed if you have this engine. I haven't decided how I will respond to them but they will here from again.

Mike
 
O-290 OIL LEAK

My O-290 was overhauled w/ ECI chromed cylinders & broke in as "hot" as possible in Maine during March. Lots of oil everywhere & used/spewed a quart in about 4 hours after 35 hrs. Compression about 72-76. Was going on floats and couldn't tolerate oil all over the water (neighbors too)so put an M-20 separator on it. Routed the crankcase breather line over the cylinders and mounted it behind the rear baffle. Solved the mess problems and oil temps ran around 215-235 F so I wasn't that concerned w/ moisture -we looked at the drain line twice and it seemed clear. BUT, that winter the separator & return line froze up twice. Lesson was don't fly when below 5 F. Back to the old milk bottle trick (but don't like the occaisional hot oily smell). When spring arrived back to the separator & all was well. Some sort of shroud w/ heat is in design for next winter.
 
I do some maintenance on a pipe line airplane that flies between 100-120 hrs. a month. They use pipe insulation on the vent line along with the whistle slot.
 
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