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Oil level on 185

Tom3holer

Registered User
Cape Cod
I seem to have a strange issue with the oil level on my 185.
If I check it shortly after shutdown it reads around 8 qts or a bit less. If I check it a day later it will read 8.5 or so which would be normal. If I check it several days later it reads 10 ish. Is that normal for it to climb that much after waiting 4-5 days?
 
The oil galley in the crankcase is probably draining back through the oil pump. My 180 does the same thing.
 
That is a problem with small Continentals and the kidney shaped oil tanks, especially the long necked O200 tanks. If the oil level covers the bottom of the dipstick/filler tube and if the dipstick/filler cap has an airtight seal, as the hot air in the tube cools and takes up less space the oil is pulled up the tube thus giving a false reading. Good practice to pull the stick and wipe-then reinsert for an accurate level check. jrh
 
Checking the oil level right after shutdown will generally give you a lower reading. I always ran ten quarts in IO 520s. At eight quarts, you're running near the lower end of the operational range, without a lot of wiggle room from the minimum quantity.

MTV
 
Mvivion,
It concerned me at first but what is puzzling is if it sits several days it will be at the 10 Qt. point but if I check it a few hours after shutdown its around 8.5 Qt.

180Marty,
Are you saying you see a similar level rise as I am seeing after several days?
 
Might be a good idea to check the dipstick immediately after an oil change, when you've added a known quantity of oil.
The dipstick arrangement on my 180 was cobbled up several owners ago, when the A engine was replaced with a K.
When I drain the oil, then add 10 quarts, the dipstick read about 11-1/2.
Assuming maybe a half-quart is left behind at oil change,
I figure the dipstick reads about a quart high.
 
Tom, by chance do you have an Air/Oil separator? I had a larger D'Shannon unit on my 180 that got clogged. I didn't realize it was clogged, but was getting concerned since I thought I was burning oil. Then one day, without my knowledge, it cleared itself. I was really confused since I thought I was now making oil. We tracked it down the air/oil separator. If you do have one installed, it might be possible it is becoming clogged, but it could be slowly draining back over the several days? Just a thought.
 
Tom, yes, the longer is sits, the higher the level, within reason. I have a spin on oil filter right on the oil pump also. I have a big oil cooler too. Between that and the oil galley that holds quite a bit and is downhill to the oil pan though the oil pump gears, the level can increase. Mine carries top of the green oil pressure too so I don't think the pump is worn out.
 
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Might be a good idea to check the dipstick immediately after an oil change, when you've added a known quantity of oil.
The dipstick arrangement on my 180 was cobbled up several owners ago, when the A engine was replaced with a K.
When I drain the oil, then add 10 quarts, the dipstick read about 11-1/2.
Assuming maybe a half-quart is left behind at oil change,
I figure the dipstick reads about a quart high.

Right after an oil change, the level should read a bit high, if you've replaced the oil filter. Once the engine runs, the filter fills, and the stick will read a bit lower.

MTV
 
I will probably be doing an oil change in a few weeks and will confirm it with the stick.
No I don't have an air/oil separator but do have a spin on filter and the large oil cooler.
I won't be flying till Monday afternoon so will check it then and see what its up to. Reads 8 1/2 after about 30 hours.
 
Why check oil after shutting down?

When I first got my plane I changed oil and filter and added 8 qts. Ran the engine to fill the filter and waited a while to check it. I scribed a line for 8 and added two quarts and repeated the exercise to scribe a line for 10. The Cessna marks are way off.
 
The dipsticks on three or four 185s that I flew fairly regularly were calibrated accurately.

I too too see no reason to check oil level post flight.

MTV
 
The Continental IO 520 D Type certificate gives this information on oil quantity:

"Oil Sump Capacity, qt.12; 7 usable at 20°noseup and 6 usable at10° nosedown attitudes for-D, -F, -K 10; 7.8 usable at 20°noseup and 6.7 usable at10° nosedown for -L "

As Mike noted, the 1985 Cessna 185 POH says:

" Capacity of Engine Sump--12 Quarts. Do not operate on less than 9 Quarts. Tom minimize loss of oil through breather, fill to 10 quart level for normal flights of less than three hours. For extended flight fill to 12 quarts. These quantities refer to oil dipstick level readings. During oil and filter changes, one additional quart is required"

Also, be advised that on airplanes with a seaplane dipstick (a seaplane kit), the BACK side of the dipstick is marked for use on floats with an upper and lower set of xx marks. That's because the engine has a long but shallow sump, and the change in angle from wheels to floats is significant. I was once handed the keys to a 185 that'd just been changed from wheels to floats, and a maintenance test flight done by a check airman. He told me it flew fine, but it really used oil....he'd had to add four quarts to get it up to the ten quart mark...... We called that airplane Ol Blue, cause as they say, if it barks like a dog, and drools like a dog......

MTV
 
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Originally Posted by hotrod180 ....When I drain the oil, then add 10 quarts, the dipstick read about 11-1/2.
Assuming maybe a half-quart is left behind at oil change,
I figure the dipstick reads about a quart high.

Right after an oil change, the level should read a bit high, if you've replaced the oil filter. Once the engine runs, the filter fills, and the stick will read a bit lower. MTV


No filter installed on mine.
 
My 180 with an IO520 will grow a quart plus over night following a days flight. Cub does also but only 1/2qt. Traveling in the 180 I've learned where the hot level is, thought about marking it but that might get confusing to the next caretaker.
 
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quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by hotrod180 ....When I drain the oil, then add 10 quarts, the dipstick read about 11-1/2.
Assuming maybe a half-quart is left behind at oil change,
I figure the dipstick reads about a quart high.




No filter installed on mine.

we're talking 185 here.

MTV
 
Thank you all for the help. I do notice oil from the breather tube after a flight. The engine is a low time factory o/h so I think its the oil quantity is a bit high causing this. I just never noticed such a quantity rise , about 1.5 Qts, over several days in other aircraft.

MTV, the statement: Capacity of Engine Sump--12 Quarts. Do not operate on less than 9 Quarts. Tom minimize loss of oil through breather, fill to 10 quart level for normal flights of less than three hours. For extended flight fill to 12 quarts. These quantities refer to oil dipstick level readings. During oil and filter changes, one additional quart is required"

I don't understand the 12qts for extended flights as my experience has been when filled over the sweet spot ,which seems to be 10Qts, it will just blow it out the breather. I would guess it covers the case of an engine actually burning oil.

 
Tom,

On my 520 a complete oil change (immiediately after being run at temp) including filter is 10quarts (with the filter primed) plus a bottle of cam-guard and this reads about 11.5 on the stick until it's run then it settles at about 10.5 and I add at 9.5 and that's the sweet spot for my engine and for other 520's I know of. I tried the max oil level for hot weather thinking I would help my engine out a bit and it just applies it to the belly it an effort to share it with the airframe.

My thoughts are to find the sweet spot and stay with it.

Kirby
 
Tom,

When you consider factory specs, such as the "for long flights increase oil level to 12 quarts" keep in mind they're considering the worst case engine, burning oil at the highest permissible rate. The theory is the plane has to run out of gas before the engine runs out of oil.

All the 185s I've flown seemed to use about 1 quart every 20 hours or so at most. So, I ran the oil level at 10 to 10.5, and added a quart when it would take a quart without going over 10.

But at least in theory, your engine can legally burn quite a lot of oil per hour and still be considered "airworthy". Not by me, but....

MTV
 
MTV,

That is what I thought on the 12Qt recommendation.
Thank you all again for the replys.

Tom
 
Just did an oil change with filter. Added 10 qts plus a bottle of CamGuard and the stick read 9Qts.
After runup it was 8.5 ish.
 
Tom
I stopped using CamGuard in my 180 after a few friends had starter adaptors start slipping. Seems it slips using CamGuard as the starter drive gets more worn over time. I have always used it in the Cub since Lycoming cams sit up out of the oil bath, unlike TCM engines.
Just a thought....
Lou

Just did an oil change with filter. Added 10 qts plus a bottle of CamGuard and the stick read 9Qts.
After runup it was 8.5 ish.
 
Tom
I stopped using CamGuard in my 180 after a few friends had starter adaptors start slipping. Seems it slips using CamGuard as the starter drive gets more worn over time. I have always used it in the Cub since Lycoming cams sit up out of the oil bath, unlike TCM engines.
Just a thought....
Lou

Depends which oil you use. Apparently cam guard and aeroshell is a no-no for the big bore starters but camguard and phillips 20-50 is ok. Of course this information is just from reading....have been running 20-50 with camguard in our IO-520A with the original starter and adapter config.

Tim
 
I've got a 1400-hour 470K in my 180-- starter adapter never replaced, but phillips 20/50 with a pint of Camguard doesn't cause any slippage.
 
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