Oops. Confessions of a Home Builder

Had the motor all back together. Nose bowl and cowl on. Noticed an oil drip. Funny since there isn't anything more than residual oil in the engine. Wiped it off. The next day I found another drop. I traced it to one bolt in the sump. Re-torqued it. Another drip a few hours later. Removed the bolt. It was tight. Ran a bottom tap in the hole and came out with gasket material. Odd. Lycoming sump gaskets stick out of the flange a little in back but this one had a little extra on the right side. I couldn't sleep for thinking about it. Ordered new sump, exhaust, and intake gaskets from Spruce while drinking coffee this morning. Picked them up this afternoon. Removed the cowl, nose bowl, and cowl channels. Disconnected the servo lines and cables, removed exhaust, removed intakes, and dropped the sump. Good thing. The bolt was leaking from not torquing because the hole was fouled with gasket material. The rear part of the gasket had slid and that was the only bolt that suffered but the oil pickup gallery was at least 50% blocked. One evening lost to retracing my steps for a stupid mistake. Sometimes it pays to listen to that internal voice.

Glad you stayed with it. PITA now but much worse if you hadn't listened.

Web

Ya, thanks. Installing a sump solo on an installed engine isn't easy but I didn't expect this. All better now. Live and learn.

Thanks, Stewart. I've done stuff like that too but never thought to post it. Confession is helpful for all of us, I think.

Wow! You get the 'Great mechanic award' for that one. Mistakes are easy, finding and fixing before they become a problem is the trick.

Grandpa told stories about that voice waking him up in the middle of the night, and him driving back to Boeing Field to make sure a wrench was removed, or cylinder torqued prior to the plane getting pushed out. He was a mechanic for Pan Am, then Western Airlines.

The subconscious mind never sleeps. This is an example of letting the conscious mind's filter shut down - often best during sleep or a quick nap - and then the subconscious runs a few routines to offer an answer on waking. Ever try to remember a name and fail, and then sometime later have it suddenly pop up? That's how it works.

Gary

Crap. Now I'm afraid to go to sleep!

I think most of us are a little OCD about something. I hate oil leaks. No regrets.

In 1967 I had a professor that relied on and taught the Relaxation Method for solving problems. When stumped or bothered by a problem he'd either draw a picture of it (like here an engine with oil leak) or just walk away and do something else. Soon enough possible solutions or other ways of dealing with it would pop up. Said it happened all the time if he let it (the subconscious?) generate something.

Edit: Here's one problem solving technique. As an Aquarian I use water. https://medium.com/@augustbirch/how...d-to-solve-your-toughest-problems-f81cd7fee89

Gary

"Stuff" happens so darn easily. I forgot an o-ring when assembling case halves. Missed it throughout multiple second-looks. Fortunately a second set of eyes spied that.

You know what sucks? Moving forward from the fully installed exhaust to find the cable clamp assembly bolt into the cold air induction mUST be installed before the exhaust. Fun with airplanes!

stewartb said:

You know what sucks? Moving forward from the fully installed exhaust to find the cable clamp assembly bolt into the cold air induction mUST be installed before the exhaust. Fun with airplanes!

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Right...fun.
Or--dinging a wood wing rib after it is in place between plywood doublers already installed to keep you from sliding it out. That was my pleasure this evening. I don't think sleeping on it will help, but I'll try. (I already figured I'll have to partially build it in place).

RVBottomly said:

Right...fun.
Or--dinging a wood wing rib after it is in place between plywood doublers already installed to keep you from sliding it out. That was my pleasure this evening. I don't think sleeping on it will help, but I'll try. (I already figured I'll have to partially build it in place).

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Draw a mental picture and let it simmer. Fix methods maybe on the way soon.

Gary

Most mechanic’s I know have gone back to thework hangar on a evening or Saturday or Sunday when your off for this reason.