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Oil fill - dipstick level

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myles-dean

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Messages
109
Location
Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada
Good morning,

I am wondering what people do regarding oil level..... do you check with the tail on the ground or raise it to ~ level flight?
Just thinking that the oil level would be overfull if filled to FULL mark with tail down.

Thanks,
Myles
 
Well, I wouldn't want to raise the tail every time I wanted to check the oil. So, my airplane, 2180 cc GPAS, with the tail down and oil in sump and presumabaly in the cooler (firewall mounted), after sitting for an hour or two or cold, with 2 qts and 28 ounces will read at the top of the two lines on the dipstick. Full.

Kevin
 
Drain your oil. Then add the prescribed amount of oil (standard VW plus volume of wet added accessories such as filters and coolers) By "wet" I mean those that will hold oil when the engine is at rest.

Run the engine to fill the accessories then allow the engine to sit long enough for the oil to settle and simulate normal pre-flight conditions.

With the aircraft in a normal ground posture (tail down in your case) mark the oil level on your dipstick. Revmaster recommends using a file to carve a "full line." In my case, I simply drilled a hole through the dipstick.

Now you have an accurate mark on your dipstick to measure the proper quantity of oil that can be referenced without getting a helper to lift your tail.

If you want to get fancy, you can start this process one quart shy of full, make a mark, then make a second mark with the proper "full" quantity. I don't know of anyone actually doing that...but it is an option....but it would give you a more accurate picture of just how much oil needs to be added.

All the best,
Chucker
 
Myles,
Great tips above.
The master VW engine guru who built The Ultimate 1835 in 994SP custom marked the stock dipstick for "optimum" (2.5qt) with the tail down on his Q2 tail-dragger cold. Installed in 994SP it yielded similar results in level flight or tail down with exactly 3 qts* installed, the difference between the two attitudes being negligible. Total oil quantity notwithstanding, 994SP has an aftermarket external oil cooler and screw on filter which adds a 1/2 quart to the overall capacity, sump quantity (2.5 qt) remaining constant.

*An extra .5 qt in the external cooler and filter are a plus if for no other reason than that.
V/R
Smokey
 
My first oil change on 994SP, I came back from a good hour+ flight, an immediately put the tail up for level flight attitude and drained the oil. I got the return line loose from the oil cooler and poked a hole in the top of the vertical mount remote oil filter and let all that drain.

After maintenance was done, I put the tail wheel down, and put exactly 3 qts of oil in. The oil indicated exactly where Smokey said it should. And, I've done it that way ever since. -Piece of cake!
 
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