danschultz
Member
Hi All,
Thought I would pass this along for anyone with the continental powered birds. I started N6RJ the other day getting ready for the completion of the annual looking for oil leaks, ran for a few minutes and then shut down, no leaks great! Started back up let the engine warm up, mag check, prop check, hydraulic operation with the flaps etc,, oil then started to mist the windshield, cowling removed of course. Looked everything over, appeared to be coming from vacuum pump garlock seal. Yep no doubt the seal was leaking, changed the seal, retimed the mag as this assembly runs the left mag, washed the engine back down, out for another run. I had some help from of our local airport friends this time. Low RPM runs 1200rpm or less everything is leak free, let the engine warm up, mag runup again, prop, oil returned to the windshield. This time it was evident that oil was coming from the output shaft of the starter adapter for the generator drive. Interesting that the low rpm's no leak. After removing the starter adapter, I have to praise Roland Joslyn for this because without the removable panels on the cabin side of the firewall it would have been an engine pull to remove the adapter, the bearing that supports the output shaft that the drive pulley is attached to was in the process of disintegrating. During the low rpm runs the shaft ran where it should, but under higher rpm when the generator was producing a load the shaft was being pulled out of center causing oil to leak past the seal. All of the other parts on the inside of the adapter are fine, I have a starter rebuild kit coming from Niagra.
Silver Linings
Without Roland's foresight for removable panels on the firewall this would have been an engine pull.
If the bearing would have completely failed it most likely would have been an engine pull.
The belt was actually cutting into the fuel pump return line to the right tank, without the panel removed there was no way to see this.
Dan
Thought I would pass this along for anyone with the continental powered birds. I started N6RJ the other day getting ready for the completion of the annual looking for oil leaks, ran for a few minutes and then shut down, no leaks great! Started back up let the engine warm up, mag check, prop check, hydraulic operation with the flaps etc,, oil then started to mist the windshield, cowling removed of course. Looked everything over, appeared to be coming from vacuum pump garlock seal. Yep no doubt the seal was leaking, changed the seal, retimed the mag as this assembly runs the left mag, washed the engine back down, out for another run. I had some help from of our local airport friends this time. Low RPM runs 1200rpm or less everything is leak free, let the engine warm up, mag runup again, prop, oil returned to the windshield. This time it was evident that oil was coming from the output shaft of the starter adapter for the generator drive. Interesting that the low rpm's no leak. After removing the starter adapter, I have to praise Roland Joslyn for this because without the removable panels on the cabin side of the firewall it would have been an engine pull to remove the adapter, the bearing that supports the output shaft that the drive pulley is attached to was in the process of disintegrating. During the low rpm runs the shaft ran where it should, but under higher rpm when the generator was producing a load the shaft was being pulled out of center causing oil to leak past the seal. All of the other parts on the inside of the adapter are fine, I have a starter rebuild kit coming from Niagra.
Silver Linings
Without Roland's foresight for removable panels on the firewall this would have been an engine pull.
If the bearing would have completely failed it most likely would have been an engine pull.
The belt was actually cutting into the fuel pump return line to the right tank, without the panel removed there was no way to see this.
Dan
