DIY oil change
December 16, 2008 by Dave HirschmanAfter a long trip to and from AOPA Expo, the 2008 Get Your Glass Sweepstakes Archer was due for some TLC that included an oil change. But Jiffy Lube doesn’t do airplanes. And many FBOs regard such mundane service items as obstacles that get in the way of larger, more complex, and more lucrative projects. I was quoted the price of an oil change for the single-engine, four-cylinder Archer at $250 (two hours shop time at $79 an hour, oil filter, six quarts of AeroShell, oil analysis, and new gaskets).
Since owners and pilots can perform their own preventive maintenance, including oil changes (see FAR Part 43, Appendix A, Paragraph C for a full list of approved actions), this seemed like an opportunity to get to know the airplane better—and save some coin. In fact, the total price of the tools needed to perform this, and future oil changes, was significantly less than the quoted cost of a single, full-service oil change.
A rainy, blustery Saturday gave me the chance to spend some quality time under the Archer’s cowl. And I had an enthusiastic assistant—my 9-year-old son, Nathan. He wanted to ride his scooter, and the airport has some of the smoothest pavement in town. (Puddles from the off-and-on rain made scooter riding even more attractive to him.)
The Archer’s two-piece cowl was easy to remove, and I was pleased to find a quick drain on the Lycoming O-360’s oil sump. That meant I wouldn’t have to remove and refasten the drain plug, or cut and reattach the safety wire.
Unseasonably warm weather allowed the old oil to run out fairly quickly, and I took a quick sample to mail in for an oil analysis. The $20 charge may seem unnecessary considering that Penn Yan Aero returned the engine to new condition about 100 flight hours ago. But it’s important to establish a solid baseline early in an engine’s life so that anomalies show up clearly.
The oil screen on the back of the Lycoming can be tough to reach with a socket wrench in some installations. But the Archer’s screen is refreshingly accessible, and it was easy to remove, clean, inspect, and reinstall.
The oil filter also was easy to reach, but I decided to leave it in place this time. The oil screen was clear, so the odds of finding metal in the oil filter seemed remote. I’ll get an oil filter cutter before the next oil change, however, and carefully examine the filter’s innards for metal in the future. (Oil filter cutters typically range in price from about $60 to more than $450.) My shop skills are rudimentary at best. But even with frequent distractions from my scooting son (Hey, Dad, watch this!) the oil change was largely finished in less than two hours.
One of the final tasks was pouring the golden new oil into the engine, something Nathan wanted to do. I placed the funnel, and Nathan stretched onto his tiptoes to dump in each quart of AeroShell 100. We were doing great until the fourth quart escaped his grasp, and he ended up dumping gobs of the honey-colored oil on his gray sweatshirt.
By my calculations, our oil change had cost about $75, including a spool of wire and twist pliers that can be reused many times for future small jobs. Even counting the $15 or so to replace my son’s oil-soaked shirt, we still came out way ahead.
December 21st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I appreciated your DIY oil change article. Instead of spending $60~$hundreds for an oil filter cutter, I would suggest Harbor Freight’s Exhaust Pipe Cutoff Tool, ITEM 91292-8VGA for $18.99.
December 28th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I would add, that the oil should always be drained when the engine is hot.. I like to do my oil changes after a flight and let the oil drain for a few days allowing almost all the old oil to escape before I add the new oil.. In addition, even though I always send a sample off for analysis, I always check the bottom of the bucket with a magnet to see if there are any metallic particles in the old oil.. And one last item, I would recommend the use of a torque filter wrench when installing the new filter..
My airplane, a BE-36 has the Cont IO 520 engine.. The eyehole for the safety wire CANNOT be seen while standing on the pilot’s side of the engine.. I always install the new wire before spinning on the new filter. It’s quite a bit easier this way..
December 29th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Really enjoyed this article!
I own a 1967 150, and I’ve changed my own oil at every oil change but one. That one cost me nearly $180.
Like those who’ve left comments before me, I change my oil after a flight, though I just can’t wait for several days to let ALL the old oil drain out. Most of the old oil draining is enough for me.
I’m very pleased with this Frugal Flier section as well. I’d love to see more articles about maintenance that can be done by owners. Maybe even in print.
December 30th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Great article! Thanks!
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 am
I have a 1984 Piper Warrior II and started changing my own oil. Instead of removing the cowl, I purchased a quick connect hose (from Aircraft Spruce) for my quick dump oil drain plug. Then just drop the other end in a bucket. Like the BE-36 guy, the safety wire hole is hard to reach after filter insallation, so I do that before I put on the filter. Not familiar with the “oil screen” or if my IO 320 Lycoming has one. The tip about running a good magnet in the bucket will be added my next oil changes. Will try the exhaust pipe cutter from Harbor freight locally in town ( Beaumont Tx) for a filter cutter. Beats the pocket knife, military can opener or the dozen or so items I’ve tried. First time here but will start checking it often. Since my ownership and starting to work on the plane myself, I’ve learned so much about what keeps a plane in the air …. MONEY!
January 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Enjoyed the oil change info, but did not think a screen was present in Lycoming with spin on filters.
Any secrets on removing the old oil filter without spilling a quart of oil everywhere or burning yourself on something hot, if not the oil?
I have been told that oil should never be changed without a new filter as many filters are occluded and in bypass mode after 50 hours>
IN like this sort of “Frugal flyer” information. Even if it is not used it does educate us in understanding airplane systems better.
January 4th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I enjoyed the article about preventive maintainance. I have never tried changing my own oil in my 172, mainly because I tried (breifly I confess) unsucessfully to find parts such as the oil filter. I tried local and the FBO here will only work with the big guys(commercial carriers no GA) go figure they have too much business I guess. They just recommended I try the internet. That has proven to be a dead end for me. I was hoping someone could recommend an internet source for maintainance items and parts.
Here again maybe I just didn’t try hard enough.
I have another question? Can I replace the ELT battery myself if I can find one?
Thanks
January 4th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Oil, filter, parts, batteries at Aircraft Spruce – I’ve always had excellent service and I think a Kelly spin on filter is about 16 bucks.
I would not want to let the oil drain longer than I was willing to stand there and watch it then replace the plug to keep out – anything – foreign.
January 7th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I buy all my parts from Aircraft Spruce. Good prices and friendly service. I can fly there in 15 minutes and they pick you up at Corona airport.
I have a Lyco O-320 and it does not have a filter, only a screen. Cleaning the screen is every 25 hours. I’m planning on changing it to the filter adapter available at the next service interval.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
To remove old filter without making too much of a mess, I use a sharp chisel to puncture the case of the oil filter and allow as much to drain out as possible. Then a small trash bag, grocery bag, or gallon zip lock bag works well to wrap around the filter and remove from block. Hope this helps.
January 26th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
As an A&P that has been changing oil for several years on small GA aircraft I will reveille the secret to not getting oil all over when replacing a oil filter. Fabricate a trough (usually from .020 alum, it’s usually handy in any maint. hanger) that will slide under the oil filter matting surface and funnel the oil into a bucket, loosen the filter enough to get the filter draining wait a few mins then spin the old filter off and remove it carefully then spin on, torque and safety the new one.
Sometimes a mess is inevitable, this is when “brake cleaner” will clean a greasy mess.
January 31st, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Guys –
Great idea on saving a few bucks by changing your own oil. Don’t forget that you need appropriate tech data before doing maintenance on your aircraft – to me the aircraft maintenance manual and engine service or overhaul manual would be minimums, a copy of AC43-13 would be a great idea as well as a FAR/AIM. (you can get maintenance manual reprints for many aircraft for about $50) I have seen many aircraft come in for annuals with improperly secured oil filters (wired backwards or not at all, etc) as well as other owner maintenance items performed incorrectly. You also are REQUIRED to make a logbook entry with the date of work performed, description of work performed, as well as your certificate number and type of certificate. You’re returning the aircraft to service just like your A&P does after maintenance, so be sure you are confident the work was done right and in compliance with applicable regulations.
I think it’s an awesome idea to do preventive maintenance on your aircraft – however know your limits and if you’re not sure what you’re doing, get a mechanic to help you the first time. It seems that an oil change would be easy, and it is, but it’s a little bit different from doing a driveway oil change on your Chevy. Happy Flying!
PS – to catch that pesky oil mess when pulling an oil filter on a Lycoming, you can cut an old oil bottle to fit around the base of the oil filter (the bottom of the bottle gets cut into a half-moon shape, then cut off one of the label sides of the bottle) This can will then fit under the oil filter and catch most of your oil.
March 14th, 2009 at 7:23 am
This is the first time I comment here and I should say that you share us genuine, and quality information for bloggers! Good job.
p.s. You have a very good template . Where have you got it from?
March 24th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
As a student of all things mechanical I believe the oil analysis is important to 1) establish the baseline as mentioned above 2) establish a predictive trend 3) document the care your aircraft has received to help maintain resale value. The magnet in the bucket trick may sound good but if you have a filter and are finding “chunks” on a magnet you most likely have a big problem. I would change the filter using the money you save by doing the work yourself.
April 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Great bunch of tips…so here’s mine: You have done your engine a favor by investing 2 hours in an oil change, but you could be about to knock 100 hours off it’s TBO on startup. It takes time for the oil pump to get the air out and move that fresh honey to where it is desperately needed, like expensive crankshaft & cam bearings. Try this:
- 1. First drain the (hot) oil and clean your suction screen (if equipped). Leaving the filter in place, refill the sump with your new oil.
Theory here is you didn,t let the suction line drain out fully.
- 2. Now remove the old filter. Fill your new filter with as much new oil as you dare and still be able to angle it in place. It may take a couple refills, as it will absorb oil slowly at first. Install, torque, and wire.
- 3. Roll out of the hangar and don’t touch that mixture knob. Leave it full lean and crank the engine for a FEW seconds to get oil pressure before letting it fire up. Hey, no rod knocking noise! Try this on your car, too.
If you think this is a waste of time, stand outside the local Quicky Lube exit door and listen to the rods hammer as the teenage mechanics rev your new car’s engine to get the “oil” light to go off.
May 30th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Aircraft Spruce has an oil filter drainer to have no mess. Another nethod is to use a sharp chisel to made small punture in top of filter and the spin 180 degrees with collection pan under filter.
Best to drain oil after engine warm. Usually after a nice flight.
Quick drain is great as eliminates the need to remove lower cowling. I save at about $150 per oil change with DIY.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
N0 more mess or cutting open oil filter to inspect the paper filter for medal or sludge. Challenger Avaition Produces has a liftime cleanable oil filter. The filter element is made from woven stainless steel. IT can be cleaned with soap&water or shop solvent.the oil change takes about 30 minutes,including washing your hands.Challengers cleanable lifetime oil filters are aviailabe from aircraft spruce. Chuck
July 14th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Such a usefule blog
August 28th, 2009 at 12:48 am
I was surprised that you would not change your filter when you did the oil change. When I bought some surplus Chapion filters I was surprised at how brittle the elements were with age. I then saw the same thing on my car after switching to extended drain intervals when I switched to Amsoil. I would never allow my aircraft oil filter to go 100 hours for fear of the element becoming brittle and rupturing, as well as the fact that I am not comfortable not checking it for metal at least every 50 hours. I have found cases of excess metal in the filter with no abnormal metal in the suction screen and vice versa where I found large chunks of metal in the suction screen (large enough for me to recognize it was from a lifter on an O-320-H2AD) when the filter had looked normal. ALWAYS change the filter at every oil change AND check the suction screen if your engine is equipped with one.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 am
You need to watch out for that “brake cleaner” as it will take off some paints quicker than you can say “well, that was a mistake”. Also, I’m 59, and have been around equipment all of my life. I never used to care about getting oils, fuels, cleaning fluids, etc. on my hands. Now I am involved with organics and understand that your body absorbs chemicals instantly through the skin and into the bloodstream. Just because it is sold on supermarkets or auto parts stores does not mean it is safe to breath or let come in contact with your skin. There is no obligation for the manufacturer to test this stuff for toxicity, and they don’t. Never use this stuff without industrial quality rubber gloves, and if you are using more than just a quick squirt, a real respirator with carbon filters. Paranoid? No, I don’t think I am. I’ve just reached a point in life where my health matters to me, and I do not take it for granted. It completely freaks me out to watch my mechanic clean parts wiitih MEK in a closed shop, with no respirator. Gee, how did I get cancer?
September 14th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I started changing my own oik about a year ago. The only trouble I have is with the safety wire. I simply cannot get the knack of it. I eventually have to go get one of the AP fellas at my FBO and he comes out to put it on for me. It has saved me a bunch of money and since I STC’d to Mo Gas I save even more.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I’m 59 I was in the USAF for over ten years ,I have changed a few thousand gallons of oil in my day,washed parts with all kinds of cleaner,BUT NOT ANY MORE, TM is for sure right on the gloves, If today I but my hands any type of cleaner or oil I’m in the hospital
Doctor said I have poisend my system from all the years handling cleaners and oil with out gloves so now i pay,Throw away gloves are very cheap.
All of you are right to change your oil, Plus when you are done you know you have oil in your engine be for you start it. I have knowen of shops to for get to refill the sump after oil change,That adds up to some fast hard wear on that engine.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Easiest way to avoid the pressure sump problem is to either crank on lean or to pull the prop through 10-20 times by hand before starting. This can be done relatively safely with proper training. I pull my prop through to get the oil into the cylinders basically every cold day I fly. Why add more wear to the engine if you can avoid it? Anyway the DIY oil change, along with everything else you can do on your plane, allows you the opportunity to spot problems, become more familiar with your plane and it’s systems and have a better understanding of whats going on under the hood when problems pop up.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
After many years of performing my own oil changes on some easy and some very difficult airplanes, here is the condensed version of my experiences: Always fly the plane for about twenty minutes before chaning the oil. Simply running the engine on the ground is not such a great idea for many reasons. Have all of your tools and paraphernalia ready at hand. Don’t forget the shop towels and gloves. I put a big old towel on the floor under the engine to catch spills. Works really well. You can get those at the Salvation Army (or other recyclers) store for next to nothing. Don’t get any of the old oil on your skin. It is highly contaminated, toxic and will absorb through your skin. I use a small plastic funnel with a piece of rubber hose attached to catch the oil when removing the oil filter. Works on most planes. Try several sizes for best fit. They are cheap and will flex, especially when warm. Loosen the oil filter a few turns and start a nice clean stream of oil into the funnel. I do this after all of the oil from the sump has been drained. Make sure the hose is attached securely to the funnel and that the other end is actually drainiing into the bucket. I have converted all of the aircraft I ever owned with quick drains. The screw-on oil drains are bad news if you are not proficient in their use. Make sure that you close the quick drain securely before adding new oil or you will have very messy shoes. The new oil filter should contain as much new oil as it will hold without spilling it when attaching the filter to the engine. Some oil filters mount horizontally – which I consider a bad design idea – and you may not be able to add any oil before attaching the filter. Apply thye recommended torque when attaching the filter. Most filters are torqued between 16 and 20 ft/lbs. Safety wire the filter as approved. If you don’t know how to safety wire, read up on the subject. It’s really easy once you get the hang of it. Use the correct wire thickness and turns per inch. Get a safety wire tool, it is relatively inexpensive and pays for itself.
I don’t recommend analyzing the contents of the filter, unless you are trained in identifying what’s what. A piece of carbon can look like metal, and a piece of metal can look like coal. No kidding. There is other stuff to be found, such as brass and aluminum, and the untrained person may miss those.
Here is my beef on hand propping a cold engine: Hand propping will not get the oil where it is needed, namely the base of the cylinder since there is not enough force to sling the oil out of the pan and onto the bottom of the piston. Hand propping a cold engine will increase wear on the cylinder walls. Just start the engine, if it is not too cold – say above 40 degrees F, or so. At temperatures below 40 degrees F, it pays to pre-heat the engine. An engine heater with cylinder heating bands and pan heater pads works best. I have used Reiff on several engines with great results. If you use hot air heaters, be sure that the oil pan is warm, not just the cylinders. You may have cold oil in the pan and warm cylinders, which does not make a whole lot of sense.
Dispose of the old oil at an aviation maintenance facility, not at an automotive oil change place. The reason is simple, old aviation oil contains lead and is not approved for processing by an automotive oil recycler.
Clean up any spilled oil with mineral spirits. I use an engine cleaning gun that’s attached to a compressor. I buy the mineral spirits at a paint wholesaler in a five gallon can, which lasts a long time. Wear a good paint respirator when spraying minear spirits with a cleaning gun and avoid contact with your skin. Do not use brake cleaner. It is harmful to some engine parts, plastics, paint, and electrical components. It is designed for brakes, not engines. Have fun.