Six Cylinder Dip Stick Calibration

[Alan]

Has any body worked out approx how much oil to add to make say a 1mm change in level at the dipstick of a horizontal (non tail dragger) six cylinder Jabiru? I realise this would probably be only valid for a limited range on the dip stick.

 

After adding oil it takes a long time until the dipstick oil tube is clear and another reading can be taken. So there is always some doubt in my mind when adding extra oil for a long trip to lift the level from the normal circuit/short flight oil level.

 

I will have to spend a few hours with the Jabiru in the near future, avoiding the temptation to go flying, adding known volumes of oil and being patient and measure the level change.

 

Alan

 

 

[Guest Roger]

Hi Alan,

 

Our Jabiru has the six cylinder engine. We wait until the oil is at the low level mark on the dipstick before we add. Approximately 100mls takes it 1/8 inch up the dipstick. We rarely add more then 200mls unless the aircraft is making a long trip. Initially it used a bit of oil - the first 25-30 hours. It has now settled down to a point where you only need to add oil a couple of times between changes.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Roger

 

 

[Guest brentc]

I have 400+ hours on mine. I use the bottom of the dipstick as the lower marker and the empty mark as full. There seems to be about 100-150mls difference between these two points. Usually if I find nothing on the stick after a long flight it only takes a bit of a splash of oil to get it back again.

 

Something else you can do is to use a straight piece of wire with a mark on it and put it into the sump till it bottoms out so you can measure from the bottom up.

 

I find that it only takes a few minutes for the oil to settle prior to re-checking.

 

Brent's Tip of the Day:

 

When you are filling your Jab engine with oil with the cowls, pour the oil slowly down the dipstick whilst holding it up higher than the cowls. That way, you don't need a funnel and you won't spill a drop!

 

 

[Guest Ken deVos]

Brent's Tip of the Day:When you are filling your Jab engine with oil with the cowls, pour the oil slowly down the dipstick whilst holding it up higher than the cowls. That way, you don't need a funnel and you won't spill a drop!

WARNING

 

Do not attempt this in windy conditions. I got oil all over my Tshirt when a wind gust dragged the oil off the stick!

 

 

[Alan]

Thank you all for your comments and advice.

 

Especially advice about the traps of loose fluids in windy conditions (No I told you over the leeward side!).

 

On a more serious note, I am really impressed how little oil the Jabiru does use once run in.

 

Following ancient and gnarled local LAME 2 advice (and I believe the Jabiru manual {have to read that bit again}) I use the bottom level for short local flights and the top level for the long hauls. Seems to burn more the higher the level.

 

I must be a messy topper-upper-er, because despite using the run it down the dip stick method, it seems to be ages before I can establish what new level I have achieved; the dip stick seems to pic up oil from the side of the tube. Never mind it seems 100ml = approx 3mm, so I now have good starting point for guidance.

 

Thanks again Alan

 

 

[Guest imap8ntr]

Alan

 

This has worked out for me very well on my J-250 with 120hrs on the engine. I spent lots of time figuring out what my oil consumption is. I always tried to add the oil when I land, recorded it and then checked the oil during the next pre-flight when things were cold. From this I was able to find out my exact oil consumption which is 30ml/hr. If I fly for three hours, I add 90cc when I land. Check the oil during the next pre flight and it is always at the same spot (equiliburim). Thus now my oil dipstick never moves. It makes life so much easier to add oil at the end of the flight by my watch and then come back to the hangar a couple of days later and the oil is at the same place as the last pre-flight. This has been a great method for me to not fly with the oil level high or low or varying. If I am on a long flight, I dont have a problem waiting until the oil to drain down to take a reading at my next stop. I simply check my watch and it turns out to be spot on.

 

Ivan

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Hi guys, just a small deviation. Tricycle a/c have a relatively level engine, let's assume horizontal to ground, and oil settles level to the engine. What happens with that same engine in a tail dragger? Engine is at, say 15 degrees(guess), oil is level to ground. Does one have to get a lengthened dip stick due to oil being back and down from the original horizontal, and then recalibrate? Just curious.