I'm not in agreement with anything posted in Sid's most recent post, other than his last sentence about the oil pump being immersed in oil. I'm not all that sure that even this is correct..
Since this subject is of interest to all VW aircraft operators and is worth clarfying, would someone like Langford or Jeff or anyone who knows their VW Type 3 please straighten up this question for the sake of anyone wondering how best to maintain the engine during periods of flying inactivity? Of course, the answer to that is to fly it as regularly as possible but for those times when it isn't being flown . . . Thanks, Mike KSEE I've posted the entire exchange below, for clarification. Sid's most recent post is first. ************************************* When I purchased my assembled 2180 VW from Great Plains many years ago, Steve Bennett recommended that I turn the crank 30 revolutions each month that the engine was not being run. Before I installed the engine I had a nyla-flow tube on the top oil gallery in place of the oil cooler connection. After 3 revolutions I could see large bubbles coming through the tube, then progressively smaller bubbles as I continued hand cranking. Some engines spray oil on the bottom of the pistons for cooling. The VW does not do that spay system. All bearing parts on the VW get positive lubrication from the oil gallery with exception of the piston rings and valve guides; these parts get either splashed from the crank or dribbles from the wrist pins for the rings and dribbles from the rocker arm tappets on the valves. Was Steve Bennett providing me the correct recommendation? For what it may be worth, I understand that so-called aircraft engines have the cam shaft above the crank, and thus do not lay in the crank case oil pool when the engine is not running. VW engines have the cam shaft below the crank and lay in the crank case oil pool when the engine is not running. The VW oil pump gears are always immersed in the oil in the crank case. Sid Wood Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 California, MD, USA ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I had hand-turned the prop for 30 revolutions once a month to keep the parts lubricated." I used to think this was a good idea and I'm not going to say it's a _bad_ idea, however someone (perhaps Jeff) on the list pointed out many years ago that unless the engine is turning at an RPM sufficient to get the oil pump pumping, periodically turning the prop by hand doesn't bring any oil up and onto the cam lobes and cylinder walls. I've let my engine sit during this winter without engine movement for reasons of laziness and some other distractions I've allowed. During earlier non-flying periods I would periodically go over to the hangar and run the engine until reaching operating temperature. This winter I haven't been doing that. I'm on the verge of re-engaging with aviation (biennial, medical renewal, aircraft annual) however so my plan before turning the prop is to take my top plugs out and squirt some Marvel into each cylinder and letting things soak for a day. I'll then slowly bring the two pistons that were at top of cycle, down . . . and do some more Marvel squirting and soaking. Also squirting some Marvel down the guides each day. Following all that I'll run the engine to operating temperature then drain the oil overnight - which I do anyway. Next day a valve adjustment and some fresh oil. I'm not thinking I'd do a lot of damage just by starting up the engine without any of this rigamarole . . . however my thought is if there is a "better" way to do something, especially with the engine, why not take the time to do it? Also, it's a form of penance for being so lazy as to not get over to the hangar every month and run the engine as I've always done during non-flying stretches . . . until this recent period of inactivity. All that aside, I just wanted to respond to Sid's post about turning the engine over by hand once a month, thinking it was lubricating the engine. It's probably good to turn the engine over by hand every month just to keep everything from sitting in one position for months at a time, but I don't think it's lubricating anything. In fact, it possibly could just be scraping whatever oil is on the walls, off . . . thus perhaps doing more harm than good. What do others think about this? Mike KSEE ____________________________________________________________ Doctor Warns: Don't Cover Up Your Dark Spots, Fix Them Gundry MD http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5b0c4915b5d9249153d5est02vuc _______________________________________________ Search the KRnet Archives at https://www.mail-archive.com/krnet@list.krnet.org/. Please see LIST RULES and KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html. see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change options. To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@list.krnet.org
