Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Raise your hand if you change your oil every 4 months regardless of the hours flown as recommended by the oil manufactures and engine assembly Gods .

RB

25 hours on the tach, no filter, regardless of calendar time. The next oil change is less than 1 month, 28 hours to OSH and back.

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

I raise my hand.

Rich,

I go strictly by hours too, like Bruce. I have a spin-on filter and have used AeroShell 15w50 since the beginning... 25 years. Engine still uses almost exactly 1 qt. in 25 hours, after 1300 hours. If I had to be down for a real long time, like maybe a year, I'd probably change it out. I do live in a nice dry climate.

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

I use the tach, as well: every fifty hours. I have a full aircraft filter. I use one quart in 15 hrs unless I have done some aerobatics, in which case it throws some out. Then I get about ten hours to the quart. I maintain the level between six and seven quarts.

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Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

I use the tach. I do change at 25 hours even tho I have a spin on KN filter. My mechanic asked me why and I told him I don't like what the oil looks like past about 30 hours. He said good enough. My engine is old and has some blow by. It dirtys the oil more than some.
Cubes

Thanks for the info . ! I think the majority do the tach/hobbs meter routine . I just wanted to check with my cell mates to see what they were doing .

RB

25 HRS, I juss figgered the oil in the sump wouldnt wear out any faster than the oil sittin in the one qt Containers on the shelf...Dan

You're probably right Dan ...it's been sittin in the ground for 65 million years !

RB