912 case leaking?

[Wheels]

Well, I flew the plane about 8 hours. there has been a drop of oil hanging on the starter after every flight. a little oil around the hoses in that area but no significant leakage, just a drip or two. Last time I chased it to the starter and thought it was the rubber packing in the starter so I replaced those. Its still there. I think it may be coming from the back of the engine case where it splits. I think I just need to watch it to see if it is getting worse. (it won't get better) I already had the engine off, rebuilt the starter, checked the torque on every bolt. I know it won't fix itself but … engines leak. anyone got an oil leak somewhere and they fly anyway even though Rotax says, leakin is forbottin?

[Av8r3400]

I will get a drip like you describe at the case seam in the front by the oil pump every time I run. My buddy's 912 ULS in his Rans S7 does the same.

I ignore it now.

In the winter I get a similar drip of coolant from somewhere I've never been able to find.

I ignore that, too.



I park over a piece of cardboard. :rolleyes:

[Slyfox]

wheels,
monitor the leak. when going somewhere take some extra. at least you don't have a Lycoming. it leaks more than a drop.:rolleyes:

[Timberwolf]

Aww come on sly, my lyc doesn't leak a drop. However the channel chrome cylinders burn a quart every 4 hours.

[Slyfox]

I've never been able to stop a little bit of leak off my lyc. although lately it's been better, it always has wetness coming from somewhere. I put in a quart about every 15hrs. I guess that's better than yours. I try to keep the oil level at no more than 6 quarts that also helps. My kitfox 912 does leak out the vent hose, one of these days I'll reconfigure that so it stops. I feel I need to loop it up out of the holding tank, may work. it puts a little on the radiator and I see it. I have yet to put any oil in between oil changes and that's done every 50.

personally I don't get too excited over leaks especially on an area that isn't from a pressure hose or something like that. It's amazing how a little oil makes a big mess and the loss is very minimal.

on my stuff if I see a leak I will put dye in the system and than use a black light to see where it really is coming from. works for me.

I guess that's some of the advantages of having a transmission shop, I have a bunch of kool equipment.:D

[Wheels]

Thanks fellas, I feel better. The motor sounds good and the acceleration and operations seem really good. All in all, it was a good experience. I'll finish the album this week. The plane is flying great. Now if I can just get the 4 inches of water off the runway.

[HighWing]

In the winter I get a similar drip of coolant from somewhere I've never been able to find.



I had a slight coolant leak first evident when I found moisture on the inside of the bottom cowl. I traced it up to a puddle in a depression in one of the cylinder castings then nowhere. I found that I could see evidence if it was pooled or when it resulted in a ready to fall drop on the bottom of a protrusion. Eventually I was able to trace it to one of the coolant fittings on the top of one of the heads. I re-torqued the cap screw - fix.

I guess my thought is that often times where the leak is most apparent is not necessarily near the source.

[SkyPirate]

The filler tank on my coolant had a wear point that would produce a wet spot on top of the engine housing, its an aluminum coolant tank, welded it up then got a bicycle inner tube that would stretch over it and cut a piece to fit, no problems since

[Slyfox]

mine is a little plastic bottle. I just plastic tied it to the side of my oil tank.

[Dorsal]

I also frequently have a few coolant drops and the bottom of the crank inevitably has a little oil on it. This has never been enough to concern me though I do check it when ever I take the cowls off. There is no detectable drop in oil between 25 hour oil changes and I top off the coolant a little at about the same interval.

[kmach]

I too have very slight oil wetting at the gearbox crankcase seam by the oil pressure sensor port.

I also have some oil mist coming out the oil tank breather tube, just enough to collect dust.

I used to have the odd coolant squirt .when I did my five year hose replacement , I put spring type hose clamps on all the hose connections. I haven't had a leak since. The coolant leaks would appear when the tempature outside dropped significantly.