no oil pressure

[dfcpac]

started up the c85-12 today got no oil pressure. check hose to the gauge nothing. tried loosing oil filter to see if any oil came out nothing. the tac is working it runs of same gear. any idea's

thanks
dan carley

[MikeB]

Yup! You lost the prime. Happens a lot in the small Continentals. Easy fix: pull the oil temp sender (but don't twist it off ) and squirt some clean engine oil in the cavity. Some have success by lifting the tail and hoping some residule oil will run down into the pump but I've never had alot of success with that process. Don't forget to reinstall the temp sender before starting the engine=big mess.

MikeB

[pmanton]

You mentioned oil filter. If it's the one mounted to the case, unscrew it and fill the port to the pump with oil.

Paul
N1431A
N83803
2AZ1

[dfcpac]

i'll give it a try today. is this commom if the plane sits for a week or so?

dan carley

[rkittine]

Hi Danny,

This happened to me when the I changed one cylinder last year. Not sure if it was from the work being done changing the cylinder and an oil change at the same time, or the fact that the plane sat of about 3 weeks in the winter, but I was told the same things that have been posted here, did them and the pump picked up the prime again and I have not had the problem again even if the plane has sat for a couple of weeks, so I am sure you will be fine as soon as you get it primed. I also have an oil filter, but mine is remote and since you have a "-12" I assume your's is attached directly to the accessory case.

Let me know if you need a hand with anything as I am out on the Island the rest of the week and through Saturday.

Ciao - Robert

[MikeB]

Dan,
It is fairly common especially after the oil pump gets some wear. Doesn't take a lot but just enough to let the oil flow out of the pump over a period of time. One of my old A65's did it on a pretty regular basis. After the pump was rebuilt it was better but if it sat for a month or so it might or might not do it. Used to have a little cardboard sign I'd keep in the plane that said "check oil pressure after starting" (just to remind myself). Prime the pump and it will be fine.

MikeB

[dfcpac]

thanks to all that replied. sounds like the problem. hope that's the answer i really didn't want to take the engine apart.

dan carley

[Roger Anderson]

My Chief does it about once or twice a year, just enough to let me kknow that the first thing to do after the engine starts is...check the oil pressure. I can count on it happening on the first start after an annual. It seems that with the prop being moved around a lot, compression check and such, and it having sat unstarted for a while, it causes the pump to lose its prime. I've always had good success by just lifting the tail up high and holding it for a minute. However, if you do that, don't have the prop vertical and do chock the wheels and don't do it in a strong wind. And.....I don't know what's going on in the back of the plane...but it sure is getting heavier and heavier each year.

[Carl Prather]

Dan,

I had that problem with my A-75 on the Champ. Paul Agaliotis simply went back to the tail picked up ove his shoulder making the plane nose down and waited for about a minute. He put the tail back down re-started the engine and I had oil pressure in about 5 or 6 seconds. If that didn't work, he was going to go the MikeB route.

Carl Prather

[dfcpac]

yep lifted the tail waited about 2 minutes, oil pressure came back in about 10 seconds, amazing!!! the a&p just scratched his head and walked away. hope it doesn't happen too often, gets heavy

thanks
dan carley

[brink]

I had a Champ my first in 1975 bought it in Tishimingo Oklahoma, and flew it toSoutheastern When the weather cooperated. When I bought it,it had around 825:00 hours SMOH. I flew it home to Ardmore Oklahoma and changed the oil and gave it a compression check. All the cylinders were in the mid 60s, not good. The Oil was really dirty, so I put 50 wt. non detergent oil, the FBO at Ardmore Down town had old cases of non detergent oil, mostly 50wt. I flew it to college and back and changed the oil that nite. I repeated this 4 times, I was at Southeastern eEaker field, proped the engine to go to Ardmore, and no Oil Pressure. I checked my oil pressure line to the gauge, it had oil in it, but not much. I,figured I had a clog some place. Their was supposed to be a copper restricted fitting at the engine oil pressure outlet, it, was not their just a regular -4 40 degree fitting. I tracked around the airport looking for that restructed fitting. No body had one, John Wakely was the mechanic and said AJ let’s make one out of a straight copper -4 fitting that we had, and made up a new copper line, going to,the gauge. I ended up RON at Durant that nite, John used an oil can and 80 weight oil to prime the oil pump, and filled the gauge line with 5606 hydraulic fluid. Never had another no oil pressure problem. And my compressions came up in the low 70s, our small Continentals were designed to run on non detergent oil, to this day that’s all I use, and mix MMO in my Fuel. Just my opinion not to offend. A fellow flyer.