engine oil dip stick

[tonydenton]

it's been worrying me for a while now but to be able to see the clear oil on my dip stick. the 15W40 oil is basically CLEAR. and leaves no definite line that the oil level is at. obviously the more times I dip it and try to see the oil level mark when i drag drag the dip stick out it leaves residue down the tube so then wets the stick and leaves a false higher reading, [ that I can hardly see anyway ] my eyesight with glasses is ok , it's just the clear oil on the metal stick.
I had heard that you can drill tiny holes in the metal stick [ quite a few maybe only 1 mm diameter ] the idea being the oil would stay in the holes to show where the oil level was at .
the dip stick seems to be a higher tensile steel and envisaged drilling holes like that would be difficult, so I fitted a 1 mm thick cut off disc to my angle grinder and put several NICKS into the side of the stick. [ this is just between the full and add mark ]
so with the nicks into the stick I refitted it in my engine. [ ok short story , don't ever try this what I have done .]
where or how the dip stick fits , when I tried to remove, it come out about 3 or maybe 4 CM then the nicks into the side catches on something inside the engine. damn. really freaked me out. turned it anti-clock and pulled and it still wouldn't let go. pushed it back in and turned it clock wise and pulled and still nothing. turned it more and pulled and it finally released enabling me to pull it all the way out. obviously reading any oil level then is a waste of time ,uggghhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!
anyway I have other dip sticks and I will try the tiny drilled holes theory.
if anyone knows the best style of dip stick for seeing clear oil , please let me know.
when I was doing the oil change I used my drill powered oil pump into the engine oil gallery I had posted about in forum version 2 . any way because eit was very top heavy, I made an aluminium base and holder frame, well that went well , and also machined an adaptor to hold the oil pump firmly into the top of the 5lt oil bottle. 1 slight change needed is 1 of the vertical frame that holds the top support ring, has covered up the clear window on the oil bottle . being able to see the clear window on the oil bottle when pumping the oil in is great as you can visually see the level of oil that has been pumped in.
the pumping oil into the engine via the oil filter and then through the oil galleries is one of the best things , my engine, on start up after an oil and filter change seemed to rattle and tick away endlessly until the oil pressure built up , pumping it in through the hydraulic fitting and then capping it before starting give instant oil pressure. I love it.
can't seem to post another photo , i'll try again later.

[tonydenton]

I can't seem to get " the attaching a photo button" to work webby. ?????

[GraemeMonro]

See if I can post a picy?

[RickE]

After I do oil changes when checking the oil level I lay the dip stick on cardboard or a dark coloured cloth which helps see where the new clear oil is up to on the stick. Generally it only takes one flight to get colour back in the oil.

[tonydenton]

thanks rick, the oil is the PENRITE brand and is 15w40. even after many hours it is still clear to me. but I will try the cardboard idea. I was thinking today about a darker colour dip stick as if the dip stick was cad plated . i'll try the oil on a bolt or something similar.

[birdy]

Just wipe your finger across the stick, with a referance to where, and clean oil will show clearly on your finger.

If your run,n anythn besides a rotax, use @20% oil stabiliser ( moreys or flashlube).
it prevents dry starts, even after munths of sitn still.

[RossM]

Your old photos from the other forum Tony.

[tonydenton]

thanks ross , I wanted to show the new frame I made for it , and thanks grae, I'm pretty sure I never had the screen up far enough so when I was pressing the photo button the next function buttons were below my screen [ duuuuhhhhhhh !!!!!!!! ] I just have to remember how I saved the reduced photos . maybe this week .
thanks birdy, thought of that too , the bottom of the stick has a twist in it so it isn't just a straight wipe .

[Tim]

Quote "after an oil and filter change seemed to rattle and tick away endlessly until the oil pressure built up"
Tony, may I respectfully suggest that you may have a future problem pending with this engine. Even with a filter change the oil pressure should come up very quickly (especially if you half fill the filter before hand). Without a filter change it should be pretty much instantaneous. Regardless, it shouldn't "tick and rattle" unless there is excess clearance somewhere. What is your oil pressure hot (after a flight) with the engine idling?
Regarding the dipstick I found them easier to read with a fine crosshatch inscribed on them with a simple inscribing tool (between the low and full marks.

[Brian]

Tony, I'm with Tim there, there should not be any rattling or ticking going on. Reading the dipstick after an oil change can be difficult so I try to fill the engine with a fraction less than the amount of oil the book says is needed and then start the engine & run it for a minute [ checking oil pressure on start] then shut the engine off & leave it for 5 minutes then you will see very clearly the level.

[tonydenton]

yes I can hear what your both saying and I agree, maybe I'm making it sound worse but did always sound worse , only after an oil change thou. it always seemed like 20 seconds but might of been just 4 sec.
any normal start up was ok.
after a fly and an idle the pressure would be 1.5 bar probably.
when starting after an oil change I had tried putting oil in the filter but seemed to spill more than what it seemed worth while so I came up with the pumping into engine system.
still am happy with it except my dip stick. just been looking for another dip stick. normally tripping over 2 or 3 of them and now can't find 1 . bloody hell.
anyway i'll work on the dip stick back ground thanks to those that have helped .

[Brian]

It's normal to take say 5 seconds or so to pick up pressure. I have been using Moreys in everything except the Rotax I have proved beyond doubt that it does what it says &one of those is the fact that it protects the engine in a dry start it's amazing that your oil is still clear after a few hours as most engines hold a bit of the old oil which when mixed with the new quickly puts a bit of color into the oil Making it easier to see on the dipstick
guess it must be the mighty suby showing how mighty it is

[tonydenton]

hello brian , yes I agree with you on that , probably only 5 secs . but struth I just don't like hearing it , it dead set fires up first time a piston come on compression stroke and ignites . and all I can think of is " why couldn't you be slow to start like all the other bloody times " i should probably pull the coil lead off too.
I am close to using morey's oil stabilizer .
I also had the chance to try some other oil in my auto flight box. and after 20 minutes it was barely warmed up . the oil this time was a SYNFORCE brand called DIFFMAX. 85/140 . we used it in some gearboxes recommended by the supplier and I thought it was worth a try. i'll give it a longer run and let you know.

[tonydenton]

the suby does well considering my it hauls my backside around Brian, I have had my moments with it but only because I'm learning . [ i'm a late starter , a very late starter with working on engines ] .

[Brian]

That's one good thing with the 912 in that you can wind it over without it starting, I wind mine over for 10 seconds or so before turning the ignition on. I would give serious consideration to using Moreys with your engine starting so quickly.
Rosie vn commadore starts same way , not sure why, certainly not like the 2.2 suby that takes 4 turns Everytime all the time. Sounds like you have the gearbox oil pretty well sorted which is a big help.
The suby can get pretty sick before they won't fly. My old ea81 got to the stage one time that it took 15 minutes minimum to get it started it was that worn but the re built engine did not run one Rev faster than the worn out engine
Never too late to teach a old dog new tricks Tony

[tonydenton]

yeah brian, this old dog gets called more than that and feels worse most days. I,ve had a couple of falls in the last few years and my shoulders are shot.
to get more hours in flying I'm making the effort and going before work. drive 20 minutes and then fly for 30 minutes and then drive back 20 minutes to start work by 6.30.
but I also did an oil change this morning , and guess what, guess, yep the bloody oil comes out coloured , damn it , I looked at the dip stick again and it seriously seems clear. I can think of a few thinks
# 1. I'm losing my marbles.
# 2. the dark hanger I'm in I usually use a little l.e.d. torch in my mouth and that's too friggen bright and just lighting up and letting me see right the oil [ yeh I know. ]
# 3. I'm losing my marbles.
any way I can't find a single other dipstick around [ so maybe it's option 1 or 3 ] so I ground the dipstick back on a belt sander and nearly got rid of all the 1 mm notches away, and back to normal shape [ but a bit thinner , wish I was thinner ]