Things are breaking at low hours

[Tupolev114]

So im currently doing a ferry flight from KIDP to NZFI (http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtop ... 20&t=42966), and i am having parts deteriorate at low hours tacho is showing 31.5 and total flight time is 33 hours but at this low time i have had the oil filter yellow twice the same with the fuel filter and the air filter yellow once,

the flights i am doing range from 3.4 to 6.5 i am wondering if this is playing a factor in this, can some one shed some light onto the problem

i fly between 75% and 50% power all by the books

Thanks guys

[TreeTops]

I've just completed 17 hrs across Australia in four legs. Had to replace the oil filter at the beginning of the fourth leg. Everything else is in top shape.
I had a head winds so I was mostly on 23" 2200-2300 and leaned.

[Molly - A2A]

Yellow items don't mean they need immediately replacing, it's just something for you to keep an eye on.

[EnDSchultz]

Filters deteriorate very quickly. That's what they're for. I wouldn't worry about yellow filters. They shouldn't have any noticeable negative impact until they've been red for a few hours, in my experience. The recommended oil change time I've seen on planes is remarkably short: 50 hours on the tach or 4 months, whichever comes first. This tells me you should expect to be replacing them very frequently.

That said, other parts you'll want to start watching very closely on the off chance you see them turn yellow, because their failure could cause major problems. But filters you just need to check once in a while and change out once they turn red.

[AKar]

EnDSchultz is quite correct.

Oil and oil filter are scheduled usually to each 50 hours of time, quite often ignoring that 4-month calendar interval if you can get away with it, though I wouldn't right away consider that a good practice. Whenever you do it, the oil filter change brings arguably one of the most important maintenance checks: checking the filter contents for any metal debris, or other suspicious stuff, being signs of abnormal engine wear going on somewhere. And the oil should be drained through a screen, btw.

The plane has no fuel filter that should be replaced, instead there is a strainer bowl having a washable screen or filter. That should be put apart and cleaned every 100 hours.


One important thing that should be understood here, is the lack of Shift-7 in real life. What you can't pick or suspect in pre-flight or in the cockpit, you will not know until the plane is brought in for maintenance. Some things you wouldn't likely spot even there. There is no general way one could spot a 'yellow' oil pump from anything, until perhaps in the inspection of filter contents reveal some debris that is traced to it. Even less the engine fuel pump! Just about only thing you can check externally from them are signs of leakage. Many engine accessories are replaced/overhauled with the engine, or obviously if they break apart before that! And they may do that without any noticeable warning at all, within all reason no matter how well the plane is taken care of.

I still think it would be nice that you could hide the airplane condition in the hangar, so I could attempt to spot the conditions myself where possible, or just live with them unknowingly until next time I schedule a maintenance.


-Esa

[Bruce Hamilton]

You should also be catching things on the preflight, not relying on your mechanic.