Thought I'd throw this out in the ring. Might be like Lean of peak opinions.
I've been doing this for the last four years with moderate results. Was a little disheartened when I got a note on the results stating that there may be some signs of corrosion if the plane is not flown often. I average about 120 hours a year and on the printout that had the results are the dates, hours and frequency of oil changes! Someone is snoozing. The guy I bought the plane from had started this about a year before I bought it and I kept it up. now that I am over TBO, I watch all of the little barometers. Would like to hear from others good or bad. To this point, I am indifferent.
Kurt

If you've got a Lyc in there I'll send you some of mine for comparison. I'm at 2375 hours.

Thanks, but it's a TCM IO-360. What have you been finding with yours anyway?

I use a local company called AOA. I started when I purchased the plane, and analyze every other oil change. When got my plane it had been sitting out at Merril field, AK for a couple of years, and not getting much use. My first iron reading was 43.0 and that has gone done dramatically to 16.0 on my last one. The only code I get from them is that all values appear normal. What do they base the corroison comment on?

Damnit Kurt, you and your ALL CAPS! Stop yelling!

What, I thought you couldn't hear me good enough?
I'll have to go up to the hangar tonight (damn!)and look at all of the comments. There's a bunch of options. I have been using Aviation Lab One out of Phoenix. There have been no spikes on my oil as yet. I do it almost every oil change. That will probably be reduced as come the overhaul, I will install a spin on filter.
They (Lab One) seem OK just that comment about use and corrosion caught me off guard. I think that there is merit to using it, (That's why I stuck with it) I just wanted to open the door to other opinions. That and the weather sucks, supposed to be nasty for the next two-weeks so expect drivel from my corner for a while.

I better post some more photos.

Yeah, no rain here in over two months, temps in the upper seventies on Christmas weekend. [/gloat]

I have been giving this spin-on oil filter mod some thought myself. I read n article in the May 2005 AOPA Pilot comparing the effectiveness of a screen to a filter, and the amount of stuff that gets though a screen is scary...it takes a pretty big chunk to get stuck in there.

My 170 is very original and so of course has the oil screen, but I think this would be a wise addition since I don't think I'll be springing for the big engine any time soon.

The mentioned a few manufacturers: Kelly Aerospace, Tempest Plus, Airwolf, and one other I can't remember right now. Sounds like it's a pretty cake installation. Anyone have any experience with this?

Zane

Any thing caught in the oil screen will be big enough to have part numbers on it. That's why the suggestion by manufacturers to change the oil more frequently. Now that we have changed the focus from analysis to filtration, I would throw in the fact that with diligent (at least frequent) analysis, there have never been any particles reported that a filter would have eliminated. I am still pro-filter though.

My 470 had a screen-never anything in it except lead. It went 250 past TBO when it needed two cylinders and I decided on the 520. The 520 has a filter and I change oil at 50 or before. It now has 1150 trouble free hours on it and I like the filter better because I just throw it away and screw on a new one. I have never had an oil analasis, mostly because the oil even after 50 hrs. looks clean and my neighbor had oil analisis when his cam bearings were shredding and in the pan the analasis came back normal. I think the bottom ends of these things are pretty bullettproof and a failure would be catastrophic in nature and more likely in a new motor than one that has been humming along for a thousand hours.

Zane, I'd go for the filter if I was you. The F&M adapter that I have installed only costs about $300. STC'd, simple to install yourself but needs 337 and logbook entry.Filters are $15-18 apiece. I go 40 hours on oil changes now, as opposed to 25 with the screen. The added cost of the filter means you don't save money with the longer intervals, but you are doing maintenance (instead of flying) less often.
I've heard that filters are not meant to provide cleaner oil, just collect evidence.

Eric

zero.one.victor wrote:I've heard that filters are not meant to provide cleaner oil, just collect evidence.

Eric

I thought that was the NTSB's job.

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

I have the airwolf on my PZL Franklin and so far so good, 150hrs sfnew.

Mark

Zane, the other brand of filter is ADC, located near Seattle. They usually have a booth at the Puyallup Air Fare in February; I bought one at the show special price and put it on when I had the engine overhauled. They are a remote mount and take the big CN48109 filters. I liked some of the features of the ADC compared to the others. I have an O-470 and like Dave's, it was running strong with 1700+ hours and 35 years since overhaul with a just a screen and frequent oil changes. I now change oil and filter at 50 hours and have on occassion changed the oil but not the filter, sooner for one reason or another. This might sound odd, but the filter has plenty of capactity and there is at least a quart of undrained "old oil" left in the engine, so it is a on-going "rotation" of oil more than an absolute in any case.
Bob

Mark, is the PZL 220 a direct (legal, I should say) replacement for the earlier American 220 Frank? I'd sure assume so, but I understood that there were some internal changes, so it seemed like maybe it'd be a different engine model dash number . So it might not be a legal change without some paperwork, even though it might be (literally) a drop-in replacement.
The price they were advertising for the brand-spankin-new PZL engines a few years ago looked like it might be cheaper than overhauling an old original engine.

Eric

Yes, the PZL engine still qualifies as a certificated engine under the original FAA Type Certificate. Seemed the price a few years back was 14-17k for a complete factory new engine. I'd have to look at what the previous owner paid for mine but it was a pretty good deal. The people that have a lot of PZL experience (including parts etc.) are at http://www.franklinparts.com/ . I talked to Suzy a few weeks ago and she says Pratt Whitney now owns all rights to the Franklin line and is close to starting distribution to the U.S. from Poland again. Couple of drawbacks to the Franklins are the 1500 hour TBO and with 10.5:1 compression, you aren't going to see an autogas stc for it. On the other hand, they sure make a lot of smooth power and no AD ever issued against a Franklin Engine (knocking on wood) Service ceiling on an M4-220C is 21,000 feet.

Mark

hello

My plane came with the Airwolf filter. I change the oil every 25 hours and the filter every 50 hours. My mechanic says I can change the oil every 50 hours and that I'm throwing my money away, but every 25 hours makes me feel better. It also gives me a buffer so I don't have try and change oil on a x-country when I run over.

There's not much point in going to a filter if you don't cut them open and inspect the element for debris, so just figure the price of a filter cutter into the equation.