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- Jul 4, 2013
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Have been searching and haven't had any luck so I thought someone here might be able to lead me in the right direction. My Pitts has been having some really odd oil px indications and all of this is very recent. It has an IO360 with christen inverted oil and MT C/S prop.
The problems started yesterday after going to a couple of fly-in's. I was heading back to my home field when oil pressure became erratic for the last 30 mins of flight. Everything from 15 to 85 psi constantly in flux on the gauge. Not the best feeling in a single engine. Landed pressure seemed to hold at 50 while I was taxing back to the hangar which is normal for being at about idle to 800rpm. Once parked I checked the oil and it was low at 5.5 quarts. I started the day with 7 and flew 2.5 hours.
Today I filled it back up to 8 quarts got everything to temp on the ground and it was all looking good. I felt safe enough to take off to check what the PX was doing in the air and I wanted to make sure the inverted systems were working correctly.
I started with positive maneuvers and worked towards inverted then negative. Pulls to a 45 up line no issues, slow rolls no issues, holding inverted flight no issues. Once I pushed to a 45 down line to put some negative G (approx 1.5 neg) on the aircraft the PX gauge shot all the way down to 8psi. I immediately put positive G back on the aircraft and everything stabilized again to around 70psi.
At this point I don't know if it is the sensor, gauge, or inverted system. Nothing else on the engine is acting abnormal. The propeller was never surging and stayed constant when set to 25 squared for everything even going negative there was no surging. Oil temp stayed at 185 all day, and CGT and EGT were all well within normal limits.
I would appreciate any advice or thoughts. If it's something I can't figure out myself I will be taking it to an A&P to get checked ASAP.
The problems started yesterday after going to a couple of fly-in's. I was heading back to my home field when oil pressure became erratic for the last 30 mins of flight. Everything from 15 to 85 psi constantly in flux on the gauge. Not the best feeling in a single engine. Landed pressure seemed to hold at 50 while I was taxing back to the hangar which is normal for being at about idle to 800rpm. Once parked I checked the oil and it was low at 5.5 quarts. I started the day with 7 and flew 2.5 hours.
Today I filled it back up to 8 quarts got everything to temp on the ground and it was all looking good. I felt safe enough to take off to check what the PX was doing in the air and I wanted to make sure the inverted systems were working correctly.
I started with positive maneuvers and worked towards inverted then negative. Pulls to a 45 up line no issues, slow rolls no issues, holding inverted flight no issues. Once I pushed to a 45 down line to put some negative G (approx 1.5 neg) on the aircraft the PX gauge shot all the way down to 8psi. I immediately put positive G back on the aircraft and everything stabilized again to around 70psi.
At this point I don't know if it is the sensor, gauge, or inverted system. Nothing else on the engine is acting abnormal. The propeller was never surging and stayed constant when set to 25 squared for everything even going negative there was no surging. Oil temp stayed at 185 all day, and CGT and EGT were all well within normal limits.
I would appreciate any advice or thoughts. If it's something I can't figure out myself I will be taking it to an A&P to get checked ASAP.
