Hey everyone, I'm hoping someone with more experience than me can help isolate the source of an oil leak that has recently started on our 1966 PA28-140, with 160hp STC (O320-E2A).
A small oil drip has appeared on the inside of the lower cowling under the #1 Cylinder. If wiped up, it does not re-appear until the engine is run again. After running for as little as taxi, runup, taxi back to the hangar, it re-appears.
With the lower cowling still installed, I looked under the entire side of the engine using a flashlight and telescoping mirror, and everything looks dry. The valve cover oil return lines are tight and dry. It's dry where these lines connect into the oil pan. The oil filler neck is tight and dry. What looks like oil temp or pressure sensors are tight and dry. Rocker covers show no seepage.
The engine only has around 250 hrs on it since being rebuilt. Besides this drip onto the cowl, there is no leakage or seepage evident anywhere else on the engine. Its clean enough to eat off of.
My next step is to remove the lower cowling and view from directly below. Wondering if there are common problem areas I should be sure to consider.
This started after we got the plane back from maintenance when the exhaust pipe on the same side as the oil leak had a hole that needed to be welded up. Not sure if that is relevant, but perhaps something related to oil needed to be removed to facilitate the exhaust removal.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!
A small oil drip has appeared on the inside of the lower cowling under the #1 Cylinder. If wiped up, it does not re-appear until the engine is run again. After running for as little as taxi, runup, taxi back to the hangar, it re-appears.
With the lower cowling still installed, I looked under the entire side of the engine using a flashlight and telescoping mirror, and everything looks dry. The valve cover oil return lines are tight and dry. It's dry where these lines connect into the oil pan. The oil filler neck is tight and dry. What looks like oil temp or pressure sensors are tight and dry. Rocker covers show no seepage.
The engine only has around 250 hrs on it since being rebuilt. Besides this drip onto the cowl, there is no leakage or seepage evident anywhere else on the engine. Its clean enough to eat off of.
My next step is to remove the lower cowling and view from directly below. Wondering if there are common problem areas I should be sure to consider.
This started after we got the plane back from maintenance when the exhaust pipe on the same side as the oil leak had a hole that needed to be welded up. Not sure if that is relevant, but perhaps something related to oil needed to be removed to facilitate the exhaust removal.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!
