Small aircrafts and aircrafts with piston engines tend to face oil leaks. If left unchecked, these leaks can result in major damage to the structure of the plane. When we talk about small aircrafts, we are referring to planes such as those from Cirrus, Cessna, Beechcraft, Diamond, Mooney, and Piper.
Issues such as oil leaks can be prevented by routine inspections, quality control, or troubleshooting procedures. These actions should be performed for all the external surfaces, pipework, joints, and coils.
To detect oil leaks in your aircraft, you can use a UV flashlight or a UV dye kit. Both of these can be easily purchased from a certified aircraft manufacturer or a company that provides aircraft inspection services. An ultraviolet blacklight can reveal leaks as a bright fluorescent yellow or as a green glow.
In this blog, we have listed why it is important to regularly check for oil leaks in your aircraft, how to detect them and if some oil leaks are more dangerous.
Why Is It Important To Check For Oil Leaks?
Oils are used in an aircraft engines to perform the following critical functions:
- Protect it from corrosion and too much heat
- Lubricate the components and propellers
- Reduce noise
- Maintain the engine and keep the other components clean
Nevertheless, the most important function of engine oil is to provide lubrication. Without proper lubrication, all the moving parts of your plane will quickly wear out.
The engine is considered the ‘heart’ of your aircraft and the engine oil keeps it functioning. If you see even a trickle of engine oil leaking, it means that the engine's parts will start to wear out quickly.
How To Detect Oil Leaks
Oil leaks are commonly detected using a UV flashlight or a UV dye kit. Keep reading to find out how these tools are used:
UV Flashlight
Oil leaks are not easily visible, especially in certain lighting conditions. However, oil consists of a UV dye that glows under a UV flashlight. This makes it easy to detect the source of the leak without removing the engine, dropping the transmission, or doing any time-consuming task.
Moreover, with the help of a UV flashlight, you can easily detect the leak without having to clean the complete engine. Here are the steps you should follow to detect an oil leak:
- Start the engine and let it run for a while
- Shut it down
- Use the UV flashlight to check the engine from all sides
- If there is a leak, the oil will glow under the light
Although some technicians perform this job while the engine is running, it is not advisable. If you find a leak, it is better to contact an aircraft welding company to fix the issue. Don’t try to weld the engine yourself.
UV Dye Kits
UV dye kits are cheap and commonly available. They also come with a pen UV light and yellow-tinted protective glasses. With these kits, all you have to do is add the dye to the engine oil to make it glow brighter. After this follow the same steps as mentioned above.
Can Some Oil Leaks Be More Dangerous Than Others?
No, all oil leaks are similar, however, depending on the colour of the oil, you can determine where it is coming from. If the leaked oil has a dark brown or black colour, it usually means that it came from the engine. Oil leaking from the engine should be dealt with as soon as possible. On the other hand, if the oil leak has a golden brown colour, it is most likely a mess or spillage.
At this point, it is important to understand that oil leaks won’t get better themselves. They have to be fixed by a professional. Hence, as soon as you spot an oil leak, make sure that you inform your mechanic or flight instructor just to be sure that it doesn’t lead to safety issues.
About Acorn Welding
Acorn Welding has grown to become one of Canada’s largest aircraft exhaust and engine mount manufacturers and suppliers. We are your one-stop shop for engine mounts and other related parts and offer high-quality aircraft welding services. We deliver nothing but the most precise services when it comes to aircraft welding. If you would like to learn more about us, you can visit our website or contact us here.
