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DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 10:46 pm
by Rich
While engaging with the thread regarding excessive oil use I stumbled across this:

https://www.lycoming.com/sites/default/ ... ent%20.pdf

Especially since it's a warranty item for a year after the date of this SB (4/5/2016) I ordered the replacement item(s). They arrived yesterday. Comparing the two actually resolves some long-standing questions in my mind. Here is a picture of the two side-by-side that I took today (NOTE: in the picture I mislabeled the olde one as LW-18783-18. It's actually the "offending" one - LW16783-18)

Note:
- The two dipsticks would roughly give the same reading somewhere around 5 quarts. But above that, the old dipstick shows less than you actually have, and below 5 it can show considerably more than you actually have. This latter issue is the stated reason for the SB.
- The corrected placement of the 8 qt. mark makes more sense than the long-standing behavior I've had when doing an oil/filter change and adding 8 quarts of oil (plus lately, 13 oz. of CamGuard). It looked like the filter (and associated plumbing) was holding almost a quart of that oil. As far as I can tell, it should be more like a pint, as it appears the CH48110-1 has an exterior volume of about 20 ounces. The revised 8 qt. location is almost exactly where I recall the oil level after my most recent oil change.
- I'd long wondered why an engine with a minimum oil level of 4 qts. would have that mark at the extreme end of the dipstick. You don't make gauges like that.

I also took measurements of the positions of the marking of the two dipsticks to more specifically quantify the distances of the respective marks from the top of the filler tube and the distances between the various markings. I'll post these numbers shortly.

As an aside, I seem to recall a many-years-in-the-past request from Diamond asking to confirm that I had the LW-16783-18 dipstick, which is why I knew right offhand what the part number stamping looked like.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 10:59 pm
by Rich
These are the metrics, based on the placement of the respective markings relative to the bottom of the o-ring:
Dipstick Comparison.xlsx.pdf
Produced from Excel
(20.16 KiB) Downloaded 411 times

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:19 am
by smoss
Thanks for the post. As my dipstick looks just like your old one, I assume it is also the one that needs to be replaced (as are a ton of others out there). Can you please share the process you used for getting the new one and having it covered by warranty--the SB says to contact an authorized Lycoming distributor, but I don't have one of those on my speed-dial.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:35 am
by Rich
I contacted Aviall. But you can use any authorized Lycoming dealer. It was shipped from Dallas. The guy said they'd prefer to ship it to a maintenance shop, but he did accommodate me. So if you have a shop you deal with (doesn't have to be a Diamond SC, naturally) you might wind up going through them. In my case, per instructions from Aviall I'll call them Monday (or Tuesday) to submit a Warranty Claim referencing the order number.

The Service Bulletin addresses the warranty process. I says it covers freight costs, too. It also says to record the replacement in the engine log. To cover my bases I may have my mechanic make that entry.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 2:41 pm
by smoss
extrapolating that picture comparing dipsticks, it looks like we've really been running on 2 quarts when 4 is shown! Anyways... Rich, how did the warranty submission go? Did you have to pay retail, and then they reimburse full retail, or is there some set amount they will cover?

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:05 pm
by Rich
smoss wrote:extrapolating that picture comparing dipsticks, it looks like we've really been running on 2 quarts when 4 is shown! Anyways... Rich, how did the warranty submission go? Did you have to pay retail, and then they reimburse full retail, or is there some set amount they will cover?
Paid retail (just under $200) and they reimburse. The MSB doesn't specify any particular amount. I just got the RMA and returned the old one yesterday, so it'll be awhile before I get the reimbursement.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:34 pm
by mdieter
I just checked my dipstick and was surprised to fine that I have a bad one too. 2009 SN 40.1047. I'm submitting thru my mechanic. I still can't get over this error by Lycoming! Thank for the post warning about this issue.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:09 pm
by Rich
I did confirm with Lycoming that this SB applies to the IO-360-M1A, but didn't think to inquire about the O-360-A4M used in the DA40F. I'm thinking it might, as it also shows a minimum of 4 qts., which is unusual among the Lycoming 360's. So anyone with a DA40F night check into this. The SB has a contact number to inquire.

This issue probably stems from something different about the oil sump design between our engines and most others. Why that would be different I don't know.

I sent off an email to Diamond Tech Support in case they didn't know about this. I have no clue why it took some 15 years for Lycoming to discover this. I wonder if it was originally reported from the field. Some mechanic or owner got curious, which started the ball rolling at Lycoming.

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:07 am
by Lance Murray
Rich,

Thank you for doing the homework on this and letting us know. My mechanic missed this one. I guess it isn't in their practice to check for MSB's

Re: DA40-180 Oil Dipstick: Lycoming MSB 612

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 2:10 pm
by Rich
Lance Murray wrote:Rich,

Thank you for doing the homework on this and letting us know. My mechanic missed this one. I guess it isn't in their practice to check for MSB's
I thought it was important, especially since some of us have been running with lower oil levels, and it appears they're lower than they thought.

BTW, Diamond tech support says they are aware of this issue.