Aircraft Oils and Greases Part

1 (Lubricants)
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The Oracle @ Delphi #5 4/20/06 - Aircraft Oils and Greases Part 1 (Lubricants)
I've just spent the last two months learning everything that I already knew, everything that I forgot
and then a bunch of new stuff about aircraft oils and greases, and of course I'm willing to share. A
solid foundation of knowledge about oil and its role in the internal combustion engine will allow you,
the pilot/owner of an aircraft to better choose an engine oil that is closely matched to the flying
environment of the aircraft.

Lubrication

Hydrodynamic lubrication is when two moving parts create a wedge of lubrication that produces
enough pressure within the film to separate the surfaces. A good example is the crankshaft turning in
the bearing (see example). When the crankshaft turns in the bearing the oil is forced into an ever
smaller area. This pressure squeezes the oil molecules together so they cannot move. The viscosity
of oil at 300,000 PSI is equivalent to nylon.
Boundary lubrication occurs in locations that must be lubricated however, cannot use hydrodynamic.
A good example is the piston rings when they stop at the dead center position. The surfactant and
chemical properties of the lubricant determine the amount of wear.

Cleaning
In the combustion process there are lots of impurities left from the combustion process. If these
impurities are left unchecked they will, sooner or later, form a thick sludge. This sludge will end up
blocking the flow of oil. Dispersants are added to the oil to suspend these particles in the oil. If you
burned an Ashless Dispersant oil in a test tube there would be no ash deposits remaining.
Detergents in the oil prevent deposits from forming on the hot engine surface. Metallic ash deposits
in a combustion chamber may form a hot spot resulting in pre-ignition.

Cooling
The thin coat of oil left on the cylinder walls transfers the heat from the rings to the cylinder walls,
where it is passes to the atmosphere through the cylinder barrel's cooling fins. Oil also absorbs heat
from other sources as well. For example when oil passes through a turbo charger part of the heat is
absorbed by the oil and removed from the local area.

Viscosity
Viscosity is by far the most important property of engine oil. Viscosity affects oil consumption, engine
cranking speed, wear rates and engine friction. Viscosity is the "thickness" or the resistance to flow.
Oil's viscosity is dramatically dependent in temperature. Oil decreases in viscosity (thinner) with
rising temperature. Because of the large range of environments that aircraft engines are used in
there are many single weight oils as well as several multi-grade oils available. Single Weight Oils
consists of 65, 80, 100 and 120. 65 Weight has the lowest viscosity and is intended for use in very
cold environments (Outside air temperature below -15 C), 120 Weight is the highest viscosity and is
intended for use in warm climates (Outside air temperature above 26 C). Multi Grade Oils such as
15W-50 are a blend of viscosity. It is intended to be an "All Season Oil", or in an instance where you
do not fly enough to justify a summer and winter weight oil, or in the instance where you are flying
from a warm to cold climates. As you might imagine, you cannot get something for nothing. First is
that a multi grade oil will cost more. Second, the VI Improver (Viscosity Improver) which are used in
multi-weight oils to thicken the oil will tend to brake down with time and heat (leaving the oil thinner
and necessary), making frequent oil changes a must.

Corrosion
One of the big killers or general aviation aircraft is the under use of aircraft. The frequent operation
of an engine will tend to drive moisture out of the oil. Further continuous use will also require more
frequent oil changes, thereby removing acids suspended in the oil. For aircraft that are not as heavily
used there are additives that can provide a measure of rust and wear protection. The AeroShell
W100 Plus and the AeroShell W 15W-50 contain both an anti-wear and an anti-corrosion additive.
Further both these products include the additive LW 16702 which is required on certain Lycoming
engines.

Oil Change Interval

You should consider not only the engine time (hours), but the calendar time (Months) as well. In a
low use scenario the need for frequent oil changes in aircraft is not caused by the oil wearing out,
but rather by the oil becoming contaminated with by-product or combustion, dirt, water and unburnt
fuel.

Final Notes
The use of straight mineral oils is generally used to engine break in. Once the engine is fully broken
in then you should switch to the non-ash dispersant oils for general use.
The AeroShell Fluid F2 (http://www.aeroshell.com) should be used when you want to place the
engine in long term storage.

As always the FAR, Operation manuals and technical publications take precedence over anything
you might find here. Most of this information was gathered from the Shell publication as well as the
Engineering Manual by Sacramento Sky Ranch. I would recommend both of these for your book
shelf.
Oil Weight
Aero Shell 65
Aero Shell W65
Castrol Aviator S 65
Castrol Aviator AD 65
Aviation Oil EE 65 (Exxon)
Aero Shell 80
Aero Shell W80
Castrol Aviator S 80
Castrol Aviator AD 80
Aviation Oil EE 80 (Exxon)
Aero Shell 100
Aero Shell W100
Aero Shell W100 Plus
Castrol Aviator S 100
Castrol Aviator AD 100
Aviation Oil 100 (Exxon)
Aviation Oil EE 100 (Exxon)
Aero Shell 120
Aero Shell W120
Castrol Aviator S 120
Castrol Aviator AD 120
Aviation Oil 100 (Exxon)
Aviation Oil EE 100 (Exxon)
Aero Shell 15W50
Castrol 20W50
Aviation Oil 20W-50 Elite
(Exxon)

SAE
Specification

SAE Grade 30

Outside Air Temperature Ashless

C
Despersant
Below -12
Not Listed

SAE Grade 40

-17 to 21
Not Listed
15.6 to 32

SAE Grade 50

10 to 32
Not Listed

Above 26
SAE Grade 60

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

X
X
X
X

Not Listed
SAE J-1899
Not Available in the US

No matter where you go. There you are.

Lycoming LW
16702

X
X

X
X