Late last summer I fitted the Rotax oil tank and cut the oil hoses to length,
working with the garage doors open. The hose connected to the OUT fitting was
then removed for convenience. I left the OUT fitting uncovered for a week or
so before putting masking tape over it to prevent entry of dirt.
Recently, difficulty was encountered priming the oil system using the
technique suggested by John Baker/Roger Bull. Oil simply would not flow from
the tank to the engine with air pressure applied to the tank. Investigation
found a plug of mud in the OUT line inside the oil tank - apparently, a mud
wasp took advantage of my lapse last summer to begin installing a nest and I
failed to check for blockage prior to re-connecting the hose. Fortunately,
the wasp built an aircraft grade plug which did not rupture under pressure,
requiring a screwdriver for removal - had the plug failed I would have
injected a half teaspoon of dirt directly into the engine!
Guess who now keeps the pitot covered even in the garage?
John A044
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