Question: I am a low-time pilot who is part of a flight club. I fly several times a month, and lately I’ve been having trouble getting the oil cap off to check the oil level. I’ve made a bit of a mess adding oil to the aircraft. Is there a trick to it?
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Answer: Do you reach up to the oil cap to loosen it, or do you have a stepladder that permits you to get above it? I ask because I have found that when I am above the oil cap, I have better mechanical advantage to loosen it than I do when reaching sort of up and sideways and trusting my wrist strength.
I also carry one of those beefy multitools that has a set of pliers if the cap is really stuck. I put a towel over the cap, then apply the pliers for better mechanical advantage. You may also gently suggest to the other club members not to overtighten the oil cap so it takes a gorilla-like strength to open it.
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As far as adding oil, always use an appropriate-sized funnel, and never be in a hurry. It takes as long as it takes for the oil to drain from the bottle into the sump. As you remove the bottle, wrap paper towels around the neck, anticipating drippage.
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