Oil in Belly

[Red Air Rambo]

I would look at the gear door actuators, start with the left main and keep going.
They have to be rebuilt just like the powerpacks...I think Rick Cox did mine.

[wslade2]

as per Rambo
making a list, 4 fluids in the airplane: gas, oil, hydraulic, brake (also hydraulic)
it's not gas collecting
oil level not dropping and if you did Dr Dave test, that's out
brakes not great: possible
hydraulic needs topping off (must be going somewhere) and gear door dropping-suspicious
I had a very small leak from my emergency hand pump. By the time the hydraulic fluid mixed with the dust and grit in the belly it was black, not red, dripping out the weep hole. Don't count on the color. I ended up using scope to confirm hand pump was the source of the leak. You can get from harbor freight and on occasion have seen at hardware store.
Chase what you know is wrong. Hydraulic fluid is going somewhere. Plus I would put a hydraulic leak pretty high on the list of something to investigate whether or not it's the problem in the end.

[DrDave]

Okay, let me add one more thing. I promise this won't be wacky like the copper line mistake. We developed a small collection of oil in the center bay of the floor under the gear actuator. The oil would also drip off the left gear leg door if it was left open. I put towels under the motor for a couple of days. After two days the towel under the sump quick drain was wet. The oil was running off the sump drain and down the inside of the lower cowling into the belly.

I tried to attach a picture. Hope it works.

Dave

[GAdams]

Here is a picture. It's not oil, it's not 5606, it's not fuel. My mechanic's theory on the hydraulic fluid disappearing after the power back overhaul was, air bubbles were stuck in the system and as the gear was cycled the hydraulic fluid needed filling. The hydraulic level has stabilized an I have not added hydraulic fluid in quite awhile. He may be right. I don't know. I appreciate all the input. Please keep it coming.

[JAG]

Based on the picture - it sure looks like engine oil...if not pin hole in pressure line, then it is breathing out of front engine or leaking like Dr. Dave's issue.

Is it sticky? I have seen old contaminated 5606 (Hydraulic fluid) take on a yellow color before...very rare but it can happen. OR - Did someone put a different fluid in your brakes?

I have personally just purged my brake system after resealing my brakes and installing new flex lines. I have one of those brake bleeding pressure pots from ATS, and I took a polyFlo fitting and screwed it (pipe thread) into vent hole on the top of the master cylinder. Off the polyflo fitting I attached a length of polyflo tubing into a container, and just pushed fluid up from the brake bleeder through the system with the ATS pressure pot. This flushes the whole brake line from the bleeder to the master cylinder. Once the fluid ran clean and fresh, close it all up and your system is clean, filled and bled all in one shot.

The area you have the fluid is coincidentally where the swivel fitting is for the brake lines.

Let us know...

Jeff

[GAdams]

It is not sticky but is a heavier weight feel to it than the oil I use in the engine. But I do recall seeing the same fluid running from the right side of the front engine several months ago. I'll check the fluid color in the breaks as well.

[wslade2]

just as an experiment, I took some brand new red 5606 hydraulic fluid and put it on a dirty old paint can lid. Next morning it wasn't red. (I don't know why: because it spread out, dye evaporates, fluid evaporates or what.) Looked a lot like your picture.

Drying hydraulic fluid evaporates and thickens. More copious old hydraulic fluid very thick approaching gummy.

Your picture also looks a lot like what it looked like around my leaking emergency hand pump. I looked for a hydraulic leak and not an oil leak because that was what was most likely for the circumstances. I found a hydraulic leak and it stopped the problem.

5606 Hydraulic fluid is in the brakes as well as landing gear system.