OK, after wading through this thread I am forced to ask....

Just how many mechanics does it take to open a can of oil and add it to an engine?
:E

Real engines require a 5 gallon drum to be carried out on the wing for top up.

And the more that get broken the more they sell.

Still an intriguing argument
 

Gazin.ASKAP, Tinwacker and others:

I ask you the following:
Is opening an oil can with the correct tool an unsafe workshop practice?
Do you consider inverting oil cans before opening an unsafe workshop practice?

It behooves us as senior maintenance personnel to impart high maintenance standards to those we supervise and advise.

Using a screwdriver to open oil cans shows less than professional standards, or perhaps incorrect instruction on the use of hand tools at the base trade level. There are also OHS issue if one is using palm of the hand to strike the screwdriver.

To shake or not to shake. Appears from the posts here, to be a matter of personal experience, those that have seen frothing of the oil and those that haven't.

Those that have experienced oil foaming/frothing of turbine oil - mobil jet11 and Aeroshell 555 in my case, will err on the side of safety and shake the can. Is it akin to saying a prayer?

Peter Fanelli
And 23 inches at idle:ok:

Hi mate, I had to laugh about PH service bulletin when it came out several or more years ago, just after I had a pilot break two on an Islander, he wound the props through several times ADOR - less than 50 hours TIS.

Cheers
BH

" Using a screwdriver to open oil cans shows less than professional standards, or perhaps incorrect instruction on the use of hand tools at the base trade level. There are also OHS issue if one is using palm of the hand to strike the screwdriver."............:ooh:

I was mortified to learn that, over the years, I ( and numerous colleagues )have clearly been guilty of such flagrant acts. I am thus indebted for this advice. Indeed, with regard to workshop practices, clearly the instructors at Halton (many years ago now) were mere amateurs with little or no experience in this area.

I hate to use the old adage "never check, always assume"...cough....but do I take it you have never actually worked in a Line environment ( Mil or Civil ) and are thus more office engineering orientated shall we say ?.

Just curious though as to where your organisation, Air Utopia, operates from........:E

Over the years I opened many Esso TJ15, Esso 2380 amd Mobil Jet 2 oil cans. You would think that if it was necessary to shake the cans before opening, that it would be written on them.

I wonder why most engineers are stingy to buy a can's opener and prefer using flat head screw drivers to open them .
Its only for about 1 buck ..

Probably the fact that theres only so much crap you can carry around on your belt or in your pocket on the the line, flat blade opens cowls, removes panels, pokes things in the cabin, levers things and opens cans. Can openers just open cans.

Fer Christ's sake - does it say shake before opening on the bloody can ? The manufacturer would add that if needed :mad:

Yup, most line mechs/techs/engs have purchased these very expensive can openers called leathermans, (other multitools are available but that's a whole new thread) Sixty-odd quid gets you a shiny Victorinox Swisstool. So far from being stingy, they are actually a bit flash with the cash and will do anything to save a trip back to the van for the correct tool. :}
The GS is old hat now unless opening cowlings or, gawd forbid, actually undoing a large screw!:eek:

One never opens oil cans. One has a chap to do that. ;)

Jon Starr
 

Hey Jon
Have you had an opportunity to refill the oil and ground run/test fly?

Cheers
BH

Hey blackhand, nope haven't filled the engines up yet. I'm waiting for my CanKeys to arrive.

The GTD-350 will be filled this coming weekend, although it's not quite ready for a full run yet (need to do some welding work on the exhaust deflectors) so it'll just be an oil pressure test on the starter.

The Williams needs some hydraulic work and I sheared a bolt on the rear turbine housing on Sunday, so that's probably a month and a lot of swearing before I can refill that one.

I've taken your advice (and that of the people who PM'd me!) to not change the oil on the Williams, so it will get BPTO 2380 again when I do fill it.


If you're interested what I'm up to I have all of my engine work online at http://www.cursorkeys.com, thanks again to you and everyone else for all the help and tips.

New a bloke that use to open oil cans with a an old valve stem sharpened to a point...Good area for knocking it with the palm of your hand...
Personally i use a flat blade, mainly due to convenience....never can find a can opener when you trying to do theright thing...

Air Utopia
 

Some technicians require only a blade screwdriver, two size shifting spanners and a large hammer to carry out complex aircraft maintenance tasks:}

Meanwhile, here at Air Utopia, technicians are paid to use the correct tool for each task.:ok:

Air Utopia's Engineer Trainer:E:E, has identified the flat blade screwdriver as the tool to be used for .......(wait for it) screwing slotted screws. At times people have tried to use it for phillip headed screws, pry bar, tooth pick, haemorrhoid probe, and to short starter motor terminals - he is still adamant that is for slotted screws.

Is like old saying from my russian friend - when all you have is hammer treat all problem like nail.
But we are not Russian Peasants, we are Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and as much as possible are REQUIRED to carry out tasks with the correct tools.

Mr Krystal and chips, I doubt very much that you are a trainer of engineers as you claim in your profile.

Cheers
BH

" Some technicians require only a blade screwdriver, two size shifting spanners and a large hammer to carry out complex aircraft maintenance tasks"

Alas, not quite........a rag and a pen are also required. The horse hair shirt is, presumably, standard working dress in Air Utopia. :rolleyes:.....otherwise, sums up my tools nicely.

But thanks for your comments. I can use them as a feature of my Flight Safety lessons to demonstrate to students the dangers of myopic egocentricity within a maintenance environment. :E

Just a suggestion to go easy on the syllables in your lessons there Krystal, should you be teaching folks who prefer to improvise than use the right tools for the job ;)

Quite right. Big words tend to confuse people. You should concentrate on the Syllabus too. :8;)

Definitely, and never confuse "syllabus" with "syllables" :p

Dodo,

You can relax.....I have long subscribed to the K.I.S.S principle...:)...even when teaching baby engs the fabled "best practice"....as one always does.....albeit with some practical engineering of course.....such as how to open oil cans ( various ) for example.....;):E

4 pages referenced to opening a bloody tin of oil.....quality :D

We ain't started yet :ok: I've got a couple of combined opener/spout thingys that I got in the local hardware shop years ago. Just plunge into said can and you have a nice curvy spout to pour with. Keeps your hands clean for more important stuff like bacon sarnies. Very Gucci :cool:

Just you wait until someone starts a "best bacon sarnie" thread. 16 pages, guaranteed.

Some body will tell you that you and the rest of humanity have been eating them wrong.

Rgds Dr I

Time for jetblast?
 

For Example...

Tomato ketchup on a bacon sarnie is an ABOMINATION!!!

Just my opinion of course. :O

So, when servicing the oil on a 747-100 with PW JT9's, are you telling me it's not best practice to open the oil cans with a can opener with "Greene King" stamped on it, obtained from your local when you were an apprentice, not invert, then pour the oil cans into said Homebase watering can with self made quart markings on the side and add to oil tank until such tank is full without said frothing, thus saving time.:eek::ok:

That reminds me, Flightmech of a supervisor who used to belt hell out of the tins to get them into the right shape, allowing the full contents to be poured into the neck of the filler instead of down the inside of the cowlings. JT9s, dontcha just love em.

Now I think about it, his action would have certainly shaken the contents. :hmm:

USING A BEER CAN OPENER TO SERVICE AN AIRCRAFT ENGINE!!!!!!!!
You will NEVER get a job with Air Utopia.
It's un professionable and the action of using it is a health and safety issue!!!

TURIN.
Bacon should be crispy, No sauce and on brown bread.

Rgds Dr I

Using a perfectly good beer can opener to open oil cans is just wrong & should be discouraged if not made illegal. Use it for what its is designed for BEER.

Air Utopia
 

Here at Air Utopia, we find that most Newbie Engineers have no problems lifting their standards to the exacting standards displayed by existing staff. :)

Air Utopia's SMS allows for the use of oil can opener as beer can opener only after it has been licked clean.

Bacon sangers must be safety checked by Chief Engineer or his delegate.

BH

Remiss of me I know, but there is one tool that deserves a mention due to it's versatile uses.......the Ice Pick !.....invaluable I find for equalising the flow when pouring oil from cans for example.....and as rigging pin.....and essential for changing the door damper cable on the 737.....

Ask a technical question on this forum, and you're lucky if you get 10 replies.......

Ask what's the best way to open an oil can, 78 posts to date!!

Aren't we a strange breed? :)

"Aren't we a strange breed?"

We are Engineers, the strangest of breeds:E

Notice that there is a lot of things we were all taught waaaay back too.
"Flight International" coined a phrase about pilots once, "ARIA" Always Remembered Instructors Advice. looks like it applies to us aswell.
Now, were's my GS?

Rgds Dr I

Who are all these namby pamby`s who use can openers on oil tins??

In my day we used a GS screwdriver & a sharp bang on the handle with the flat of the hand!! It still went down the inside of the cowling though!!!

tristar 500 :ok:

Kiwiconehead

The engineers that i work with use the flat head screw driver for everything they intend to do , even at times for opening philips screws :p
And one time i was working with some engineer and he was asked to service the hydraulics and i went up with him to assist him but anyways, as he had to open the skydrol can , he pulled out his magical flat head screw driver and kept striking the can from the top untill he pierced it and since it was a mighty hot day that time ( 40 C :ooh: ) as he pierced it the skydrol splashed onto his face and on me due to diffrential pressure of the air inside the can and outside .It was quite terrible :bored:
Albiet he regreted it a big time that day, he kept doing it even after that story and up till today he still opens skydrol cans with flat head screw drivers .:\

That would be why you hold a rag around the end of the screwdriver :ok:
Think the diff pressure thing is funny though...

Or may be a subtle hint that you are using the incorrect tool.:O

This is the danger of teaching "bush" maintenance to new engineers, the improvised methods become the norm.

Cheers
BH

Reminds me of the way to get the whole can into a DC9/MD80 APU oil tank.

My preferred method is to get someone else to do it......


Bacon is loverly jubberly done in a Microwave...... Marco Pierre White came up with that little tip :) 2 slices about 2 to 3 mins

And what has the "A" license system ever done for me ? stopped me pouring bl***y oil after some 25 + years what progress ! incidentally the fact that all the cans are bounced all around the airfield in the vans must at least slightly mix the contents ?(cant comment on hangar chaps though) you cant beat a sturdy can opener and two holes 180 apart, using the GS too bl***y painful ,as you will be only too aware if you have ever oiled the venerable JT9

Scenario: B747 parked up for a couple of days...
Pilot: 'Good morning! I'll just sign the Tech Log and then we'll be off.'
Engineer (sucks through teeth): 'Sorry, mate - I'll have to drain the oils and give 'em a good shake first. Come back this afternoon.' :)

Lol. The use by dates always got me, I had someone say this tin is out of date by a day, No probs I will get you a new one, but remember it will still be a few hundred thousand years old at least :)