A place where restoration project-type threads can go to avoid falling off the main page in the WIX hangar. Feel free to start threads on Restoration projects and/or warbird maintenance here. Named in memoriam for Gary Austin, a good friend of the site and known as RetroAviation here. He will be sorely missed.
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P51D Mustang oil breather question.

Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:13 am

I was looking through this thread:http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Airshows&thread=18253&page=3
about ex-RNZAF Mustang NZ2417/ZK-CCG (now owned and flown by Kermit Weeks as "Cripes a Mighty 3rd") and I was asking about the "now you see it now you don't" oil breather outlet visible on the lower starboard engine cowl. I'd seen a photo of a RNZAF Mustang returning to base after some "hard" aerobatics at an airshow in the 1950s and the right side had this large oil streak from this point.
I've since learned it was re-routed on CCG to exit under the tail just forward of the hinge line of the rudder. It flew this way in the US but was then changed (back to original??)
being curious I peered at several other currently airworthy Mustangs and (for example) the ill-fated Big Beautiful Doll at Duxford appears to have the original breather position and quite a few don't have it there so must be somewhere else.
So to the Mustang experts: is there a standard mod to move this to a similar under fuselage location?

Re: P51D Mustang oil breather question.

Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:29 pm

avenger2504 wrote:I was looking through this thread:http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Airshows&thread=18253&page=3
about ex-RNZAF Mustang NZ2417/ZK-CCG (now owned and flown by Kermit Weeks as "Cripes a Mighty 3rd") and I was asking about the "now you see it now you don't" oil breather outlet visible on the lower starboard engine cowl. I'd seen a photo of a RNZAF Mustang returning to base after some "hard" aerobatics at an airshow in the 1950s and the right side had this large oil streak from this point.
I've since learned it was re-routed on CCG to exit under the tail just forward of the hinge line of the rudder. It flew this way in the US but was then changed (back to original??)
being curious I peered at several other currently airworthy Mustangs and (for example) the ill-fated Big Beautiful Doll at Duxford appears to have the original breather position and quite a few don't have it there so must be somewhere else.
So to the Mustang experts: is there a standard mod to move this to a similar under fuselage location?

Usually out the R/H trailing edge wing fairing or some where out the bottom of the doghouse or scoop.
Originally it was a single line from the L/H side of the engine block forward the B or L/H engine bank of cylinders and it exited in the cowling on the L/H side.
Next the connected the above port on the L/H side of the fwd block to a fitting added to the inboard top edge of both Valve or Rocker Covers. This combined system had the exit out the cowling on the R/H side that would coat the side if you do acrobatics with power, particularly any zero or negative G moments. If you run 620 Heads and Banks and use the original breather outlet it can get messy as that was designed for airliners, straight and level flying was the norm, not the fighter style of sky movements.

Re: P51D Mustang oil breather question.

Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:00 pm

Ah I see. Thanks for the education, I'll put your response in that thread as there are a few "petrolheads" who will find that interesting . (Yes we are sad aren't we ha ha.
Cheers
Baz
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