In my last column, “One question, many answers,” I wrote about changes in the avgas world that I found at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024.
The changes in aviation lubricants were not as dramatic, considering that the formulation for Aeroshell Oil W has not changed since 1958.
Probably the biggest news is that Shell introduced a new product called Aeroshell Grease 58.
For years whenever I would give a talk on aviation greases, someone would ask why isn’t there a universal product that will work in wheel bearings and all other control systems. Well 58 is that product.
However, before you run out and buy some, you need to know a couple of things.
First, 58 is NOT compatible with the other Aeroshell greases in use today. So if you want to use it, you need to clean your wheel bearings very thoroughly and repack them. On control systems you need to grease until you see only the new product. Then you need to clean up the mess.
Another concern is that all of the existing Aeroshell greases are approved against a military specification (mil spec). But the military is getting out of that business and turning it over to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
Why does that matter to airplane owners?
On certified aircraft any grease used must meet the applicable mil spec, for example the mil G-3545C specification for most wheel bearings. That will eventually be replaced by an SAE spec which, hopefully, Shell will qualify 58 against. But until then it is a gray area on the legal front.
During Oshkosh, I also learned that the oil companies are developing new products for general aviation’s new diesel cycle aviation engines. For instance, Phillips is supplying a product for DeltaHawk engines, while Shell is working on a product for Continental engines.
I am not sure if this will be a big market because these engines should operate fine on existing commercial diesel engine oils.
The only limitation I would be concerned with is the use of a high ash oil in the two-cycle DeltaHawk engine.
Detroit Diesel made two-stroke diesel engines for many years, but the company had deposit problems with high ash commercial oils, so it put a 1% sulphated ash limit for any oil used in these engines. This may be applicable to the new two-stroke DeltaHawk engines.
Pickled Engines
In the past, Shell had a product called Aeroshell Fluid 2F, which was a preservative oil. It was a blend of Aeroshell 100 mineral oil and the additive 2XN and worked well in “pickled” engines and in winterized engines.
What’s a pickled engine?
Back in the day, when engines were to be unused for extended periods, the military would put a preservative oil like 2F in them to protect the engines. They called it pickling the engines, especially for shipment overseas by boat.
The company stopped selling 2F, I assume because of low sales volume.
Now it is introducing the sale of just the 2XN additive in five-gallon containers as a corrosion preservative concentrate for protecting infrequently flown engines.
But there’s a problem.
When it was available, some pilots were adding a quart or two of 2F to their crankcases during the winter months or during times of infrequent flying to help protect against rust and corrosion.
Since 2F was a three to one mixture of Aeroshell 100 and 2XN, that would mean they would use, at the most, a half of a quart a year. That would mean that a five-gallon container of just 2XN would last a pilot about 40 to 80 years.
I do not know what the shelf life of the product is, but I cannot image keeping track of a container of product for this long.
Old Friends
The other thing about going to Oshkosh every summer is meeting up with old friends or hearing about them. I was saddened to learn that during the week of Oshkosh an old friend, Bruce Bohannan, passed away.
Bruce was a Formula one aircraft pilot and held many “time to climb” records in his Pushy Galore aircraft and then later in the Exxon Flyin’ Tiger.
He also put together the Aeroshell Speed Dash in 1993 with the help of others. If it wasn’t for Bruce, there never would have been an Aeroshell Cow poster.
There are many great stories about Bruce, like the time he stored a year’s supply of pyrotechnics under his welding bench. Let’s just say that did not turn out really well.
But I will always remember Bruce for something that happened at the Reno Air Races in the 1990s.
It was just before the F-1 race so I walked down to the F-1 hangar. Everyone was getting ready with last minute checks when a boy in a wheelchair came into the hangar. No one paid a lot of attention to him, but when he came to Bruce’s aircraft, Bruce stopped and answered all of his question and then some. Bruce then asked him if he would like to tow Pushy Galore out to the starting line.
I have not seen a boy light up like that since Christmas morning. And when he towed the airplane out, he was grinning so wide I was afraid he might hurt his face.
I do not know who won that race and it does not matter. With this unscripted and unphotographed act Bruce became the big winner of the day and one of the great experiences of the Reno Air Races.
Bruce was a great guy and a very good friend and he will be greatly missed.
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