Ariens 920 Leaflet

Phone: 864.660.8036 
Fax: 864.834.6670 
E-mail: dougglass@lctllc.com 

100 Roe Road 
Travelers Rest, SC  29690 

Oil Drain Tube Oil Seepage 9/28/2011 
 
PROBLEM DEFINITION: 
Oil Seepage from 35mm Drain Tube Reported by customer.  After internal inventory audit, seepage was con-
firmed.  Further Investigative Analysis determined: 
 
 
35mm Oil Tube Face (crush washer engagement area) does not meet surface finish drawing specification of 
6.3um 
 
Short Term Corrective Action: 
LCT recommends increasing drain bolt torque to 23lb-ft to allow crush washer to fill excessive ridges/valleys 
caused by the out of specification surface finish: 



Capability study was conducted on 30pc of Oil Drain Tubes removed from inventory product 



Engines were filled with oil and monitored over a 24hr period 



5pcs of the 30 were observed to have an oil witness mark below oil drain bolt (35mm drain tube 
side) 



Oil Drain Tubes were removed from engines and service Oil Drain Tubes (with correct surface fin-
ish) installed and torqued and engines were placed back into inventory 



Removed Oil Drain Plugs were then torqued to 23lb-ft and pressurized in a submerged state to 
look for joint seal failure.  No failures were observed after torque was increased to 23lb-ft 

Long Term Corrective Action: 



Currently working with supplier to determine root cause of oil drain tube missing the facing operation 



Will update with full 8D report once final root cause has been determined 

 
Containment Activities: 



Inventory audits were conducted with product in South Carolina warehouse 



Product with May 25th date code (>15000 engine serial number) was discovered to have the “non faced” 
machining condition 



Product from August 6th (<8000 engine serial number in August) was discovered to have correct machined 
face surface area 



Total engine exposure based on the 5/30 statistical sample—5689 

 

30pc Oil Drain Tube Samples 
 - Samples were torqued to 23lb-ft 
 - Samples were pressurized and sub-
merged 
 - No leaks were detected