B767-200
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Technician 27
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Manuals
While replacing the Start Valve on the Right Engine; I noticed coked hydraulic fluid on the left-hand [side of engine] compressor case; specifically; a sticky jell-type fluid on the Variable Stator Vane (VSV) mechanism. I expressed concern to my co-worker; Lead Mechanic; and Management regarding the sticky substance on a moving part. We were all in agreement to call for a Line [Maintenance] Engineering Authorization. However; company Engineer X would not issue a Line Authorization because there was no Maintenance Manual (M/M) reference to deviate from. According to Engineer X; Engineering deviates from existing limits. Instead; he generated a Maintenance Item [not a deferred item] to clean the engine when it was removed.Engineer X was correct; that there were no references to address spilled fluids on the VSV mechanism. I; the Lead Mechanic; and Technical Services scoured the M/M and company Repair Documents and found no references. I cleared the item per Engineering and referenced the Maintenance Item. I still have concerns about spilled hydraulic fluid on moving parts. Furthermore; we inspected for a hydraulic leak and found none. We learned from the Lead Mechanic that the engine had a hydraulic leak in the pylon [that was] repaired several months earlier. Dispatching engines with visible evidence of hydraulic fluid; leads future mechanics to repeatedly inspect for a phantom leak. The scenario of spilled fluid on VSV mechanism in not covered in any company publication and Engineering would not take responsibility to create a course of action. [Recommend] to spell out in detail how to address coked hydraulic fluid on the moving parts of the engine. Also; create a Maintenance tracking note for coked hydraulic fluid; to flag previously repaired fluid leaks.
During a start valve replacement on a B767-200 aircraft; a Line Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) notices sticky; coked hydraulic fluid on the right engine's Variable Stator Vanes (VSV) mechanism. No company Repair Document or Maintenance Manual references available to address spilled fluid on VSV mechanisms.