Q: I pulled cylinders #1 and #2 to replace the base “O” rings due to oil leaks. The engine is a Lycoming O-360 A3B6D with 650 hours and is a factory reman from 1994 due to Chevron Oil fuel contamination.
I would like to know if it is acceptable to use a Flex-Hone to deglaze the cylinder (hone with the round abrasive balls). I will also replace the rings. The cylinders are nitride hardened (blue paint below spark plug). [Read more…]
Q: Paul, I fly my single engine Comanche two to three times a month during our cold winter months here in Wisconsin. During EAA chapter meetings and fly-outs, we debate what is the best engine oil to use? The most common answers are 15-50 multi viscosity oil or a straight weight like 80 or 100. Even when I discuss with engine shops I get no preference. Thoughts?
Steve Lark
Q: Is it possible to increase the horsepower of this engine to 260? or even 300? I’m a relatively new to all things airplanes as I have just been flying rental planes, but I just picked up a Velocity XL-RG and an O-540 from a Piper Cherokee. The Velocity requires at least 260 hp, but ideally if I could get to 300 hp safely I would like to do that. I would also like to add fuel injection.
Michael J. Baron
Q: May I ask a question regarding our engine in a Cessna 152? When we shut down from flight, there’s a foam or steam inside the engine and it will come out at the breather like water. What is the cause of this and what is the remedy?
Also, what is the hottest cylinder in an IO-540 Lycoming engine?
Mario Bedayo, Italy [Read more…]
Q: I fly a Cessna 182S registered HP1401. It has a Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5, 3 blade prop. Sea level OAT is 90°F or so year round.
It had a single probe analog CHT display connected to cylinder #1, which always remained around 320°F.
I then installed a digital engine monitor, which showed the rest of the cylinders easily getting into the 400°F range. So I started flying lean of peak with GAMI injectors and cowl flaps fully open all the time and got the CHTs into the 360°F range.
The original engine reached its 19th birthday and some 1,900 hours, so I decided to replace it with a factory rebuilt.
The test data sheet from Lycoming shows all temps completely normal at the factory.
I just flew the first two hours with the new engine, and it’s running much hotter than the old engine, particularly cylinder #2. In order to keep the temp at 400°F or below, I have to keep cowl flaps full open and keep the mixture around 19 gallons per hour. [Read more…]
Q: Hi Paul, you helped me out a few years back regarding a question on an O-290 D2B and I really value your advice and opinions, so now I’ll ask for your help once again.
I’m new to a beautiful 1974 Piper Arrow, which still has the original IO-360 C1C installed. Total aircraft time is 3,395 hours and TSMOH is 1,309 hours.
My question is regarding proper mag timing on this engine. When going over the aircraft during annual, the timing was checked and found to be at 20° BTC. Looking at the engine data plate it appears someone in the past had re-stamped the data plate to 20° degrees.
Thinking this was a bit unusual, we consulted the Lycoming Operators Manual for this engine and found that this engine should be timed at 25° BTC. [Read more…]
Q: I bought a Tomahawk from someone I trusted. First oil change I discover very small needle-like pieces of aluminum in the filter, about a teaspoon worth. I ask the IA-rated seller about it. His reply: No big deal, still good compression.
Nothing is on a strong magnet that is carefully passed along the flattened filter material. Two more oil changes and it’s the same each time.
Turns out the airplane sat outside for 10 years without being flown. He flew it 30 hours in four years, then I bought it. [Read more…]
Q: I just bought a Piper Mojave. It has 1,200 hours on both engines. Pre-buy, including oil analysis, was good.
During a maiden flight, the left prop feathered on prop check. We checked the dome pressure, it was low. We topped it to 41 psi.
Took off for an hour flight. Landed and left prop feathered on landing roll out. Checked the governor. No problem. Then we increased the engine oil pressure. Did some test flying, all OK. [Read more…]
Q: I read some of the material you have posted and was very impressed. I have a question about finding rust in the barrels of the cylinders.
Here is the situation: A customer is looking to buy a Piper Lance II. It was asked that we do an annual instead of a pre-buy inspection. The engine is a reman from Lycoming with 224.1 hours since November 2012.
There are a few squawks. One of them was finding rust in the barrels and they were all wet. [Read more…]
Q: I bought a 1972 Cessna 177B with an O-360 a few months ago. It had 900 hours on the engine. My first 20 hours I would use 23 squared and pull the mixture back to 10 gph or less, then watch the cylinder head temperatures, monitoring to keep the hottest (#2) around 385°.
When the ambient temps started rising, I noticed #2 and #4 were spiking into the 420° CHT level on climb out. When I level off and set to 23 squared, I can only keep #2 below 400° by going full rich (12.5 gph) and occasionally opening the cowl flaps.
If I use 10 gph, #2 will stay around 415°. #4 will run in the 380s, and #1 and #3 will run in the 350s. [Read more…]
