Q: I was reading your explanation on the difference between narrow deck and wide deck Lycomings — what an excellent piece of writing. My interest is that my brother Lee and I have my Dad’s PA-20 and, while stored indoors, it hasn’t flown since 1964 or so, but I’m thinking (perhaps foolishly) about putting it […]
Ask Paul: What’s the proper procedure to cycle a prop?
Q: I’m curious about the procedure for cycling a constant speed propeller on run up. Three times seems to be a tradition, but I can’t find anything that supports this as a good habit. I’ve read that this was necessary with the big old props swung by a radial engine, but how about our newer, […]
Troubleshooting a rough-running engine
Q: My Lycoming TIO-540 engine on my Cessna T206H is running very rough at max power setting. I recently replaced one dud cylinder due to very low compression. The ring gaps were wide and exhaust valve guide and seat were bad. Presently all compressions are good, ignition timing is good, and turbo giving boost. The […]
Ask Paul: Should you lean for a sea-level takeoff?
Q: At or around sea level in a non-turbo airplane, like a 152 or a 172, should you lean your air fuel mixture for takeoff? The reason I am asking this is after seeing a video of a flight in a 172, I noticed that the pilot leaned the mixture before takeoff. I wrote to […]
Buyer beware
Please help me! Some of you who know me are probably saying I’ve needed help for years, but this is something even more serious than helping some old guy who’s been in this industry for a long time. I’m asking all of you to do your small part in getting the word out about the […]
Ask Paul: What is proper timing for my engine?
Q: I am an Italian homebuilder of a Van’s RV-3. I read on the Internet that you are an expert of Lycoming and I want to impose on your kindness. I am ready to make the timing on my Lycoming O-290 D2 but there is a little doubt about the timing degrees because the O-290 […]
Ask Paul: Should I worry about my #2 cylinder?
Q: I had my Lycoming 0-360-A1A rebuilt at Victor Aviation in 2001 — new crank, new cam, new pistons with new Millennium cylinders. The engine, which now has about 400 hours on it, has digital cylinder head gauge probes in each cylinder. My question: On a warm summer day in Alaska (75°F), with a load […]
Ask Paul: Solving a mystery
Paul McBride, an expert on engines, retired after almost 40 years with Lycoming. Q: Here is my mystery: I have a Geronimo Apache equipped with 0-360-A1As. The left engine is about 1,200 SMOH, the right engine is about 700 SMOH. They both had oil pressure of 85 psi in cruise and about 50 psi taxiing […]
Failure to check fuel leads to fuel exhaustion
This March 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: 2 Serious. Location: Madera, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was entering the traffic pattern at his home […]