Q: I am considering buying a plane with a Lycoming 540 factory rebuilt engine. TSOH is 50 hours. The problem is the engine was installed five years ago with a new turbo and the owner has not flown it much since, although it has flown a few hours recently. There is a lot of chatter […]
Ask Paul
Ask Paul: More on hot engine starts
Q: I’d like to offer my response to a hot engine start (What is the procedure for a hot engine start?). If I know I’m going to have a quick turnaround after engine shutdown, this is what I do: I throttle up to about 1,500 rpm, then I turn the fuel selector to off. By […]
Ask Paul: Why are Piper and Cessna mag checks different?
Q: During a checkout in a Piper Cherokee, (I had only Cessna experience), I asked the CFI why Piper has me check the mags at 2,000 rpm and Cessna at 1,700 rpm on what is, essentially, the same engine? My opinion is that it is not a deal breaker to not have exactly the rpm […]
Will my engine benefit from new technology?
Q: The O233 LSA engine uses the new E-mag electronic ignition that they say advances the timing to 38° BTDC, much like other systems. Does this much spark advance also have Lycoming’s blessing for the O320 and O360? I realize that the spark advance is rpm and manifold pressure controlled. LYLE FORSGREN, via e-mail A: […]
What is the procedure for a hot engine start?
Q: I have a Grumman Yankee Model AA-1 with a Lycoming O-235L 108-hp engine. What is the procedure for a “hot engine” start? When I shut down the engine, I run it lean at 1,800 rpm for about 10 seconds before I pull the mixture. Then, when the engine is cold, it starts right away. […]
Ask Paul: Narrow deck cylinders, the Twin Comanche and a Lycoming milestone
Geez, it’s really beginning to look like I’m losing it when it comes to misstating things in my columns. The most recent concerned the “Wide Deck” vs “Narrow Deck” cylinder column in my last column. I thought I’d explained the difference between the two and used an example of the Piper Twin Comanche PA-30 as […]
Ask Paul: Wide deck vs. narrow deck engines
The difference between a Narrow Deck (ND) and a Wide Deck (WD) configured engine is easily determined by checking the specific engine serial number.
Which cylinder is where?
Let’s make this simpler by always viewing the engine from the pilot’s seat whenever we discuss the positioning of anything forward of the firewall. On the majority of Lycoming engines, the number 1 cylinder is the right front cylinder when viewed from the pilot’s seat.
Tips to reduce spark plug fouling
Q: In my pilot club meeting last month, a pilot complained of spark plug fouling before takeoff in our Grumman Cheetah with 150-hp Lycoming. I suggested that after starting the engine, and before taxiing, she lean the mixture, keep it lean while taxiing and put on full rich for run-up. However, if there is a […]