Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: I have acquired a Lycoming O-290 in an experimental. The data plate has been removed. Is there anyway with a borescope to look in and see what pistons I have to know if it’s a D or a D2?
Lycoming Engines
Aromatics may be cause of valve seat recession after using unleaded fuel
Testing by Lycoming Engines has “demonstrated that, under certain conditions, use of UL94 may impact valve seat recession.”
Ask Paul: Can I convert my narrow deck engine to a fuel injected engine?
The basic answer is yes, but converting an O-320-B3B engine to fuel injection may be a bigger mountain to climb than you’re up for.
An expert’s tips on preheating your aircraft engine in the winter
What are the best recommendations for pre-heating an aircraft engine?
More on Lycoming’s XR-7755 engine
When Joy Hobbs sent in a photo of her grandfather and his co-workers by Lycoming’s XR-7755-3 engine, it attracted a lot of comments from General Aviation News readers. Our Lycoming expert gives us some more insight into the largest aircraft engine ever built.
Birds of a feather
One of the most common questions our oils expert receives is from pilots wondering why general aviation is in the same spot regarding unleaded avgas as it was 25 years ago.
The men who built the largest piston engine in the world
Question for Paul McBride, the General Aviation News engines expert: My grandfather, Russell Leuck, worked at Avco Lycoming Engines in 1943. I found a picture of him with a group of men with the XR-7755 engine. I was wondering if you would possibly have any thoughts in regards to how he would have been helping with this project?
Ask Paul: You can’t get there from here
I have read Lycoming Service Instruction 1304J and wondered if I can expect to find a Form 337 for an engine on the CD the FAA sent me with the aircraft records for a Cessna 172. The engine once had the following on the data tag: O-320-E2CC. I am told the engine was converted to an E2D per the logs.
Asking questions before you start an aircraft project will save you money
The Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 has a rating of 230 hp at 2400 rpm. Can I just change the governor and increase the RPM to 2700 (like the D4A5) to get 260 hp or do more technical modifications need to be done?