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I did a major update on the software that runs this web site yesterday evening.  Everything seems to be working, but it is always possible that users may stumble across some issue that I have not yet found.  

 

Please inform me if anything is not working so I can track down the problem and fix it.

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On the way back from Moncton, NB, at FL320 in a C550Friday was almost certainly my last flight as a pilot in a Transport Canada aircraft, as I’ll be leaving at the end of the month. It’s been a great 22 years, but it is time to move on to other things. I’ll take a bit of time off, then start working as a part time, contract test pilot. There are quite a few aircraft modification facilities that need a test pilot for a few weeks or months each time they have a new modification to get approved.

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I got the engine in the crate Monday afternoon, and met the trucking company at the hangar to put it in the 18-wheeler on Thursday afternoon. I hope to get flying again sometime in June.

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I talked to Aerosport Power on Friday about my engine issue. They gave me three different quotes to get me a healthy engine again:

  1. repair the engine, with the original configuration tappet and cam
  2. repair the engine, modify it for roller tappets and cam,
  3. trade the engine in on a new engine with roller tappets and cam.

Option 3 is much, much more expensive than options 1 & 2. The difference in cost between options 1 & 2 is small enough that it seems like the best plan is to convert the engine to the roller tappets and cam.

Removing the propI spent most of the weekend at the hangar, removing all the things connecting the engine to the airframe, like peeling an onion, layer by layer.

 

Engine removed. It's a pretty sad looking airplane now :(Finally, late Sunday afternoon, I was able to pluck the engine free. I need a bit more time to remove some of the accessories on the back of the engine, then I’ll put it in the crate and send it on its way to Kamloops.

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Today was warmer than the past few days, and I had a slow afternoon at work, so I took some time off and headed to the hangar. I warmed the wrist pin bosses in the piston with a heat gun, then managed to push out the wrist pin with a piece of wooden dowel. Then I stuck my borescope inside and took a look.

Spalled #4 intake tappetThe #4 intake tappet looks pretty ugly. Drat. I managed to get the tip of a finger on the tappet by rotating the crank a bit, and it feels slightly rough, which confirms the borescope image.

 

I won't print what I said. I've been resigned to finding valve train issues since I first found metal in the oil, but I had been holding out hope that there was a cheaper explanation. At least now I know what the issue is, and what I need to do to get it sorted out.

I'll start pulling the engine on Sunday, and then figure out where I will send it. This is the second time in 3 years with cam or tappet issues, so I'll get the roller lifter mod done this time.

 

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#4 Cylinder removed, with piston and connecting rod resting on ragsI finished removing all the stuff around the #4 cylinder yesterday, and today Lee, a coworker, helped me remove the cylinder. It came off quite easily, then we could look inside and also inspect the piston.(

 

Piston showing signs of significant blow byThe piston has a stuck #2 compression ring, and signs of significant blow by. I’ll discuss the cylinder and piston condition with an overhaul shop to determine what I need to do.

 

Wide, slightly worn area all the way along the cylinder wallThe wide, worn area on the cylinder wall that was observed in the borescope was quite noticeable with the naked eye. But it was not very deep, only on the order of 0.001", or so. The transition between the worn and unworn areas is very smooth. I do not believe that this small amount of wear explains the metal found in the oil filter. Drat :(

 

Meanwhile, I still need to figure out where the metal in the oil is coming from. The next step is to inspect the cam shaft. I had thought it was necessary to remove cylinders to allow the pushrods and hydraulic tappets to be removed, allowing the cam lobes to be seen. But today, following the cylinder removal steps from the Lycoming Overhaul Manual, I noted that one should be able to inspect the cam without removing cylinders, by removing the valve rockers, pulling out the pushrods, removing the pushrod tubes, then pulling out the tappets. But, there is some sort of magic trick to pulling out the tappets. The overhaul manual describes how to do it, but we were not successful today. I need to get an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer over to help me out.

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