New AD

Shipoke

Shipoke

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shipoke
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Does this new AD scare the hell out of anybody else? ECi cylinders installed on Lycoming 320,360,540 engines when Overhauled or Repaired.
The list looks like it includes all these engines. Mine was factory overhauled and now has 1400 hours on it.God i hope i dont need to come up with $9500 to replace them
Dave G.
 
Which AD is that? The only current one regarding ECI components that I'm familiar with is a proposed AD that concerns connecting rods, not cylinders. And that one involves replacing the ECI connecting rods at the next overhaul, or possibly reworking the existing ECI connecting rods if inspection finds flaws at overhaul.

http://www.avweb.com/newswire/12_01a/briefs/191300-1.html

If yours is a factory overhaul I doubt they used ECI components.

I doubt the Romanians did either.

Shipoke said:
Does this new AD scare the hell out of anybody else? ECi cylinders installed on Lycoming 320,360,540 engines when Overhauled or Repaired.
The list looks like it includes all these engines. Mine was factory overhauled and now has 1400 hours on it.God i hope i dont need to come up with $9500 to replace them
Dave G.
Click to expand...
 
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Here is the AD, as well as ECI's bulletin. It only includes the Classic Cast cylinders and not the Titans. I double checked mine today and was lucky enough to not have the ones in the AD. There are almost 10000 units out there. ECI will replace them, prorated of course and pay labor.
Don
 

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Don Jones said:
ECI will replace them, prorated of course and pay labor.
Don
Click to expand...

From the AD:

ECi indicated that they might give operators and repair stations credit for returned
cylinder assemblies toward the purchase of new ECi cylinder assemblies.

ECi will give people "special exchange prices" on Titans.

Is anybody else a little concerned about ECi's position on this?

Greg
182RG​
 
ggroves said:
Is anybody else a little concerned about ECi's position on this?
Click to expand...
Since I got factory-new Lycoming cylinders on my overhaul last year, I'm not concerned at all.;)
 
I had some of their "Classic Cast" cylinders on our Lycoming O-360 when we overhauled the engine in Feb of 01 or 02. In October of 2004, we were departing out of Scottsdale (SDL) and at about 1300' agl and two miles out, one of the cylinders separated just above the steel barrel. Fortunately, we were able to return to the airport and make a safe landing with no forward visibility. We had 300 hours on the cylinders. ECI paid for the entire tear-down and the installation of their Titan cylinders at no cost to us. Our experience with the folks at ECI was positive thought I have often wondered why they were so generous and easy to work with. It could have just been company policy, who knows?
 
Wow, do you guys know how close I came to buying new ECI cylinders? I went with the tried and true Factory Lycoming instead. I don't like the way ECI has worded there exchange policy. I would much rather they cover all reasonable labor cost (about $1000-1200 around here to replace all four cylinders) and pro-rate the cylinders to TBO. That wouldn't seem like too much to ask for would it? I don't think that I would ever buy ECI products after this little episode.
 
I don't know what I have.

I got the AD, too. I will find out tomorrow when I see my mechanic.
 
Ron Levy said:
Since I got factory-new Lycoming cylinders on my overhaul last year, I'm not concerned at all.;)
Click to expand...

The factory is not immune, it was thier turn last year..
 
I have ECi's in mine, but not the ones in question. I lucked out - woohoo.
 
Yep I have definetly got 'em.

Called the shop yester to start scheduling and finding out more info. I bought this plane based on the engine time and expected to not have to do any major work, :mad:

Oh well I guess no paint job this year.
 
Called ECI today.

With my cylinders at 1000 hours TIS I will get a 50% discount on replacements plus a $390 labor credit.

ECI recomended going with the nickel plated cylinders, any thoughts on those over steel?
 
I'm one of the reasons there was an AD: please don't throw anything at me!!

Several years ago (when I first purchased my plane), I was having some cylinders on my Bonanza topped. The A&P (who I have not used sense) put ECIs on (contrary to my instructions) and after reassymbling the engine, there was a loud clicking noise that varied with RPM. He disassymbled and reassymbled the cylinders again--same problem. To make a long story short, the ECIs were made incorrectly and on the down stroke, hit the top of my crank shaft. Upon questioning the A&P, we found the cylinders were out of spec. Of course, he didn't check them before putting them in. I told some folks about the problem when it was occurring (before we discovered what the actual problem was). After the fix, a firm that I greatly respect called me back to follow up and find out what happened. Turned out, they had been hearing other stories about the same issue. Some FAA reps had also been hearing of problems and called them to see what they know. Anyway, it wasn't fun for the A&P or me. Plane was down several months. Other components were damaged, etc. As they say in Italian American, it was ) a biga messa!!

Best,

Dave
 
I'll have to check tomorrow whether or not this applies to my Cherokee. Problem is that I don't know how to check really. I suppose its something I gotta learn eventually though.
 
SkyHog said:
I'll have to check tomorrow whether or not this applies to my Cherokee. Problem is that I don't know how to check really. I suppose its something I gotta learn eventually though.
Click to expand...

Nick,

Post 3 has the SB posted. Download it and print it it will show you exactly what to look for.

First thing to do is to check your log book and see if they listed what cylinders you have. Mine showed the ECI part number but no serial numbers. I then checked the cylinders and they are the ones affected.

The mechanic was out this morning and verified my conclusion. He is filling in the paperwork and sending out today to them so we can get the replacement cylinders ordered.

My annual is do in two months so we are going to start this as the first part of the annual, knock out all of the engine stuff and then come back and do the airframe stuff next month.
 
I got a copy of this AD in the mail from the FAA last Friday. You should have received a copy if you are the registered owner of the airplane. In it you'll see a list of engines that may be affected.

I have an I0-540, but the -G1D5 model in it is not listed in the AD. I confirmed this with my mechanic. I'm having him place an entry in the engine logbook to that effect to support the next "annual" (condition inspection in my case).

SkyHog said:
I'll have to check tomorrow whether or not this applies to my Cherokee. Problem is that I don't know how to check really. I suppose its something I gotta learn eventually though.
Click to expand...
 
N2212R said:
I have ECi's in mine, but not the ones in question. I lucked out - woohoo.
Click to expand...

Ditto...just confirmed with my A & P that Titans were installed by Mattituck in '04. Dodged another bullet....

Greg
182RG
 
FYI ECI absolutely will not preship you cylinders unless you pay the full price for them. Then upon the return of your cylinders they will decide how much of a discount you will get. What could have been a two day downtiem due to their poor casting will now turn into a 1 to 2 week ordeal.

I will say this. For my situation with 1000 hours on the bad jugs they are giving me a 50% discount on the Titan cylinders which is a good deal. My mechanic will also start my annual and do all the stuff in the engine compartment that needs to be doen to make this a full top overhaul and sign it off that way. Maybe I will get well past TBO with this change, but Grrrr if in a few hundred hours their is another AD :mad:
 
Mechanic and I pulled the ECI Cylinders on my Warrior today. Everyhting so far has gone smoothly and they are off the San Antonio for ECI to look at. The thing that I found very interesting was that each and every cylinder had a crack in it.

Let me say that again at 975 hour SMOH these ECI Classic cast cylinders had each cracked. Each in the same spot. One had two cracks while the least cracked one had only the beginings of one. I guess the AD is right on the money.

The thing is I had not noticed any drop in power at all, the compressions were last done in April and all were in the low 70s. Had the AD not come out I would have had to spring for a top overhaul on my own dime.
 
I should have added in that last post that the pistons and valves all looked very good and only one of the cylinders looks a littel different probably from running a little leaner than the rest of the cylinders.

I also should let you know that I run my engine oil heater and cylinder heaters on all the time in the winter and there was not a spec of corrosion in the engine. That had been a heated discussion in the early part of the year.
 
smigaldi said:
Mechanic and I pulled the ECI Cylinders on my Warrior today. Everyhting so far has gone smoothly and they are off the San Antonio for ECI to look at. The thing that I found very interesting was that each and every cylinder had a crack in it.

Let me say that again at 975 hour SMOH these ECI Classic cast cylinders had each cracked. Each in the same spot. One had two cracks while the least cracked one had only the beginnings of one. I guess the AD is right on the money.

The thing is I had not noticed any drop in power at all, the compressions were last done in April and all were in the low 70s. Had the AD not come out I would have had to spring for a top overhaul on my own dime.
Click to expand...
Scott, you did not say where the cracks were located. On the cylinder that separated on my O-360, the cylinder separated just above the barrel. I am not sure that you could see a crack in that location.
 
[email protected] said:
Scott, you did not say where the cracks were located. On the cylinder that separated on my O-360, the cylinder separated just above the barrel. I am not sure that you could see a crack in that location.
Click to expand...

Mine all eminated from one of the spark plug holes. One spark plug hole was always smooth while the other had a ridge of material around it. It was on the hole with the extra material that the cracks started. This was true on every cylinder.
 
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