RVers scramble to check ECI airworthiness directive
by Bob Collins
(January 1, 2010) - An expanded FAA airworthiness directive on cylinders manufactured by ECI Titan has RV airplane builders scrambling to find out if their engines are covered.
According to ECI, the problem is posible fatigue cracking and head separations on specific replacement cylinders:
P/N AEL65102 for Lycoming
parallel valve engines. ECi has become aware of a number of cylinders that have fractured at the head to barrel interface.
The failure history dictates that two manufacturing groups are to be addressed with two different actions. The first and
largest group (Group ‘A’) requires a periodic inspection/pressure test to insure continued airworthiness. Group ‘A’
cylinders were produced between August, 2002 and December 2005. The second group (Group ‘B’) requires a one time
inspection and then removal from service at the established operating time. Group ‘B’ cylinders were produced in
December 2005 through February 2006, and require a one time inspection/pressure test, and then must be removed from
service when meeting the criteria established in paragraph 4.0 below. Cylinders that are removed may be replaced with
ECi cylinders Part Number AEL65102 Serial Numbers 37017 and higher.
The original ECI advisory can be found here. The AD issues on 12/31/09 can be found here.
"The cost of flying our RVs just went up big time for those effected, both in terms of dollars and in terms of labor hours," RVer Ron Fearnow said in a thread on the Yahoo RV Builders Group. "In some cases, RV owners might be forced out of their RVs completely. Yes, I'd say it's a BIG deal."
Group “B” cylinders that require a one time inspection and an operating time dictated removal were produced between Dec. 6,
2005 and Feb. 7, 2006. The list of serial numbers can be found at the link above. Images on that document show where to find the serial numbers.If you've got a Mattituck-built IO-360, as I do, here's where you'll find the serial number. This shot looks straight back from the front of the engine.
The AD is an expansion of a 2008 AD, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association:
The cylinder assemblies will need initial and repetitive visual inspections and compression tests to detect cracks at the head-to-barrel interface. Inspections will need to be repeated every 50 hours time in service. Cylinders that are cracked must be replaced.
ECi’s warranty and buy-back program covers many of the effected cylinders and provides options for owners affected by this AD. Some owners may choose to exchange cylinders under the provisions of the ECi coverage in lieu of complying with the repetitive inspections.
It is still not clear how this AD will work for those of us who purchased engines via Mattituck, one of the most popular sources of engines for RV builders. Several of the red-and-gold TMX IO-360 models of engine assembled by Mattituck have been confirmed to fall under the AD. But we're still awaiting word from the company, especially for those engines that haven't been fully installed yet (that's me), what procedure should be used for complying with the directive.
But RVer Dan Baier, who has a flying airplane, provides this guidance:
The engine builder will have a file on the build that will include all the parts, including cylinders, used. You can call them with the engine serial number (see data plate) and they should be able to tell you what you have.
At the other end of the spectrum, if you don't have your paperwork that came with the engine or if it doesn't indicate the part number of the cylinders used, you can pick it off the parts of the engine. The easiest to see will be the part number on the head. It's a big assumption, but probably safe, that when the engine was built, they used four like cylinders. So, pull a rocker cover and look for the part number. Look at the top of the cylinder head near the intake and exhaust valve springs - if you don't find "AEL85099" you're good. This process should only take a couple of minutes. (There is more than one set of numbers in there so you want to look carefully.)
You've just checked the cylinder head - if you have one that's affected, then you have to check the cylinder for "AEL65102", stamped on the crankcase end of the cylinder (with baffles, etc., sometimes hard to find - an exercise with a flashlight & inspection mirror). If you don't have the combination of cylinder and head part numbers, you're good.
Some RVers are being caught in the middle for a second time. "Because of the first AD I replaced one cylinder on my fresh rebuilt
O-360-A1A before the first flight. Now another one is in the Group B
cylinders that must be replaced before 350 hours. Bummer, it only has
70 hours on it," Steve Eberhart posted on the Ohio Valley RVers Group page on Yahoo.
Update 1/4/10 :
This is from Dan Baier:
Just got off the phone with Mattituck & ECI. ECI is the contact for the cylinder warranty - I must say they handled it well and the net cost for 4 new jugs / pistons / rings (I really don't need the pistons, but if I understood it correctly, they are part of the package) is below 10% of the cost of new. Altogether, considering what could be the case, I'm satisfied with how ECI is handling this.
Please send along any information you encounter as you check your engines and I'll post it here. |
