FAA releases ECi cylinder (IO-520/550) AD

[JeppUpdater]

The FAA has published a controversial airworthiness directive requiring the removal of Engine Components International (ECi) cylinders in some 6,200 Continental engines. The average cost to comply with AD, the FAA says, will be $11,520 per engine. The AD goes into effect on September 15.

The FAA cited a total of 82 ECi cylinder failures during the 11 years they’ve been in use. This includes two fatal accidents that were attributed to those failures. The AD affects Continental -520 and -550 engines with ECi cylinders, as well as engine models approved for the use of the cylinder assemblies by supplemental type certificate, such as the the model -470.

Some pretty tight time restrictions in the article that will mean most engines will not make it anywhere close to overhaul without cylinder replacements.

http://www.flyingmag.com/faa-finalizes-controversial-eci-cylinder-ad?ZgP4elAIVLTgqT4X.01

 

[Roger Roger]

About damn time. Right @Capt. Chaos ?

 

[Roger Roger]

most engines will not make it anywhere close to overhaul without cylinder replacements.

Sounds like your average TCM engine to me :stir:

 

[z987k]

Sounds like your average TCM engine to me :stir:

Sure does haha.

I thought there was an AD for this already. Regardless, I doubt it will cost to many people very much money, chances are they've already replaced all their ECI cylinders from failure of some sort anyways, lol.

 

[Roger Roger]

Sure does haha.

I thought there was an AD for this already. Regardless, I doubt it will cost to many people very much money, chances are they've already replaced all their ECI cylinders from failure of some sort anyways, lol.

There have been several ADs on ECI jugs over the years but all smaller ranges of serial numbers and such. This is "the big one". It really disappoints me how much pushback there was from industry groups on this, the things were complete garbage. We replaced 11 ECI cylinders due to head cracks in 1300 engine hours. You know how many cracked cylinders I've found on OEM continental cylinders in 7000+ engine hours since? Not a damn one. I've pulled plenty for low compression, but not a single OEM one has cracked on me. I'm all about aftermarket companies bringing down the cost of parts and so on but in this case they had shoddy parts that were frankly dangerous and when confronted with it they tried to bury the FAA under bogus statistics and studies.

 

[trafficinsight]

Its kinda funny that it seems like every single time some company says "we can make better cylinders cheaper!". They end up making expensive junk cylinders.

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[deadstick]

You know who owns ECi now, right?

http://continentalsanantonio.com/cmi/News/NewsArticle_02.aspx

 

[Capt. Chaos]

About damn time. Right @Capt. Chaos ?

Thankfully it was a nice day or it would have been a whole different outcome.

 

[Fly_Unity]

I had 4 ECI cylinders crack on me in a 4 month time frame, with one leading to an in-flight shutdown. Company replaced all with continental cylinders and never had an issue with our entire fleet with thousands of hours on them on our fleet.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

What is the price difference between the aftermarket and stock cylinders?

 

[RedBaron2000]

There have been several ADs on ECI jugs over the years but all smaller ranges of serial numbers and such. This is "the big one". It really disappoints me how much pushback there was from industry groups on this, the things were complete garbage. We replaced 11 ECI cylinders due to head cracks in 1300 engine hours. You know how many cracked cylinders I've found on OEM continental cylinders in 7000+ engine hours since? Not a damn one. I've pulled plenty for low compression, but not a single OEM one has cracked on me. I'm all about aftermarket companies bringing down the cost of parts and so on but in this case they had shoddy parts that were frankly dangerous and when confronted with it they tried to bury the FAA under bogus statistics and studies.

That's quite a failure rate. My experience with CMI cylinders is similar to yours - never seen a cracked jug in over 10,000 hours. Now worn exhaust valve guides, that's another story.

 

[Roger Roger]

That's quite a failure rate. My experience with CMI cylinders is similar to yours - never seen a cracked jug in over 10,000 hours. Now worn exhaust valve guides, that's another story.

Wasn't just us either...operator down the way had the same experience. Like I said, I've yarded a lot of TCM jugs for low compression (burned valves on the 520s and bad rings on the 550s) but no cracks.

 

[Roger Roger]

What is the price difference between the aftermarket and stock cylinders?

A lot less than it costs to change a cylinder!

 

[deadstick]

Wasn't just us either...operator down the way had the same experience. Like I said, I've yarded a lot of TCM jugs for low compression (burned valves on the 520s and bad rings on the 550s) but no cracks.

We used to sell the old jugs to swap boat operators. They run the snot out of them.

 

[trafficinsight]

We used to sell the old jugs to swap boat operators. They run the snot out of them.

Why would a swamp boat need 6 anchors?



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[CFI A&P]

Of all the engine maintenance I've done, rarely had a Lycoming cylinder issue. High oil consumption from worn rings on O-235s, but that was it.

A large bore TCM on the other hand... 1/2 TBO before issues was about average. The little TCMs run like sewing machines. C85s & O-200s... Great engines.


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[trafficinsight]

Of all the engine maintenance I've done, rarely had a Lycoming cylinder issue. High oil consumption from worn rings on O-235s, but that was it.

A large bore TCM on the other hand... 1/2 TBO before issues was about average. The little TCMs run like sewing machines. C85s & O-200s... Great engines.


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Only really have occasional trouble with O-235's but the IO-540 on the 206H approaches Continental levels of unreliability where cylinders are concerned.



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[CFI A&P]

Only really have occasional trouble with O-235's but the IO-540 on the 206H approaches Continental levels of unreliability where cylinders are concerned.



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There was a 206 I used to fly with a TIO-540 in it, something like 40" for take off and 36" for cruise climb.... That seemed like a time bomb. 1550 degree turbo temps while climb in around 100-120KIAS. Just didn't seem like enough cooling.


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[deadstick]

Why would a swamp boat need 6 anchors?

It didnt matter if they were going to use them for potted plants. They paid for them.

Only really have occasional trouble with O-235's but the IO-540 on the 206H approaches Continental levels of unreliability where cylinders are concerned.

Since the 182T didn't have the same problem, I always thought that (besides that they're 2 different 540s, of course) it was due to inadequate cooling in that cowling.

 

[Roger Roger]

Of all the engine maintenance I've done, rarely had a Lycoming cylinder issue. High oil consumption from worn rings on O-235s, but that was it.

A large bore TCM on the other hand... 1/2 TBO before issues was about average. The little TCMs run like sewing machines. C85s & O-200s... Great engines.


Sent from my StarTac using Etch A Sketch.

10 or 12 thousand hours on Lycoming IO540s I think I changed 5 cylinders total. For perspective that's what one TCM averages in a TBO run. Now TIO540 that's a different animal.