Is it my plane, or is it me?

[walt.buskey]

So no engine so far, but I did get back my nose wheel fender, the engine frame, and the nose gear frame from the powder-coating folks. They look great! continuing to re-assemble sub-assemblies....

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[walt.buskey]

So-- engine mount frame installed and the engine's supposed to be delivered tomorrow... Took 3 days to get from Halifax (Dartmouth), NS to Manchester, NH, then another 5 days to get to Newport, NH, passing through an additional two carriers. Complicated! (On another note, just noticed it was 49 years ago tomorrow that I got my DD214..... My how time flies!)

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[walt.buskey]

A couple of items:

#1, Sorry, Schooley, for co-opting your thread, but it seemed this was the best place to continue with 57A's saga.

#2, Guess the answer to the thread question, in my case, was, "It's the engine, dummy!" It's unfortunate, with these old planes, that often one has nothing to compare it to. It was only my A&P's dynamic balancer, once he got one and hooked it up, that we had an idea of just how bad the engine's vibration was.

Update: Finally, after so many freight carrier changes, my "new" engine arrived today. It shore is pritty. It's also, apparently, been converted (with a "dash-C" on its SN) to a wide-deck engine. Anybody have thoughts as to why that was done? Is this good thing?

Also: I've read conflicting opinions as to oils and/or additives during the break-in process. What's the consensus here?

Thanks in advance -- Walt

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[Gilbert Pierce]

I would use the oil the rebuilder recommends. I broke my new cylinders in on Phillips 20W50. Lycoming rebuilds no narrow deck O-320’s. Send them one and they automatically send you a wide deck. Don’t know why, the narrow deck is as bullet proof as you can I have been told by more than one expert.

[andya]

Walt, I've broken in 5 engines and use PhillipXC like Gilbert. Some like ECI recommend that oil for break-in.

[Jim Hann]

A friend just finished his homebuilt with a new (from Lycoming) O-540 on it. No Camguard for the first 50 hours I believe he told me the instructions said. I’ll echo above, follow the rebuilder’s instructions. Gilbert, it looks like the narrow deck “cup nuts” on Walt’s engine, so now I’m confused about the comment about it being converted. My engine knowledge is still fairly limited.


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[Brian]

[QUOTE=walt.buskey;132832]A couple of items:
Update: Finally, after so many freight carrier changes, my "new" engine arrived today. It shore is pritty. It's also, apparently, been converted (with a "dash-C" on its SN) to a wide-deck engine. Anybody have thoughts as to why that was done? Is this good thing?
Thanks in advance -- Walt

Lyc Service Instruction 1304J describes the addition of the letter C to the engine SN. Simply means the engine was modified from the original model designated on the data plate. Did your overhaul paperwork include a 337 form?

[walt.buskey]

I haven't seen a 337, but on the first page of the paperwork, actually an "Engine Maintenance Records" booklet, is a note indicating (as you mention, Brian) that the "C" designation means a conversion, and a second one on the page 2 sticker indicating conversion was to wide-deck cylinders.

I was just curious as to why that was done, but perhaps Gilbert has answered that. The job was done by Aerotec, but I did specify Lycoming cylinders when they told me I had to get new ones (no serviceable/overhaul-able cylinders were available, they said).

So -- other than an availability issue, what's the difference in cylinders? Is "wide deck" better? (I will say it certainly looks like the bolts/nuts are easier to get at.)

The sticker indicates simply "an approved mineral oil" for the first 50 hours. Guess that means no additives, is that correct?

So do I also lose my auto gas STC? (section 2)

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EDIT: OK, tried some online research and was surprised at the amount of information. Guess I now understand that the difference was primarily due to increased compression ratios and TBO times, the "wide-deck" cylinders using a heavier flange at the base and more or less standard nuts. Hope I don't end up having to modify baffles & seals too much.

[Steve Pierce]

I have broken engines in on Phillips 20w50 XC without issue but if an engine builder says use mineral oil I do simply because it is the warranty and I don't want to jeopardize that.

[Gilbert Pierce]

Jim is right. That looks like narrow deck 160 as evidenced by cylinder flange reinforcing plates and internal wrenching nuts.The stamped C is in accordance with a service bulletin that allows low compression pistons in a O-320B high compression engine. i.e.an O-320B2B-160 has low compression pistons installed and it becomes an O-320C-150. At lest that was the case when I put low compression cylinders on my B2B.


Walt, what model engine did you send them? Was it an O-320A or a O-320B?
I am curious what they really did. I don’t believe wide deck cylinders will go on a narrow deck crankcase. High compression narrow deck 160hp cylinders require the reinforcing plates. They won’t fit on a narrow deck O-320A crankcase unless you replace the cylinder hold down studs with longer ones. Looking back at the picture of the engine you took off it was an O320

I think they just painted the flanges and they look like cad plated reinforcing plates.
The bottom picture is my narrow deck 160 with cad plated reinforcing plates.