Forum

Notifications
Clear all

This Forum is a place for Piper Comanche pilots to communicate and discuss technical issues

If you join or reset a password, please check your Spam Email box for emails from Admin at ComancheTechTalk.com

Please put your questions on the forum as well so everyone can read and respond. Someone else might be having similar questions.

All questions or topics on the Forums automatically get sent to the Tech team as well.

Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

1 Posts
1 Users
0 Reactions
66 Views
Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 1162
Topic starter  

Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby Paul Michel Fenouil » Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:33 am

Hello,
Following a VNIP I finished 25 hours running-in period of my O-360-A1A (with mineral oil 80), and since I put usual oil spark plugs bottom do not work (200 RPM drop on "L" selection), they are fouled with oil.
We opened the intake pipes and we found oil in it (from where does it come ?).
Does it say that the running-in was not well done? During the lapping with mineral oil I flew 20 Hg MP and 2300 RPM instead of 75-80 % of the power. I didn't know running-in must be done at higher power.
Mechanic advise to resume a new running-in period at 75-80 % of power.

Thanks for your knowledge.

Michel
======

User avatar
Paul Michel Fenouil
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:16 pm

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby JIMICS2452 » Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:19 pm

The re-run, as with any break-in should be done with 75% as a minimum power setting. The limit on power setting is CHT. Be prepared for the cylinders to come off to be honed and new rings on the pistons.

The attached ECI document is an excellent discussion on break-in procedures:

BreakInInstructions.pdf
(448.84 KiB) Downloaded 34 times
Jim Hiatt
User avatar
JIMICS2452
ICS member
ICS member
 
Posts: 254
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 9:26 pm
Location: Pine Shadows Airpark - North Fort Myers, FL

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby md11flyer » Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:40 pm

Paul, As JIm has mentioned, unfortuneately you might have coked or baked the oil into the honed ridges in your cylinder walls and
you probably have to re hone them. As far as oil in the intakes, that doesn't sound right even if you have oil seeping past the rings.
How much oil was in there?
Good luck with the breakin retry. Hope it works, real pain to have to rehone them.

Gary

md11flyer
ICS member
ICS member
 
Posts: 330
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:48 pm

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby charles Melot » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:03 pm

+1 on the other comments. Next breakin leave the throttle open and reduce rpm to 2500 to climb. This keeps the bmep higher and helps seat the rings. Cruise at 75% with a square power setting. A long time ago in the days of chrome cylinders I noticed that engines with fixed pitch props always broke in much quicker than the same engine in with a constant speed. This is because we all used to pull the throttle back to 25" where on the FP ones the throttle stayed open. Higher MP yields higher bmep. Charlie Melot Zephyr Engines
charles Melot
ICS member
ICS member
 
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:44 pm
Location: zephyrhills, FL
  •  

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby N3322G » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:45 pm

When I broke in my O/H'd engines by Zephyr, I used Charlie's method and they broke in in less than 10 hours. I had to work hard to get 75% because it is so darn hot in Texas in July, the density altitudes are high. I saw a lot of sunrises.

so when looking for 75%, be sure to consider density alt.

Pat

Patricia Jayne (Pat) Keefer ICS 08899
PA-39 #10 Texas

User avatar
N3322G
ICS member
ICS member
 
Posts: 1911
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 1:58 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Texas area

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A

Postby Paul Michel Fenouil » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:42 pm

Merci beaucoup !
Thanks a lot to all: Jim, Gary, Patricia, Charlie
I carefully debrief in detail all your advices before starting this second break in
12 liters of Mineral Oil 80 should arrive today in Abidjan.

Thanks again

Michel

User avatar
Paul Michel Fenouil
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:16 pm

Re: Bad engine lapping O-360-A1A (read "bad breakin")

Postby Paul Michel Fenouil » Mon Oct 07, 2013 2:22 pm

Dear Comanche Flyers,
The story ends well and I think it is worth to inform you:
It seems second break-in succeeds.
After this second breaking (25 hours again at 75-80 %), I flown 10 hours with D100 oil. Spark plugs stay dry and clean; no oil fouling and no abnormal drop during magnetos selection. I use to taxi with a little of mixture, the same in cruise flight.
Living in Africa, I am happy not to have to send my cylinders abroad.

Michel
=====

User avatar
Paul Michel Fenouil
 
Posts: 39
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:16 pm

   
Quote
Share: