Thanks, Pat, Barney, Craig; For your input.

 

On the TCM issue I will ask for a New engine but with my experience it would need to be disassembled and at least Lap the Valves in. On my New cylinders that were installed 85 hours ago I asked for this to be done to insure a wide consistent seat, since my original valve seats looked suspect. When Lapping in the new ones two exhaust seats would not come into spec. and had to be recut. In talking to other major engine houses they all do the seat lapping and don't trust TCM's Grind em, and trust that they will seat.

Also, my three year warrantee may be in question however they assured me that it was extended on all the new things. The Oil Coolers are impossible to clean, and all control valves, wastgate, Turbos, Prop and Gov. etc. will need to be questioned.

 

Interesting story on Lifters that I heard, maybe someone here can confirm? Somewhere around the time my engine was built in 2001 I was told that Eaton Corp. who make the Cam and Lifters for both TCM and Lyc, not sure of all models, did a new sourcing for Lifters to the Cech Republic? Their steel was close but maybe a little different and who controlled the heat treat? Seams that no-one will admit this. I have a friend that had this same failure happen to a IO-550 in a Baron and he couldn't get any help from TCM. I'm hoping for better results?

I was also told by the Mechanic that worked on my Mags, that he has seen much fewer Cam Lifter problems on engines using the Exxon Elite Oil 20 50 and that it lubricates better when hot at the 50 weight operating range. Sounds like a switch from Shell 15 50 is in order. For your info. when we changed the cylinders we inspected the lifters/cam Lubed the lifters and I ran Mineral oil in the engine for 9 hours before switching to the 15 50.

 

On the water in the Mags. I don't think that flying in the rain, which I didn't do, or the gasket seal have much to do with the moisture retention in the Mag. I think the warm compressed air off the Turbos just holds more water and when it is cooled down in the Mags, both running and after parking, keeps the humidity high. The way they try to control this is first with a bleed hole in the bottom of the pressureized/high tension cavity. On my first Mag the drain hole was much smaller on the corroded old Mag than on the new replacement and the other original Mag. However, that replacement Mag is the one that had Moisture in it this time. The filter has a drain hole in the bottom with a control rubber in the end to control the bleed rate and it should installed with it at the lowest point. From the factory mine was mounted with the back outlet so low that the drain wasn't at the lowest point. I tie-rapped the rear up to a higher level. Secondly, the filter still looked clean and fine, even better that the looks of the new one which was more yellowing. I blew through the old and new while plugging the drain hole and there was less resistance with the new one so that may make a difference? I bought my filters from Carl Cadwell on the LML for a lot less than $40. each,as I remember. He had bought a box full.

Also, I'm told that this same Slick Mag when used on some Cessna twins have an AD to inspect every 100 hrs. All Slicks are not the same, these have a very small High Tension end chamber because there is not much room behind the top down induction tubes. Sure seems like a last minute engineering solution, just like many others on these engines.

 

Wish me better luck,