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<< Lancair Builders' Mail List >>
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Fellow Continental users:
Dairy Queen is back in the air.!!
Approximately six months ago, an oil seep that always
left the drop of oil hanging from the oil pressure
relief valve led me on a search which took me two months
to find. It was a crack between the through bolts from
No. 1 cylinder, on the left crankcase half. This is
just forward and above the oil cooler. I mistakenly
thought it was the oil cooler, oil pump, fuel pump base
etc. etc.. But I finally reached the point where I flew
the airplane to the TCM service center at Fairhope AL in
October and talked with Ron Humphrey.
He suggested I take it home clean it - fly it around the
pattern and Dye check the case in that area. I did just
that, and it (the crack) was immediately apparent when I
pulled the intercooler and oil cooler air box off.
My case was cracked all the way through to the rear main
bearing web.
I was referred to a highly reputable crankcase facility
and found a yellow tagged case for less than $1000.
The crankcase people (Crankcase Services Inc. Sand Lake
Oklahoma) tell me that this is not all that uncommon.
They tell me that new cases are not annealed. Until
Continental brought their crankcase overhauls in house,
Crankcase Services did all this work for them.
All the Top Care cylinders (with 750 hours running at 50
degrees rich of peak 90 percent of the time) had worn
all the choke in the cylinders. Valve guides were
beginning to show wear.
The choice was overhaul vs. new. I chose the new. I am
told the newest Top Care cylinders are improved even
from the early models.
This engine left the factory in 1991. I first flew in
December 1994. I had to overhaul it in 1997 (532 hours)
due to excessive cylinder wear (oil consumption went
from 1 quart 20 hours-to 1 quart 30 minutes) and
installed one of the first sets of Top Care cylinders.
So, I'm back in air as of February 10th, with a freshly
overhauled Continental.
You can be sure, that the crankcase was torqued
extremely accurately with calibrated equipment. But it
was on the first overhaul also. Oh Well!
Continental gave me some help with pricing, but by doing
so eliminated any warranty coverage and the hassles that
go with the claims.
For what it's worth.....
Charlie Kohler
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LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html
LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair
Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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