lml@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 -- 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.