Lycoming's Tech Tips
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TECH TIPS MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR ENGINE Dear Lycoming Customer, Welcome to Tech Tips, just one of many ways Lycoming strives to improve your Lycoming ownership experience. For those who have been in aviation a long time and for those who are just discovering general aviation’s wonders, fun, and excitement, Tech Tips offers a wealth of information to help ensure maximum performance for every flight and for the life of your engine. For more than 85 years Lycoming has been designing, testing, and assembling engines. As a company we have a body of knowledge about our products unparalleled in the industry. We take seriously our responsibility to share this knowledge and hope you learn as much as possible about the necessary “care and feeding” of each model. We want to empower you to be the best pilot or mechanic you can be by continually sharing our best practices, key lessons, and engines systems knowledge. Please enjoy Lycoming’s Tech Tips. Read, learn, and build on your body of knowledge about how our engines live and breathe. Knowing more about our engines and how to care for them will no doubt make better pilots and maintenance professionals around the world. The Lycoming Team TECH TIPS 3 INDEX The articles contained herein are not intended to supersede manufacturers’ service publications, instructions manuals or any other official publications, but are provided in order to augment or explain in pilot’s or mechanic’s language these publications. These Tech Tips are provided as supplemental information on Lycoming engines in support of the official publications. Always refer to the most up-to-date manufacturer’s instructions on your equipment. FACTS ABOUT LYCOMING TECH TIPS ........................................................ 8 GENERAL Some Definitions of Terms. ..................................................................... 10 How to Get Lycoming Engine and Accessory Maintenance Publications. ......................................... 10 Determining Engine Conditions of High-time Piston Power Plants. .............................................. 11 Questions Asked by Pilots or Mechanics ............................................................ 12 Definitions Applicable to TBO, Engine Replacement and Engine Rebuild ......................................... 13 Oil analysis ............................................................................. 15 What is an Aerobatic Engine? .................................................................. 16 Low-compression Engine – Grade 100 Aviation Fuel ..................................................... 17 Fuel Contamination ......................................................................... 19 Let’s Talk Turbocharging ...................................................................... 19 Information About Lycoming-approved Full-flow Oil Filters.................................................. 20 Detonation and Preignition .................................................................... 21 Compression Ratio – An Explanation as it Relates to Lycoming Engines .......................................... 21 “Watts” Horsepower ........................................................................ 22 Your Engine and the Fixed-pitch Propeller ........................................................... 22 Induced Engine Damage ...................................................................... 24 The Whistle Slot ........................................................................... 26 Welding is Not Recommended .................................................................. 26 Engine Balance ........................................................................... 27 Fuel Injector or Carburetor .................................................................... 28 The “Same Engine” Myth ..................................................................... 28 The Unfortunate Choice ...................................................................... 29 A Low-time Engine May Not Mean Quality and Value .................................................... 30 In Search of Badly Behaving Baffles and Seals ........................................................ 31 4 TECH TIPS OPERATIONS Hard Facts About Engine Break-in ................................................................ 34 Leaning Lycoming Engines ..................................................................... 34 Proper Leaning at Cruise Aids Safe Flight and Saves Dollars ................................................ 37 Operating the Direct-drive Fixed-pitch Lycoming Engine ................................................... 37 Operating Your Lycoming Engine at Takeoff and Climb ................................................... 38 The Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) and Fuel Management ................................................ 38 Landings and Takoffs from High-elevation Airports ...................................................... 40 Basic Power Sequence (Governed Engines) ........................................................... 41 An Explanation of Power Settings ................................................................ 41 Considerations for Low-power Low-RPM Cruise ........................................................ 41 Lest We Forget, the Engine Will Not Run Without Air: Induction Icing and Other Obstructions ............................ 42 Cold Weather Operations ..................................................................... 46 National Transportation Safety Board Warning on Simulated Engine-out Maneuvers .................................. 48 Importance of the Cylinder Head Temperature ......................................................... 49 More on Cylinder Head Temperature .............................................................. 49 Interpreting Your Engine Instruments ............................................................... 50 Engine Starting Suggestions .................................................................... 50 Use of Fuel Boost Pumps with Lycoming Engines ........................................................ 50 Avoid Sudden Cooling of Your Engine ............................................................. 51 Sticking Valves – Do Not Neglect the Warning Signs ..................................................... 51 Operational and Maintenance Procedures to Avoid Sticking Valves ............................................ 52 Tips From the Hangar ....................................................................... 54 The Pilot and Turbocharging ................................................................... 55 TBO Tradeoffs or Tips From Fred ................................................................. 58 Thieves of Aircraft Engine Power and How to Cope with Them ............................................... 59 Wet Air Affect on Engine Power ................................................................. 62 Frequency of Flight and its Affect on the Engine ........................................................ 62 A Review of Old Wives’ Tales ................................................................... 62 Spark Plug Fouling ......................................................................... 63 Engine Instruments: To Believe or Not to Believe ........................................................ 64 Oil Flow – Screens, Filter, Cooler and Pressure Relief ..................................................... 64 Test Your Knowledge on Engines ................................................................. 66 TECH TIPS 5 MAINTENANCE Mechanic’s Creed .......................................................................... 70 The Basics of Maintenance in General Aviation ........................................................ 70 Ask About Reference Publications Before Your Engine is Taken Apart ........................................... 71 Air Filter Maintenance ....................................................................... 72 Oil and Your Engine ........................................................................ 72 Oil and Filter Change Recommendations ............................................................ 73 More About Oil and Your Aircraft Engine ........................................................... 73 Maintaining Oil Levels of Wet Sump Engines .......................................................... 74 Tips for Changing Your Spin-on Oil Filter ............................................................ 75 Suggestions if Metal is Found in the Screens or Filter ..................................................... 75 Safety Tip – Sealant Use ...................................................................... 76 Understanding Engine Color Codes ............................................................... 76 Reciprocating Engine Break-in and Oil Consumption Limits ................................................. 77 Fixed Wing Break-in ........................................................................ 77 Rotary Wing Break-in (Horizontal Installations Only) ..................................................... 79 Compression Check as a Maintenance Aid ........................................................... 80 Spark Plugs – Key to Smooth Engine Operation, I ...................................................... 81 Spark Plugs – Key to Smooth Engine Operation, II ...................................................... 82 Is Your Spark Plug Connector Overtorqued? .........................................................