Cylinder Issues

If you’ve been watching closely over the past few years, you may have noticed several Airworthiness Directives (ADs) from the FAA concerning replacement cylinders for popular GA piston engines. Depending on the engine, the cylinder’s manufacturer and when it was installed, an applicable AD may require removal and replacement within 25 operating hours. At a minimum, it will mandate frequent inspections.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Friday, September 20, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has frequently issued Airworthiness Directives (ADs) for general aviation piston engine cylinders, including a recent proposed AD targeting 60,000 ECI cylinders, which generates significant industry opposition due to the substantial financial burden and concerns about unintended safety impacts.
Beyond issues in design, manufacturing, and regulation, the author attributes a significant portion of cylinder problems to operator error, specifically running engines too hot, which stresses the cylinder materials.
Operators can best prevent cylinder failures and mitigate the impact of ADs by installing and consistently using multi-probe engine monitors to maintain cooler cylinder temperatures.

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Most recently, the FAA proposed yet another AD, this one potentially targeting more than 60,000 Engine Components International (ECI) cylinders for replacement, affecting some 6000 aircraft and costing owners and operators more than $82 million. The AD targets cylinder head cracks and cylinder head-to-barrel separations and results, at least in part, from an NTSB recommendation to the FAA made earlier this year.