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 a history of issuing Airworthiness Directives (ADs) for GA piston engine cylinders, with a recent proposed AD targeting over 60,000 ECI cylinders for replacement, costing an estimated $82 million.
Industry organizations, including AOPA and EAA, strongly oppose the proposed AD, citing its immense financial burden and potential to inadvertently compromise safety.
While acknowledging issues with cylinder design and manufacturing, the author largely attributes recurring cylinder problems to operator error, specifically the practice of running engines too hot.
Operators can best prevent cylinder failures and costly ADs by installing and using multi-probe engine monitors to detect and promptly react to high 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.