Lycoming SB 632 7/17/2017

[bruceflys]

Vans quickly got back to me with the following, "Van's is not dealing with this SB here. We will not have the tools etc. The person you talked with at Lycoming is misinformed. Please contact Jonathan Korelitz, our Lycoming rep. for instructions."

Looks like we are on our own to find the tool and gaskets at Spruce, Aviall, etc.

Mean while AOPA sent this bulletin: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...n=170803epilot

[ctennis]

Yep, very disappointing. Good luck getting anywhere with some of the distributors too. If you're not a shop or an A&P with an account, they also won't deal with you.

I ordered a gasket kit from Omaha Airplane Supply. I also had the tool on order with them, but Tommy Turner nicely sent me his at cost. It took 1.5 weeks for the gasket kit to arrive and drop ship to me, and I don't know how much longer the tool would have taken.

My understanding is Spruce has them both now listed, and if you call and talk to the counter sales they can handle the warranty claim too.

Lycoming is not reimbursing the tool, though I hear you can get some of a credit back for returning it.

If anyone needs the ST-531, I should be done with it after this weekend and will be glad to send it on at cost.

Originally Posted by bruceflys

Vans quickly got back to me with the following, "Van's is not dealing with this SB here. We will not have the tools etc. The person you talked with at Lycoming is misinformed. Please contact Jonathan Korelitz, our Lycoming rep. for instructions."

Looks like we are on our own to find the tool and gaskets at Spruce, Aviall, etc.

[jwilbur]

With the help of a few local A&Ps I got the work done for SB632. I have the ST-531 tool available if anyone needs it. Send me a PM.

[ctennis]

Not so lucky as the others: two bad bushings in mine! One bushing required about 1/2 of a turn before it slipped, the other about 1.5 turns. The other two were fine.

My A&P said and expletive on the first one. He's pretty shocked. He went back and checked the two that are "good" from the other direction just to make sure.

[Rv3Dave]

There is a revision to this SB that came out Aug 4. No big change but more detail about inspection procedures. I am waiting on info from rebuild shop on when my rod bearings were received from Lycoming. My engine was assembled with new Lycoming rod bearings but I don't know when those bearings came from Lycoming.

[RickSolana]

Well, my brand new engine is on the list. 80 hours, flying since March. After reading Mike Busch's comments, I am thinking I should take this plane to a really good repair facility and not just a local A&P.

Can anyone recommend a good repair shop to me? I am in Virginia, but am willing to fly it to a shop that is further away. In the end, i want to be flying an engine that I trust has been reassembled well. Some names I have come up with so far are Penn Yan, Zephyr, Triad, Aero Performance in PA. Does Aviall do repairs or just parts? Does Lycoming do engine repairs at their shop? What about Barrett's, Aerosport power, Superior, etc. You can tell I don't know anything about these shops!

Thanks for the help,

Rick Solana
RV-10
N804RS

[BillL]

Originally Posted by ctennis

Not so lucky as the others: two bad bushings in mine! One bushing required about 1/2 of a turn before it slipped, the other about 1.5 turns. The other two were fine.

My A&P said and expletive on the first one. He's pretty shocked. He went back and checked the two that are "good" from the other direction just to make sure.

Is that a split bushing !?!?!?!?!

or a weird mark??

[ctennis]

It is split, but it's supposed to be. However the amount of split is likely the problem as to why it can "slip" out of place. Probably a tolerance issue in the part by the supplier.

[Rotorheadrob]

Originally Posted by Steve Ashby

A quote from the SB

"YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ?REQUIRED ACTION? IN THIS SERVICE BULLETIN. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE THE ?REQUIRED ACTION? IN THIS SERVICE BULLETIN, AND THE CONNECTING ROD BUSHING MOVES OUT OF PLACE, THE CONNECTING ROD CAN FAIL AND CAUSE UN-COMMANDED STRUCTURAL ENGINE FAILURE."

I love that term, "Un-Commanded Structural Engine Failure", as opposed to, I guess, a "Commanded Structural Engine Failure".

I am wiring the cockpit right now. I am thinking of putting in a switch with the notation of "Commanded Structural Engine Failure", just in case I need to kill the engine at some point. Just to be safe, I will make it a guarded switch.

Yeah, good idea,,, guarded switch will prevent any fast fingers from hitting the switch prematurely and you wouldn't want that!

[flion]

Originally Posted by rgbewley

Chances are that most of the affected engines are factory or Thunderbolt built engines shipped from November 2016 - February 2017.

If you engine was overhauled/repaired in the field prior to 11/2016, you will not be affected.

From my shop if your engine was overhauled/repaired between 11/2016 and 2/2017, you most likely will not be affected as the shop we use for these repairs almost exclusively uses Superior rod bushings, except for parts under EASA regulations. But, if you have a question, feel free to drop me an email.

I just wanted to make a shout-out for Rhonda; I found out about the SB, dug out my paperwork and saw I was in the timeframe. Since the connecting rods on my engine were done by another shop, I didn't have part numbers so I emailed Rhonda last night just to be sure. This morning while I'm eating breakfast her reply arrived, with the Superior part numbers used for my build. So, she got the email this morning, researched the build, and got back to me before I even got my tail in gear. That's fast! Just another reason I'm glad I had my engine built at BPE.