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  #1  
Old 04-15-2020, 08:36 AM
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9GT 9GT is offline
 
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Location: Southern Michigan
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Default Help Me With My ECi Cylinders!

After almost a year hiatus working on my RV-9A due to a family member illness, I am back in the hanger working on my RV-9A project. I am the third owner of this quick build kit which came with a new Mattituck IO-320 Red & Gold engine manufactured in September of 2005. It has 1 hour of test stand running time in the log book.
I finally got around to identifying my cylinders. All cylinders are AEL65102 with cylinder heads P/N AEL85099 and fall under the FAA AD.
After a lot of head splitting research, I have not been able to POSITIVELY identify the serial number location(s) to find out whether they fall under Part A, or Part B cylinder compliance. The ECi web site is now gone of course. Here are a couple photos of where I am almost positive they are located, and the two I can read would place them under Part A cylinders.
[IMG]IMG_1111 by David C, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]IMG_1112 by David C, on Flickr[/IMG]
If this is the only location of the serial numbers,, I will obviously have to remove two cylinders to get all four SN's.

1. Is there another location for the serial numbers other than the location circled in the photo?

2. If not, can I assume the other two cylinders will have serial numbers that fall in the group A cylinders? The two I can read are #2- SN: 30677 29, and #3- SN: 31828 04. The engine log book does not have the serial numbers recorded, and I am leaning on pulling the two cylinders to verify and record the serial numbers in the engine log book.

3. Are the majority of people flying with the group A cylinders comfortable and confident flying behind them and complying with the every 50 hour inspection procedure, or just replacing them with new cylinder assemblies?

4. If I do replace all 4 with new, is there a market for the old Part A cylinders to help offset the costs?

Thanks for any help or guidance.
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David C.
Howell, MI
RV-10: #41686 Under Construction
RV-9A: #90949 Under Construction
RV-10: #40637 Completed/Sold 2016
Cozy MKIV:#656 Completed/Sold 2007
"Donor Exempt" but donated through Dec. 2020
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  #2  
Old 04-15-2020, 08:46 AM
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N941WR N941WR is offline
 
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Default

Contintental now owns ECi.

This should bring up a .pdf that describes the impacted cylinders.

Good luck!
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Bill R.
RV-9 (Yes, it's a dragon tail)
O-360 w/ dual P-mags
Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!
SC86 - Easley, SC
www.repucci.com/bill/baf.html
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  #3  
Old 04-15-2020, 11:07 AM
Redbud40 Redbud40 is offline
 
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Location: Tx
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I have 1000 hrs on the As. All high 70s on the comp checks. 50 hour oil changes. most people will do a pretty thorough once over of everything while cowl is off anyway. Adding a comp check not a big deal.
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RV-6a N731CK
52F
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  #4  
Old 04-15-2020, 11:12 AM
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erich weaver erich weaver is offline
 
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Location: santa barbara, CA
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Cant help you with your serial numbers, but I have 675 hours on my ECI Group A cylinders and have had no problems. Everyone has their own level of comfort but my seat of the pants analysis from the internet indicates most folks are living with the 50 hr inspection rather than replacing them. The reality is that I inspect every time I have the upper cowl off. Its not hard or time consuming, so no big deal.

Erich
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  #5  
Old 04-15-2020, 11:28 AM
yarddart yarddart is offline
 
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Posts: 158
Default Cylinders ECI

Cylinders ECI how do you expect the cylinder
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  #6  
Old 04-15-2020, 11:29 AM
sailvi767 sailvi767 is online now
 
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Location: Charlotte NC
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I had group A cylinders on my 6. I spoke with ECI at the time and they said the group A cylinders were having no issues and they felt the FAA bracketed the problem cylinders for no real reason. I would keep them!
G
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  #7  
Old 04-15-2020, 12:13 PM
T.S. T.S. is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 46
Default hold on

Do not pull cylinders yet. I used my good friend silly putty on the end of a small flat screw driver to push against the numbers hidden between the cylinders, carefully pulled away, and read in a mirror. Thin line of putty pushed against the numbers works great and have used this method many times.
Silly putty is a favorite tool box item used for checking valve clearances etc.
I have heard many bad things about the cylinders, but am happy with mine.
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  #8  
Old 04-15-2020, 01:27 PM
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9GT 9GT is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yarddart View Post
Cylinders ECI how do you expect the cylinder
Compression test every 50 hours. If below 70, check with soapy water along the cylinder/head location looking for bubbles indicating a crack.
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David C.
Howell, MI
RV-10: #41686 Under Construction
RV-9A: #90949 Under Construction
RV-10: #40637 Completed/Sold 2016
Cozy MKIV:#656 Completed/Sold 2007
"Donor Exempt" but donated through Dec. 2020
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  #9  
Old 04-15-2020, 01:30 PM
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9GT 9GT is offline
 
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Location: Southern Michigan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T.S. View Post
Do not pull cylinders yet. I used my good friend silly putty on the end of a small flat screw driver to push against the numbers hidden between the cylinders, carefully pulled away, and read in a mirror. Thin line of putty pushed against the numbers works great and have used this method many times.
Silly putty is a favorite tool box item used for checking valve clearances etc.
I have heard many bad things about the cylinders, but am happy with mine.
Thanks for the tip T.S. So I take it that the location I circled is the serial number? I will get some silly putty and try it out. If it works for me, you have saved me hours of work. Thank you!
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David C.
Howell, MI
RV-10: #41686 Under Construction
RV-9A: #90949 Under Construction
RV-10: #40637 Completed/Sold 2016
Cozy MKIV:#656 Completed/Sold 2007
"Donor Exempt" but donated through Dec. 2020
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  #10  
Old 04-15-2020, 01:55 PM
T.S. T.S. is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 46
Default worked for me

With patients it was how I read my numbers. I sent every number I could find on the cylinders to ECI and asked them to tell me if the cylinders were effected. Good to have a record of all the numbers anyway.
James K. Ball is now at Continental and has been great at answering questions regarding the cylinders. He is on the Continental site.
Best of luck.
Thanks
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