Titan/ECI Cylinder Issues

[Flying8]

Originally Posted by FORANE

Krea

I also have a Titan in our Lancair. It's a x-340.

Is you 340 an ECI or Continental Titan?

[Freemasm]

Originally Posted by jliltd

My ECI Titan IO-360 did not use the tapered cylinders. It is effectively a Lycoming clone. Different animal from the 370.

Unless I completely assumed incorrectly (not the first time here), the extra displacement is from the stroke alone. No changes to the bore; therefore cylinder. Anything relatively recent from Titan, I'd expect tapered fins. Regardless, verification is needed unless you like surprises.

[jliltd]

Originally Posted by Freemasm

Unless I completely assumed incorrectly (not the first time here), the extra displacement is from the stroke alone. No changes to the bore; therefore cylinder. Anything relatively recent from Titan, I'd expect tapered fins. Regardless, verification is needed unless you like surprises.

My fins were not tapered. They were exactly like Lycoming factory. Otherwise the direct swap out to Superiors would have required baffle modification, which it didn't. Remember ECI was marking their parts as interchangeable parts for certified aircraft. The engine was an IO-361-A1A kit engine from ECI. The taper finned cylinders either came later, were directed at non-certified engines or both. ECI would sell the unassembled kit engine for either the builder or to a shop to put together. Mine was assembled by Americas Aircraft Engines in Collinsville, Oklahoma. They would buy batches of these kit engines and marketed the assembled engines under what they called their "Eagle IV EXperimental" engine. 180 hp at 2700 RPM. This engine is what had the crappy ECI cylinders with bad nickel coating. I don't know if the cylinder AD was applicable to later taper-fined cylinders or not. I went by serial number table in the AD and rework yellow tags to determine what happed with my engine.
First photo below of original cylinder assemblies. Second photo was after coming back from Barrett with Superiors.

[FORANE]

Originally Posted by Flying8

Is you 340 an ECI or Continental Titan?

ECI assembly date 3/2015. It's Axel's old motor.

[KatanaPilot]

Originally Posted by Freemasm

Assuming I'm reading this correctly, the ECI and Lycoming legacy jugs are not exactly roll-in, roll-out replacements. I'm currently modifying my baffles for the Titan tapered cylinders. Not a big deal but it does take time.

I don't have the tapered fin cylinders, so my hope is the existing baffles will fit the Lycoming cylinders without modification. Should know next week when the engine arrives from Penn Yan.

[Finley Atherton]

Originally Posted by KatanaPilot

I don't have the tapered fin cylinders, so my hope is the existing baffles will fit the Lycoming cylinders without modification. Should know next week when the engine arrives from Penn Yan.

Recently replaced my non tapered O 320 ECI cylinders (delaminating rings) with Lycoming cylinders and everything including baffles fitted perfectly.

Fin 9A
Australia.

[jliltd]

Originally Posted by KatanaPilot

I don't have the tapered fin cylinders, so my hope is the existing baffles will fit the Lycoming cylinders without modification. Should know next week when the engine arrives from Penn Yan.

That's exactly what I did. ECI to Superior both non-tapered. So your Lycoming cylinders will fit the baffles just fine without modification.

[Walt]

Just as a point of reference, my original engine was from ECI, I ran it for around 500 hrs before the AD came out, ECI replaced all my cylinders with new ones (almost free) and I ran those on the engine without fault for another 1000 hrs before I installed the 370.
I have friends and customers with ECI cylinders that are still running fine.
So, like every manufacturer out there, they had some issues but generally gave good support.

[bill.hutchison]

So this thread has made me nervous.

Like the poster in #13, I have an ECI Titan motor from America's Aircraft Engines.

I am trying to figure out if this A/D is applicable, because my motor was built in November of 2007.

Right in the beginning of the A/D, it says, "If your engine has not been overhauled, or not had any cylinder assemblies replaced since new, no further action is required."

I know that my engine has NOT been overhauled or had cylinders replaced since it was new. Am I overthinking this, since I know I have ECI nickel cylinders from the years this was a problem?

[KatanaPilot]

Originally Posted by jliltd

ECI would take the cylinders the FAA said were to be scrapped and rework them for the experimental airframes. Even though they cost the same to all customers initially. Those reworked cylinders have proven to be just as troublesome as they were prior to the AD. ECI pulled a dirty on experimental aircraft owners.

Are you saying that ECI/Titan reworked AD cylinders and then sold them as new in the experimental engine kits at some point? Or were these cylinders marketed to experimental owners as overhauled?