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Titan IO370 Stoker issues

Len

Well Known Member
I am posting this as a safety concern for any RVs using the Stroker engine from Titan. My engine is the latest of 3 in my small group of friends. I had 492 hours on it. Was using no oil but oil analysis kept showing in increase in iron. Finally Blackstone Labs said you have a problem. I sent the analysis to Jimmy Brod at JB Aircraft Engines in Sebring, Fl. He immediately called me and said don't fly that engine. Bet me a steak dinner it was lifters or cam just like the many others he has torn down. I could not believe what he was saying ... the engine only had 492 hours. I pulled the engine and drove it down to Jimmy's shop over the weekend. Sure enough the insides were pretty much "chewed up" as Jimmy would say. See the pics.

If you are flying one of these engine where the factory even admits to an incredible amount of failures ... please do oil analysis. It is my understanding that all of the problems have occured between 400-600 hours. Of the 3 I know of with my friends ... one off field landing that could have ended very bad.

dateposted-public

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77629819@N08/50591398988/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77629819@N08/50591398998/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77629819@N08/50591399028/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77629819@N08/50592133721/in/dateposted-public/
 
Well that’s a bummer. I have two quotes for the 370 I have been interested in. Please tell us how often you fly the aircraft. Also I was not aware of continental admitting a high number of failures so I will definitely be researching that subject.
 
Well that’s a bummer. I have two quotes for the 370 I have been interested in. Please tell us how often you fly the aircraft. Also I was not aware of continental admitting a high number of failures so I will definitely be researching that subject.

As someone with a -370 currently on order, I am definitely interested in hearing more about this subject, particularly the "high number of failures."
 
Yes, roller lifters are standard now. I think you can go with flat tappets if you wish.
 
Sure enough the insides were pretty much "chewed up" as Jimmy would say. See the pics.

From here, looks like rust-pitted tappet faces.

How many years since new, and since first flight?

If you are flying one of these engine where the factory even admits to an incredible amount of failures..

Yours was sourced from ECI in San Antonio, or Continental in Fairhope?
 
Well that’s a bummer. I have two quotes for the 370 I have been interested in. Please tell us how often you fly the aircraft. Also I was not aware of continental admitting a high number of failures so I will definitely be researching that subject.

The factory has not publicly admitted that and I can't reveal the source since I did not get permission to go public. Feel free to contact Jimmy Brod at JB Aircraft Engines who has probably had more experience with the Stroker engine than anyone.

I have flown 125 hours this year and the plane has never sat longer than 2 weeks without flying but usually I fly on a weekly basis at minimum. Plane is hangered and always has been.
 
From here, looks like rust-pitted tappet faces.

How many years since new, and since first flight?



Yours was sourced from ECI in San Antonio, or Continental in Fairhope?

I sourced the engine from ECI in San Antonio. I installed in November 2015.
 
Me Too movement

I had the EXACT same failure at just less than 950 hours last year in Feb. 2019 Never went longer than 7 days between flights. Oil changes at less than 50, some at 25. Got Engine in late 2013 so at the time I had flown almost 200 hours in 4 and a half years. Once again. Engine NEVER sat idle more than 7 days.
I found minute amounts of black dust metal in fliter the change before I took it to Jimmy to look at. You can see my post earlier here

https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=168961&highlight=Titan,+lifters

IF YOU GOT AN ECI MOTOR in that period, watch it.
 
I sourced the engine from ECI in San Antonio. I installed in November 2015.

Doesn't seem like a rust candidate, and Jerry's better pictures show spalling. Bummer for sure.

ECI is gone. I'd suggest calling James Ball at Continental with manufacturer concerns.
 
Doesn't seem like a rust candidate, and Jerry's better pictures show spalling. Bummer for sure.

ECI is gone. I'd suggest calling James Ball at Continental with manufacturer concerns.

He goes by the name J.B., I talked to him yesterday about a different subject. There is another guy there with a similar sounding name that you may get if you ask for James Ball.
 
IO-370 Stroker

What is a Stroker? Is it a type of lifter? Someone mentioned roller tappets and flat tappets. I have an IO-370 Titan with flat tappets that will be started for the first time in a couple of weeks
Thanks
 
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