Superior SB & cylinder recall

roadrunner20 · #1 02-26-2007, 07:08 PM

Superior Airparts has issued a service bulletin and cylinder recall, soon to be an AD for certified aircraft. It deals with the heat treating of the cylinders.

The affected cylinders were manufactured between April and November 2005.

The SB is located at: http://www.superiorairparts.com/sb0601/letter.asp

This is getting very frustrating. First the ryton sump, now this. Factor in the Lycoming cranks.
Don't any of these manufacturers QA their inhouse or out-sourced parts.

You do the research to buy what you feel is the best product for the best price, build... now you may have to rebuild...

Rant over.

I may not be included in the AD as my XP-IO360 was delivered on 12/30/05, one month after the mfg window. I hope they had just-in-time inventory.

I'll check my numbers tomorrow.

Martin Sutter · #2 02-26-2007, 08:44 PM

My Superior IO-360M1 was affected by the recall. While I was not happy about having to rip apart my new airplane, I would like to compliment Superior and Aero Sport Power on how they took care of it.

As soon as my cylinder were identified, complete replacement sets including not only the cylinders but pistons, rings and valves were on the way to Aero Sport Power, the builder of my engine. They fitted the rings to the pistons, installed the valves and painted the units to match my engine. The true measure of a good company to do business with comes to light when something goes wrong. In my case I could not be happier with Superior's response and Aero Sport Power's aid in facilitating the cylinder change out.

Martin Sutter
building and flying RV's since 1988

jim · #3 02-26-2007, 09:19 PM

Martin,

Did you have to send your engine back to Bart? If so, did Superior cover the cost of shipping, or removal and crating?

osxuser · #4 02-26-2007, 11:27 PM

It's just cylinders, so it could be done on the aircraft if the overhaul shop will still honor the warrenty afterward.

jim · #5 02-27-2007, 04:38 AM

Hi Ox,

I know it could be done in the field. Martin indicated the parts were shipped to Bart at Aerosport. It sounds like Bart has the engine? (don't know if it is flying or not). Just curious if engine had to go back to Bart, did Superior cover the costs?

Martin Sutter · #6 02-27-2007, 07:03 AM

The engine stayed on the airplane. The cylinders went to Bart for fitting of pistons, rings and valves as well as painting to match my engine. Superior paid for shipping. They also have an allowance for labor. I removed and reinstalled the cylinders wich is not difficult but time consuming due to the amount of items that have to be taken off the engine before you can get the cylinders off.

So far I have 5hrs on the new cylinders. They seem to be breaking in well as less than a pint of oil has been consumed and the temperatures dropped to the low 300's in the first hour of running.

Again, I could not be more pleased with how this was taken care off by Bart and Superior.

Martin Sutter
building and flying RV's since 1988

jim · #7 02-27-2007, 09:03 AM

Martin,

It sounds like Superior is doing what they should to make it right, just a pain for you that it happened in the first place. I used to cringe when I would get "love letters" from the FAA when I had my super cub and then cessna 180. Spent a lot of money on ADs, I guess being experimental isn't much better with this unless you opt not to comply. I would comply myself though.

roadrunner20 · #8 02-27-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanLandry

I may not be included in the AD as my XP-IO360 was delivered on 12/30/05, one month after the mfg window. I hope they had just-in-time inventory.

I'll check my numbers tomorrow.

I'm in luck. My cylinders were not in the recall.

I must add, Superior has been excellent every time I've called them.
I left a message this morning for a callback and they returned the call promptly. The customer is very important to them.

gmcjetpilot · #9 02-27-2007, 06:25 PM

Hummmm no wonder they sold it to a foreign (German) company. I am very sorry to hear about this. At least look at it this way, you did not have engine minor failure or loss of power to find out. This may no seem like it but this is the advantage of using certified parts with records and tracking. An experimental auto engine that, say for example, spits out a part for reasons of design or "a bad batch" can be secreat info that does not get disseminated. With that said the auto engine guys are fairly good at getting the word out, but don't expect a letter in the mail.

roadrunner20 · #10 02-28-2007, 06:19 PM

I believe that Superior's XP engine uses the same parts as the certified Vantage engine. Maybe this is how they determined that the Millenium cylinders did not get the proper heat treating to guidelines of the certifed Vantage engine.

BTW, doesn't a lycoming certified engine become experimental once installed into an experimental airplane? Since the repairman can now maintain it & not an AP, it becomes experimental.