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WTB O 360 A4A

That's a very narrow range for an engine. I believe those are solid crankshafts, so a C/S hydraulic prop cannot be used. However, a C/S crankshaft can be plugged and used with a Fixed Pitch prop.
What is this engine going on?
 
The A4A was built for Cherokee 180's around 1965. Same as the A3A except for the solid crank. Solid shaft variants were later used in certified Pitts S1S, later production Pitts used IO engines.
A4A for aerobatics is a false sense of security. Solid shaft engines flown agressively still had crank flange failures. Later engines had thicker crank flanges and those still had failures.
I can't think of any reason for needing an A4A except for replacement engine for Cherokee 180.
 
jrs14855 said:
The A4A was built for Cherokee 180's around 1965. Same as the A3A except for the solid crank. Solid shaft variants were later used in certified Pitts S1S, later production Pitts used IO engines.
A4A for aerobatics is a false sense of security. Solid shaft engines flown agressively still had crank flange failures. Later engines had thicker crank flanges and those still had failures.
I can't think of any reason for needing an A4A except for replacement engine for Cherokee 180.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I have a 1969 Cherokee 180D in need of a new engine
 
ianpatrick10 said:
Yeah, I have a 1969 Cherokee 180D in need of a new engine
Click to expand...
You may want to go back to your mechanic and see how the motor I offer above could work....
It IS a certified motor.

O-360-A4A180 hp (134 kW) at 2700 rpm, Minimum fuel grade 91/96 avgas, compression ratio 8.50:1. Same as the A3A except has stiffer crankshaft.

O-360-A3A180 hp (134 kW) at 2700 rpm, Minimum fuel grade 91/96 avgas, compression ratio 8.50:1. Same as the A2A except that it has six special length bushings in propeller flange.

O-360-A2A180 hp (134 kW) at 2700 rpm, Minimum fuel grade 91/96 avgas, compression ratio 8.50:1. Same as the A1A except that it has no provisions for a controllable-pitch propeller.

O-360-A1A180 hp (134 kW) at 2700 rpm, Minimum fuel grade 91/96 avgas, compression ratio 8.50:1. The base model. A four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, direct-drive engine which includes provisions for supplying oil through the propeller shaft for installation of a single-acting controllable-pitch propeller. First certified 20 July 1955.
 
OK here's what happened. In 1965 I was working for a Piper distributor. We had a brand new Cherokee PA28C. Difference from the 28B was a completely new cowl. On two occasions I had a significant loss of power just after takeoff. On one occasion there was a small hill right off the end of a short runway and it was a struggle to clear it. Airplane went back to Lycoming factory twice. The first time they couldn't find anything wrong but after we got it back it did it at least once more. Second time they had the airplane quite a while and it came back with the new solid crankshaft. I was very skeptical but the power loss never repeated. I never knew if there was a service bulletin. There were probably only a few C models at that time with the A3A engine.
If there is a service bulletin the A3A engine would not be legal in C or later airplanes.
Except for the Pitts and the Grumman American I don't know if the A4A was used in any other airplanes.
 
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