Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

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reecewallace
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 1:34 am

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by reecewallace »

Good news—

My AME and I pulled the oil pan off yesterday (10 hour job), and cleaned out 40 gears of sludge and crap. There was fine metal particles in the sludge, but it was deep in the bottom of the pan indicating it had been there for a LONG time. Funny to see oily sludge move when you put a magnet in it. Great to clean this crap out from circulating.

We performed a thorough inspection of the engine and couldn't see anything wrong. The lifters, lobes, camshaft and gears looked good. Our conclusion matches our initial thoughts that the metal was coming from the old starter.

I cut the filter open, and it only had a fine amount of metal in it this time. I've now changed the oil & filter 3 times in 15 hours, with less metal each time.

Now that the engine is cleaned out, the next filter inspection will be the definitive test that the engine is OK. I'm going to perform it at 25 hours to be safe

:D
- Reece
1956 Cessna 170b
Nanaimo, BC Canada
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c170b53
Posts: 2527
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 8:01 pm

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by c170b53 »

Nice save, Reece, keep your fingers crossed. Amazing your sump was void of corrosion. I’d send it to Ok Aero for coating if it was me. In the future it could be worth a fair penny.
Jim McIntosh..
1953 C170B S/N 25656
02 K1200RS
hilltop170
Posts: 3481
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 6:05 pm

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by hilltop170 »

+1 on sending the sump to Kelowna for coating before it corrodes.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
reecewallace
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2021 1:34 am

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by reecewallace »

c170b53 wrote:Nice save, Reece, keep your fingers crossed. Amazing your sump was void of corrosion. I’d send it to Ok Aero for coating if it was me. In the future it could be worth a fair penny.
Sump had a bit of corrosion, but my AME said it wasn't too bad. It's back on the plane now anyway.

Out of curiosity—what's a coating/repair cost? What's a new sump cost these days?
- Reece
1956 Cessna 170b
Nanaimo, BC Canada
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daedaluscan
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:03 pm

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by daedaluscan »

Well done, sounds like it’s going to work out, and you know more.
Charlie

1956 170B C-GDRG #27019
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IA DPE
Posts: 208
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:46 am

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by IA DPE »

reecewallace wrote:Sump had a bit of corrosion, but my AME said it wasn't too bad. It's back on the plane now anyway.

Out of curiosity—what's a coating/repair cost? What's a new sump cost these days?
New sumps are made from unobtainium. Old sumps were made from magnesium. Here’s a thread discussing the coating process: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3746

When my engine comes up for overhaul, I plan to have the sump coated.
1955 C170B N2993D s/n 26936
1986 DG-400 N9966C
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mmcmillan2
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:30 pm

Re: Engine Making Metal - Suggestions?

Post by mmcmillan2 »

Keep us posted!
170B owner, KCFD, CFI(I), ATP Multi
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