The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I just ducked a bullet. The ECI cylinder AD that is. After reading the AD, I was sure I had to have installed these cylinders during my overhaul of my LYC O-360. So I called ECI to find out what or how they intended to rectify the situation. The FAA states that you must remove and replace the affected cylinders at 800HRS of use. So ECI says that’s 40% of the cylinders life so they will only credit you 60% of the cost of a new cylinder no matter when you remove it. I have 65 HRS and just broken in 4 of them. There was no way that I was going to go 800HRS on cylinders that could crack and throw its head, and I told the ECI rep that. Let alone incur the cost of installing them. There is no other industry that could get away with that kind of response to a failure of their product. Then the s/n on the 8130 or the s/n you would enter into the log book is not the s/n on the AD. You have to look on the cylinder head and look at the casting no. and s/n of the head. So I had to pull my top cowling to read the s/n’s. None of my cylinders had the casting no’s or s/n’s on the AD. There was no way I could have ever have sat behind that engine and crossed the sierra’s knowing that those cylinders had an AD or flaw and that they could fail. Now I can go back to listening to it purr or roar on climb out. Lance

Will you post the AD number for us. I have ECI's on my C145.

Lance I went through that about a month ago. I bought my engine built and the cylinders were fresh overhauled but according to the builder all I got was a verbal assurance that they were very low time, about 200 hour, cylinders. I wasn't real comfortable with that but the engine price was real good and he was reputable so I went ahead and bought it. That was two years and 140 hours ago and the engine has turned out to be excellent so far. So when I got word of the AD my heart jumped because without any documented time I'd have to change them out right away and probably get no help from ECI. So I rushed up to the hangar and found to my relief that I have Superior's.

N73087
The AD is for parallel valve Lycoming cylinders fitting the O-360/540 series only. Also only certain specific casting numbers. Would you mind filling out your profile a little more to give us a name and perhaps a location?