The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I am looking to replace my prop on an Avcon o360 conversion due to the new AD for Hartzel HC propellers. My prop now is 76" please give me some ideas. I would like to get the most performance possible. Thanks.

There is an 80" CS prop available with a couple of different STCs at least one of which covers your AVCON conversion. I've read that they are the cats meeow, as they pull harder off the line, and they also require/incorporate a harmonic balancer that reduces vibration and also eliminates the RPM restrictions. I was very interested till I looked up the price of the prop itself. You can find the STCs listed on the Hartzel site.

There is an 80" CS prop available with a couple of different STCs at least one of which covers your AVCON conversion. I've read that they are the cats meeow, as they pull harder off the line, and they also require/incorporate a harmonic balancer that reduces vibration and also eliminates the RPM restrictions. I was very interested till I looked up the price of the prop itself. You can find the STCs listed on the Hartzel site.

I have the Avcon conversion but my prop hub has a prefix so don't think the AD note aplies to my aircraft. How much was the 80" prop? Would be nice to not have the RPM restriction. Thanks, Gary

The AD applies to props with no "Suffix" not "Prefix". If your conversion was done before 91 or so, chances are pretty good that the AD bug has gotten you as the "A" suffix hubs were issued from that date on and the "B" suffix hubs mentioned in the AD is the current model of hub.

I'm appalled by this AD since it is going to have such a large impact on quite a few airplanes running around out there. The least the FAA could do for us is allow us to run and ECI insp every 5 yrs or 500 hrs to help offset the cost (every year is going to get expensive), and changing out the prop is out of the question for most of us.

Mine just got overhauled not very long ago, which really torques me.

Gary wrote:I have the Avcon conversion but my prop hub has a prefix so don't think the AD note aplies to my aircraft. How much was the 80" prop? Would be nice to not have the RPM restriction. Thanks, Gary

I've been doing a little more rummaging on the web, and the price difference isn't as bad as I thought. It looks like Hartzel has an STC kit for our planes if they are equiped with the Lyc. O360, they list it at $8750.00. That's the kit with prop, damper, and spinner. Somewhere else I saw the prop alone listed at $10400 without the damper or spinner so I wrote it off. The downside of this combo is that it weighs 67lbs. That's a lot of weight out there on the nose.

STC kit
http://www.hartzellprop.com/top_prop/fr ... guide3.htm

Application guide, look around page 58.
http://www.hartzellprop.com/resource_li ... source.htm

The spinner kit is 2K . The prop has to weigh less than the steel hub it replaces.

or170B, Check Dave Stoots, stoots@gci.net, I got my Hartzell 80" C/S from him. He holds the STC for his application, (which includes the dampner). He is a nice guy and very knowledgeable and helpful. We are VERY happy with this combination. Jon

I really hate to buy another Hartzel prop. Every one I have owned has had some sort of AD that has gotten very expensive. M/T propellers has a prop for the 0360 A1A that is approved on the 172. Any one have any experience with this prop? Thanks Tal..

I've wondered about an MT prop as well. It seems like Hartzell can pull some strings about every 5 years and get a good expensive (eg, buy new stuff from us for lot's of money) AD issued that hits plenty of folks. Most of the affected props have been in service for years with no problems. And, if they have been overhauled on even a somewhat regular basis, cracked hubs will be found on occasion i'm sure, but to just have to replace one for no reason is a joke. I like the prop, I just don't like the stuff that comes with them. I'm sure the rest of the world is like me, I don't mind fixing stuff, but show me it's broken first.

I am in doing an annual for my plane now. Of course the prop AD hit on the 15th of November. I sent the prop in for a new hub and complete rebuild. The prop shop said they were starting to have trouble getting new hubs, so if anybody is planning on rebuilding there prop to get rid of this AD check into hub availability. The cost for a complete rebuild with new hub is $3400.00

Does anyone have an idea what the ECI inspection will cost to inspect the hub? I have looked at my log books and my Avcon conversion and prop was done in 1981. Looks like at annual, (in June 07) I will be working on the Hartzel AD. Thankfully, I have 6 months to plot the best (and or cheapest) coarse. Might be better to do one ECI inspection and look for deals at Oskhosh 2007. or170b, where did you have your rebuild done for the $3400? This old bird is costing more and more to keep in the air. I just replaced the battery, alternator, and voltage regulator for a sum of about $600! In May it was a starter. Good thing I love to fly and have a very understanding wife. GARY

Hi Gary, I am having my prop rebuild done at precision propellers in Boise Idaho, the price of a new hub is less than $2k bu i figured that while it was there I might as well have it rebuilt. I dont know what the ECI inspection would run but it would only be good for 100hrs. It seemed to me, for my peace of mind that a hub change was a good idea. Tal..

Thanks or170B for the quick come back. $2k sounds a lot better than the 10k for a whole new prop. I really mis-read the AD and thought I was in the clear! My prop was new in 81, so it sounds like it should be rebuilt as well. I will talk it over with my wrench guy (who is very good) and see what he recomends. Gary