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Lycoming Crankshaft SB

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:34 am
by Wayne G. O'Shea
This has been kicked around for a while, and I think I posted it up once before......but in case you haven't seen it give it some thought before "grabbing" your O-360 for your Elite. Make sure it's not a C/S prop assembly engine with (or that use to have and now removed for fixed pitch prop) counter weights on the crank. Wayne



Do You Fly Lycoming?



If so you may have to "retire" your crankshaft much sooner than you think. The FAA is considering an Airworthiness Directive that may require crankshafts in some Lycoming engines to be replaced at the owner's expense.



At issue is whether Lycoming's Service Bulletin 569 should be mandatory. This SB identifies about 5,000 crankshafts in engines from the O-360 to the IO-720 and says that they have to be "retired" from service whenever the crankcase is split or the engine is overhauled or within three years, whichever occurs first. The FAA is using an "airworthiness concern sheet" to look at the potential financial impact and possible alternative ways of complying.

Potentially affected Lycoming engines are those that were built by Lycoming or had the crankshaft replaced between March 1, 1997 and July 11, 2005. The potentially affected models include Lycoming counterweighted engine models (L)O-360, (L)IO-360, HIO-360, AEIO-360, IO-390, AEIO-390, O-540, IO-540, AEIO-540, (L)TIO-540 IO-580, AEIO-580, or IO-720. To determine if your individual engine is potentially affected you will have to check the engine and crankshaft serial numbers.



There is still time to affect the outcome of this potential AD. AOPA-USA is conducting a survey that the FAA has agreed to consider in their rulemaking process.



If you are potentially affected by this crankshaft "retirement" then please read the complete AOPA article at http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/ ... oming.html and complete the survey at http://surveys.aopa.org/cgi-bin/qwebcor ... idx=QP6RYN as soon as possible. Your input into the potential financial cost of this AD can affect how much it will actually cost you.




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