ECi has submitted to the FAA an alternate method of compliance (AMOC) that addresses inspections required by an FAA AD affecting some 18,000 ECi parallel valve “TITAN” cylinders available for Lycoming 320, 360 and 540 engines. The AD was issued on the last day of 2009 and the inspections aim to spot cracking at the head-to-barrel joint. ECi’s approach has not yet been approved by the FAA and there’s no guarantee that it will be, but ECi president Glen Golden believes the company’s fix will leave owners with a reworked cylinder that “will never” cause owners worry again. ECi will provide the rework free of charge for affected TITAN cylinders installed on experimental aircraft. However, the process does cost time.
ECi is estimating three weeks to rework the cylinders and solve the problem — pending FAA approval of the company’s AMOC. The company will supply boxes for shipping if you call them at (800) ECi-2FLY or make the request via their Web site.
