The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin recommending that owners of certain larger Continental engines with ECi cylinder assemblies inspect the cylinders for cracks every 50 hours after theyve accumulated more than 500 hours in service. The bulletin affects 520- and 550-series engines with certain ECi components. The cracks started showing up in 2003 and start as fatigue cracks that eventually go through the cylinder wall near the exhaust valve seat. This causes decreased compression but is unlikely to cause separation of the cylinder from the engine, according to the FAA. The bulletin recommends a standard compression test and soapy water test on the cylinders at each oil change and that cracked cylinders be replaced with improved models. The cracks have appeared as early as 253 hours and as late as 1,489 hours, though the average is 891. The recommendations in the bulletin are not mandatory.
Cylinder Crack Alert
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for Continental 520- and 550-series engines with ECi cylinder assemblies, addressing fatigue cracks.
- The SAIB recommends inspecting these cylinders every 50 hours after they accumulate more than 500 hours in service for cracks near the exhaust valve seat, which lead to decreased compression.
- Owners are advised to perform compression and soapy water tests at each oil change and replace cracked cylinders with improved models.
- These recommendations are not mandatory, and while cracks appear between 253 and 1,489 hours (average 891), they are unlikely to cause cylinder separation.
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