The FAA on Monday expanded its recall of faulty hydraulic lifters on Teledyne Continental general aviation engines to include the TCM 346 series and R-RM IO-240-A reciprocating engines. Excessive wear on the lifters can result in loss of engine power, the FAA said, with at least one instance of damage after just one hour in service. The Airworthiness Directive is effective June 16, at which point all affected aircraft must be grounded until the work is done. No special flight permits will be approved, the FAA said. The AD went straight to final rule without any advance notice or comment period because an unsafe condition exists, the FAA said. However, comments will be accepted until Aug. 2.
Several thousand aircraft were affected by the original AD, which was effective last November. TCM said “an issue” with a vendor component was the cause of the defect. In a mandatory service bulletin (pdf) released last December, TCM said it would pay the costs of parts and labor to replace the lifters.
