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-----Original Message----- From: Jerry Eichenberger [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 12:06 PM To: Ulrich Hertig Subject: RE: [COUPERS-TECH] C-85 approaching TBO time Ulrich - I would vote to overhaul it. I have some personal experience to share with you: About 30 years ago I owned two airplanes, a Bonanza and an Aztec, along with 5 other fellows. It was a great club, and we had good options with both a single and a twin to take, depending on mission and weather. The Bonanza was at TBO - everything with the engine was great - no oil burning issues, great compression, ran like a fine watch, and oil analysis showed no unusual metal. We voted to, and did, run it another 100 hours. At that point, the group, except for me, wanted to go another 100 hours. I put my foot down, and said to either overhaul it or buy me out. We overhauled it. The crankshaft had a crack, 270 degrees around the circumference, at the number 5 main journal. No amount of oil analysis, compression checks, or boroscoping will ever find cracks, be they in the crank, oil pump drive gears and shafts, camshaft, prop flange, or a few other parts that can cause a sudden and catastrophic engine failure. Engines have a TBO for a good reason. And, remember that TBO is usually based on the airplane's flying about 300 hours per year. Since very few privately owned airplanes fly even 100 hours per year, the ravages of time affect those engines just as much, if not more so, than hours alone. In my 40 years of flying, I've suffered 3, total, engine failures of a mechanical nature. I don't want a fourth, especially in an Ercoupe. Why do I say "especially in an Ercoupe"? For two reasons: 1. While one can adjust glide angle in a Coupe using airspeed, we do have to admit that with no flaps, and no ability to slip, modulating glide angle is more difficult that in an airplane with flaps, or one that can be slipped effectively; therefore, you better plan your engine out approach very carefully, and do it right the first time; and 2. With a header tank always full of fuel, Ercoupes don't have the world's best accident record relating to fires after a crash, especially if the airplane ends up inverted and you can't get out of it. So, I'll spend the money and overhaul at or before TBO. Jerry E. -----Original Message----- From: Ulrich Hertig [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 3:09 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [COUPERS-TECH] C-85 approaching TBO time ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]---- Dear Coupers, right now I have a chance to buy a Coupe which seems to be in excellent condition but the engine has almost 1800 hrs. All 4 cylinders have been replaced during the last 150 hrs. The seller says the engine runs fine, uses hardly any oil and has a high oil pressure indication so there is nothing to worry about. Now is it advisable to run an engine beyond its TBO time? And how about the other parts in the engine like crankshaft, bearings etc.? Do I have a higher risk to encounter major problems? I'd be most grateful if anybody has experience on this subject and could advise me. Many thanks. Ulrich 'Rick' Hertig ___________________________________________________________ Gesendet von Yahoo! Mail - Jetzt mit 1GB Speicher kostenlos - Hier anmelden: http://mail.yahoo.de ============================================================================ == To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/ ============================================================================== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers-tech/
