One chrome cylinder?

[toto]

Nearing the end of an interesting saga (which I’ll write up in a separate post), I now have a new-to-me overhauled chrome cylinder in an engine that previously had four Lycoming steel cylinders. 

Are there any special considerations to having one chrome cylinder along with three steel cylinders?

[N201MKTurbo]

Not really. It will use a little bit more oil, but nothing you can do about it. 

[A64Pilot]

I don’t like chrome, I didn’t think it has been done for years, but I guess not.

Since it’s done, it’s done. That cylinder will likely use more oil, could be more likely to foul plugs, or not.

If you haven’t started break in yet, I’d take off at full throttle, pull it back to 2500 a couple of min after T/O, climb at as high an airspeed as you could and maintain 500 FPM for cooling, no higher than 5,000 if possible and cruise very rich at full throttle for the first several hours, keep an eye on cyl head temp, don’t let it get hot.

Climb fast,  in my airplane I climb at 130 kts indicated 

It’s really hard to break in chrome and you have a short window to get it done, but if you get it broken in it’s not that bad. I think a lot of the rep chrome gets is from it never being fully broken in, but eventually, hopefully several years from now the chrome will fail and begin coming off in flakes.

Edited July 8, 2023 by A64Pilot

[toto]

20 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

I don’t like chrome, I didn’t think it has been done for years, but I guess not.

I really don’t know. The shop tried to get a steel replacement, but chrome is what was available.

[Greg Ellis]

I have one chrome and 3 steel.  Never really has been an issue.