Pilot induced engine failure due to overleaning?

[Hank]

Oh, the joys of being single. Fix up the J; add Aspens; trade the J for a K; do an Encore conversion; repaint . . . Do I remember correctly that you reserved an N-number but are now not painting it on the plane?

I'm having [vicarious] fun just observing and reading your periodic performance reports. "Zoom, zoom" might be Mazda's new slogan, but you are doing a much better job of it. You are certainly more free to move around the country than anyone on Southwest Airlines, too, and in much greater comfort!

[Cruiser]

Parker,

You are aware of the insulator cracking problem with Fine Wires?

And the detonation problems these caused on Cirrus engines?

Seems the onset can be remarkably fast and damage is done in minutes. Watch that engine monitor closely.

TomK

[DaV8or]

Quote: KSMooniac

Byron didn't have cylinder problems, he had a cam problem.  That was most likely due to the previous owner not flying the plane in the years before they purchased it.  Cam =/= cylinder issue.  Running ROP or LOP has nothing to do with cam failure.  

Far and away the largest problem we have with cylinders is the valve geometry and assembly.  This problem is especially true with Continental cylinders.

[danb35]

Quote: Cruiser

You are aware of the insulator cracking problem with Fine Wires?

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: Hank

Oh, the joys of being single. Fix up the J; add Aspens; trade the J for a K; do an Encore conversion; repaint . . . Do I remember correctly that you reserved an N-number but are now not painting it on the plane?

 

Kept the same tail number.  One of the stripes goes thru N252BH much better than any other suitable tail number.

Hoping it'll be ready 2nd-3rd week of sept.

[KSMooniac]

Quote: danb35

IIRC, that problem was the Champion fine wires, not the Tempest (nee Autolite).

[danb35]

Quote: KSMooniac

Why do you say "There certainly have been failures of cylinders running LOP?"  That is an assertion I sure wouldn't make.

[jwilkins]

Quote: allsmiles

In the Sept 2012 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine, Bill Cox has written about engine reliability. He alludes to overleaning as potential example of pilot induced engine failure. 

What is he referring to when he says overleaning, can someone please explain?

[jetdriven]

Quote: DaV8or

I could be wrong and I'm too lazy to look it up, but IIRC, Byron tore the engine down due to a cam problem, but once apart he discovered a cracked cylinder/s.

[Piloto]

I think running 20F LOP will not cause any damage as long all the CHTs are below 380F, all EGTs are below peak and the engine is running smooth. Running LOP will substantially reduce carbon deposits in the cylinders, plugs, exhaust and on the belly. But not all the engines can run evenly or smoothly at LOP. An LOP setting that runs smoothly on one engine may not be applicable to another engine of the same type. Each engine is different.

José

 

[jetdriven]

above 7K or so (below 75% power you can run AT peak), with Lycoming's blessing.  In fact, around 10K or above the airplane may be more efficient, as the .2 GPH extra to run at peak is needed to avoid losing the 3-5 KTAS at that altitude.

[fantom]

Quote: Parker_Woodruff

[Dale]

Quote: jwilkins

Many years aago with my M20C I was on a XC flight from NY to CA. We took off from a high altitude and hot airport after a fuel stop. I leaned the engine on the ground to keep it running smoothly. Contributed by a few distractions including a plane on approach with no radio calls, I forgot to put the mixture rich on take off until I actually smelled the overheating.

I burned up one exhaust valve. This is one example of pilot induced failure. It was not a total engine failure but if I had not noiced the hot smell and continued the climb with it leaned out it would have progressed beyond one burnt valve. Subsequently I learned to lean so agressively on the ground that the engine will not allow take off until you enrichen the mixture, just as a backup to the checklist, of course.

Whether you choose to ROP or LOP if done improperly with insufficient engine monitoring equipment, you can do the same, although probably not as quickly!

I don't think the reference was intended to be specific to pilots who study their choice of technique and apply careful management practices to the process. It was probably a reference to idiots like me who do stupid things.