Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 06:47 AM - Re: Engine upgrade (flyv35b)
2. 01:38 PM - Re: Engine upgrade (BobsV35B@aol.com)
3. 09:09 PM - Uplock Cable (Walt Cannon)
4. 09:31 PM - Engine Failure in Flight (Gary Strong)
5. 10:27 PM - Re: Uplock Cable (Ron Davis)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: Engine upgrade |
--> Beech-List message posted by: "flyv35b" <flyv35b@ashcreekwireless.com>
> Some of the early 550s were plagued with cooling problems. That was
> partially due to the poor baffling that Beech was using at the time and
> partially due to the takeoff fuel flows being used.
>
> Beech has upgraded their baffling and the major after market
> converters have designed vastly improved cooling devices.
> Continental has upped the recommended fuel flow to provide better
> cooling. Now if we could just get a few of the more recalcitrant
> mechanics to up the fuel flows to what the eigne really needs, the
> cooling problem should be far behind us. I currently have almost
> fourteen hundred hours on a set of factory cylinders. They may
> make it to TBO and they may not, but fourteen hundred hours isn't
> bad by today's standards. It isn't the size of the engine, it is a
> problem of when it was built. The low quality at Continental affected
> the 470s, 520s and 550s equally. Mine were built in 1998. Not a
> good time for a Continental factory cylinder.
>
> Pre 1990 engines of all models regularly made TBO.
I just removed a IO-520 from my Bonanza that was built in the 80's at 2350
hrs. It had 3 original cylinders and compression still at 75/80 and about 6
hr/qt. oil consumption. What a great engine and probably the best I have
ever owned in nearly 40 years of flying. I agree with Bob about the fuel
flow and feel the IO-520 should have about 25 gph flow at seal level takeoff
for proper cooling, which is more than the upper limit specified by
Continental. I would love to have an IO-550 engine but since I had bought a
late model IO-520 core with VAR shaft and 7 stud case and was able to
overhaul it for $10,000 in parts (my own labor) I had to go that route for
now.
Cliff A&P/IA
----- Original Message -----
From: <BobsV35B@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Beech-List: Engine upgrade
> --> Beech-List message posted by: BobsV35B@aol.com
>
> In a message dated 5/1/04 3:43:57 PM Central Daylight Time,
mdella@cstone.com
> writes:
> Anyone have any thoughts on the reliability of the new 520/550 versus
> the 470? The 470 seems rock-solid to me.
>
>
> Good Afternoon Once Again to the Armstrongs,
>
> I am afraid I neglected to discuss reliability.
>
> I have no authoritative figures, but I'll bet you will find that the 520
> and 550 are at least as reliable as are the 470s. For what it is worth,
> when the 470s first came on the scene, they were considered to be
> a terrible engine. It took a few years to work out the bugs. The same
> was true when the 520 was introduced. The 550 has had no specific
> problems that are not also endemic to the other engines. The factory
> has had some early failures due to quality control problems, but those
> quality control problems affect the 470s and 520s just as badly as
> they do the 550s. Obviously, Continental wants to put out good
> reliable engines just as bad as we want them to. I don't believe you
> will find any significant difference in the failure rates of all three
> engines.
>
> Some of the early 550s were plagued with cooling problems. That was
> partially due to the poor baffling that Beech was using at the time and
> partially due to the takeoff fuel flows being used.
>
> Beech has upgraded their baffling and the major after market
> converters have designed vastly improved cooling devices.
> Continental has upped the recommended fuel flow to provide better
> cooling. Now if we could just get a few of the more recalcitrant
> mechanics to up the fuel flows to what the eigne really needs, the
> cooling problem should be far behind us. I currently have almost
> fourteen hundred hours on a set of factory cylinders. They may
> make it to TBO and they may not, but fourteen hundred hours isn't
> bad by today's standards. It isn't the size of the engine, it is a
> problem of when it was built. The low quality at Continental affected
> the 470s, 520s and 550s equally. Mine were built in 1998. Not a
> good time for a Continental factory cylinder.
>
> Pre 1990 engines of all models regularly made TBO.
>
> Happy Skies,
>
> Old Bob
> AKA
> Bob Siegfried
> Ancient Aviator
> Stearman N3977A
> Brookeridge Airpark LL22
> Downers Grove, IL 60516
> 630 985-8502
>
>
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Engine upgrade |
--> Beech-List message posted by: BobsV35B@aol.com
In a message dated 5/2/04 8:51:55 AM Central Daylight Time,
flyv35b@ashcreekwireless.com writes:
I agree with Bob about the fuel
flow and feel the IO-520 should have about 25 gph flow at seal level takeoff
for proper cooling, which is more than the upper limit specified by
Continental.
Good Evening Cliff,
That is good, but I have been using 26.5 to 27 GPH for a standard conditions
sea level number for the IO-520. That may be a little overkill, but it is a
lot easier to lean it a bit than it is to richen it during the takeoff
procedure. All a little extra fuel will do is drop the power output a little bit.
Too lean and you could burn up a cylinder.
I'm with you. Keep it on the rich side for takeoff, install GAMIs, and run
it lean or rich as long as you know when to do which!
Happy Skies,
Old Bob
AKA
Bob Siegfried
Ancient Aviator
Stearman N3977A
Brookeridge Airpark LL22
Downers Grove, IL 60516
630 985-8502
Message 3
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--> Beech-List message posted by: "Walt Cannon" <grnlake@earthlink.net>
Old Beech Experts......
My sweet old E-35 made it through the annual inspection with only one gig.
During the gear retraction test, I noticed that the tiny little gear uplock
cable was frayed and some of the strands were broken where it is swaged to
the terminal fitting under the front seat. This is the cable that goes out
to the uplock and pulls the block down behind the uplock roller. While
pondering my "go forward plan" a couple of thoughts occurred to me:
1) Is the failure mode for this cable that you just lose your uplock? The
spring on the uplock bracket is what retracts the uplock block, so if the
cable broke it would just stay away from the roller and the gear would only
be held up by the actuation rod? I think I read where this was the original
design, but the gear popped out partly during some initial dive testing and
caused a fatal accident.
2) Any recommendations as to where might be the most affordable part for
this cable? I looked it up in the parts catalog and it looks like it is an
assembly of the cable, the cable housing, and two swaged fittings. Anybody
know what it may cost me?
3) I have read the shop manual about rigging the gear and the cable is
mentioned. Anyone have any special pointers about how to do this. How much
of the other gear rigging is likely to be affected when I change it out.
Does anyone know of a good ABS back issue about gear rigging?
4) I think we should add this to our annual checklists. I bet these could be
the original...I noticed as the gear retracts, it puts a loop of slack into
these cables resulting in a bend right where it goes into the swaged end
fitting.
Regards,
Walt Cannon
N7386B - Seattle
Message 4
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| Subject: | Engine Failure in Flight |
--> Beech-List message posted by: "Gary Strong" <gjstrong@comcast.net>
Saturday was not a good day. While flying enroute from Minneapolis to
Kansas City, one of my cylinders (the cylinder closest to the pilot - is
that #2?) decided to depart the aircraft. Obviously a dead stick
landing was in order, but thankfully I was able to land it on a rural 2
lane road without incident. The cylinder is completely off of the
engine, and came flying out by breaking the hinges on the cowl and then
hitting the wing (putting 2 serious dents/holes by the fuel filler).
I contacted the insurance agent and he arranged for White Industries out
of Kansas City to retrieve the plane. They'll have to remove the wings
I suspect and flat trailer it to Kansas City. He suggested the plane be
hauled to Executive Beachcraft in Kansas City. Worst part is Executive
said it usually takes continental about 8 weeks to ship an engine and
another month or so to put it in. Basically summer flying in Minnesota
is out!
Engine was a Continental rebuild installed in 1995 with about 850 hrs on
it.
Has anyone had this happen to them? Any idea why? Engine has not had
any trouble, oil changes regularly with no metal in filter, and aircraft
is flown almost weekly.
What happens now? Will the insurance company (USAIG) pay to install a
new rebuilt engine or will I need to cough up the 850 hrs use in dollars
($15k) and they'll only cover the number of hours left until tbo?
Also, since the core is scrapped, what about putting in an io-550? Any
recommendations on an STC holder I should look for? I assume I'll have
to have a shop in Kansas City put in the engine if I go to a IO-550 so
it would need to be an STC that can be put in by someone else.
Thanks for all the help!!
Gary S.
N77QQ - currently grounded!
Message 5
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| Subject: | Re: Uplock Cable |
--> Beech-List message posted by: Ron Davis <radavis2522@netzero.net>
Walt,
About a year or so ago on the "other" Bonanza owner's email list was a story
about the uplock rollers, and how to adjust them. Here's a site that shows
how they work:
http://www.elelink.org/rollerdance.html
There's also an article in ABS Magazine about it, too. Someone else will
have to tell you the issue, but it is in the past couple of years.
They *are* important, because if they break, then there's nothing to pull
the uplock bracket out of the way. If that happens, the main gear isn't
coming down for love or money.
Actually it is part of the annual inspection, as part of an AD where we
periodically inspect the little buggers every 100 hrs. Can't remember which
one at the moment, though.
For a replacement source, try:
Arrell Aircraft
701 Del Norte Blvd., Suite 220
Oxnard, CA 93030
805-604-0439
805-604-0429 (fax)
Rick Leatherwood: <BeechedOut@aol.com>
He had the nose gear assist retract cable in stock when I needed it, so he
probably has the uplock cable in stock, too.
Ron
Fellow E35 owner N3218C
Newport Beach, Calif.
Walt Cannon wrote:
> --> Beech-List message posted by: "Walt Cannon" <grnlake@earthlink.net>
>
> Old Beech Experts......
>
> My sweet old E-35 made it through the annual inspection with only one gig.
> During the gear retraction test, I noticed that the tiny little gear uplock
> cable was frayed and some of the strands were broken where it is swaged to
> the terminal fitting under the front seat. This is the cable that goes out
> to the uplock and pulls the block down behind the uplock roller. While
> pondering my "go forward plan" a couple of thoughts occurred to me:
>
> 1) Is the failure mode for this cable that you just lose your uplock? The
> spring on the uplock bracket is what retracts the uplock block, so if the
> cable broke it would just stay away from the roller and the gear would only
> be held up by the actuation rod? I think I read where this was the original
> design, but the gear popped out partly during some initial dive testing and
> caused a fatal accident.
>
> 2) Any recommendations as to where might be the most affordable part for
> this cable? I looked it up in the parts catalog and it looks like it is an
> assembly of the cable, the cable housing, and two swaged fittings. Anybody
> know what it may cost me?
>
> 3) I have read the shop manual about rigging the gear and the cable is
> mentioned. Anyone have any special pointers about how to do this. How much
> of the other gear rigging is likely to be affected when I change it out.
> Does anyone know of a good ABS back issue about gear rigging?
>
> 4) I think we should add this to our annual checklists. I bet these could be
> the original...I noticed as the gear retracts, it puts a loop of slack into
> these cables resulting in a bend right where it goes into the swaged end
> fitting.
>
> Regards,
>
> Walt Cannon
> N7386B - Seattle
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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