That’s much more than a “slight disadvantage”, because a non-turbo Lyco does normally make TBO easily, subject to usual stuff like frequent enough usage.
These cylinder barrels have often a big wear step on TDC
What would be the physical explanation for that?
and the major reason I will now rather buy a new engine rather than whatever overhaul is on offer…
Isn’t that basically a verdict on crappy overhaul shops in Europe, some of which don’t do NDT etc properly, or re-use parts which should not be re-used?
I shared the findings (pictures/videos) with Loma Air and asked them about their general experience with the 6 cylinder Continentals in SR20.
Their response is quite interesting.
“With the Continental 6 cylinder engines we have the experience that in most cases the cylinders needs to be replaced between the 700 hours and 1000 hours. We even had customers with only 500 hours. These cylinder barrels have often a big wear step on TDC and the barrels are often close to service limit which makes it impossible to hone them. This of course depends also from how the engine is used and stored and everything”
I agree that disuse is enemy of all engines but it seems like Conti’s have a slight disadvantage compared to Lyco.
My opinion is by no means scientific though but at least from what I experienced.
Thank you. Apparently some Conti cylinders of the SR22 have casting or alloy issues too.
I am not sure I understand, but if the Q is whether the Conti 550 has the same cyls as the Conti 360 then the answer is no (unlike some Lycos 360 vs 540 which do share them, just increasing the number of cyls).
Both Contis have six cyls so 360/6 cyls are smaller and different design vs 550/6 cyls . Also there are different 550 cyl designs (cross flow vs up/downdraft for a start). SR22 are crossflow.
Does anyone know if the SR22 Conti 550 has the same cylinders?
Bathman wrote:
We’re the cylinders continental
they were all factory continental cylinders
We’re the cylinders continental or superior?
The former don’t seem to have a good reputation theses days.
Gals and guys, excuse the short thread drift, thanks.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
it appears that one of the inspected engines failed catastrophically shortly after and killed it’s pilot, most probably because of inadequate re-assembly.
Unless you know more of the accident and circumstances than the investigation board or myself, this is a just blind assumption, or worse utter BS.
The SUST final investigation report, available in Fr or Ge (German report) language states the following: Bei dieser Sonderkontrolle wurden die Zylinder Nr. 2 und Nr. 3 teilweise ausgebaut, um die geforderte boroskopische Untersuchung vorzunehmen. Die entsprechenden Kolben und Pleuel wurden nicht demontiert. Dadurch konnten die auf dem Pleuelfuss Nr. 3 festgestellten Mikrorisse nicht erkannt werden.
Also to be found later in the text: Der Bruch des Pleuels Nr. 3 ist auf Mikroermüdungsrisse zurückzuführen, welche Korrosion und Russablagerungen aufweisen.
In a nutshell for all non-German speaking members, this means that the con-rod failure on #3 cylinder of HB-YEA was due to micro fatigue cracks showing corrosion and soot deposits. Let’s call it fatigue… and the major reason I will now rather buy a new engine rather than whatever overhaul is on offer…
Having suffered almost the same failure on January 3rd of 2008 in my Falco, I know this can and does happen.
Now back to the original thread: Conti engines on SR20 – why the corrosion?
I might overhaul it just to take a look in another 5 years, when I’ll with a bit of luck be retired with time on my hands. 56 years to overhaul seems like a good number to me 
(the engine, not me)
@Peter the engine’s only got about 1150 hrs over 51 years, owned for three decades by a guy who was very busy with his job but who always lived on an airport with his planes etc. in New York, Michigan and Florida, before moving west in 2005.
Silvaire’s engine has probably spent its life in a dry climate and/or been operated regularly. That it has lasted for thousands of hours more than it “should have” is no surprise; crankshafts are known to make 5k-10k hours before they are trashed.
The GA scene in Europe is very different: a lot of the hardware is in an absolutely atrocious condition, and most people accept that as normal. Well, most have no option. And activity is mostly depressed relative to the US.
These three SR20s are likely to have something in common, however.
