Lycoming O-320 Question
 

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Yes, but it would be comforting to also know that it is not making metal. Lycomings that have sat for long periods sometimes develop cam lobe wear issues due to corrosion. Of course re-sale value drops considerably once an engine nears or goes past TBO.

What Tim said.

I have two O320 engines disassembled in my shop at the moment. One near TBO, one with only 713 hrs. Both have cam lobe wear that is beyond limits.

Oil analysis is, IMO, a must do on aircraft engines for this reason.
I use Blackstone Labs.

An airplane engine powers the propeller which is a big fan that keeps the pilot cool. When the fan turns off, watch how the pilot sweats.

I wouldn't fly in an airplane with a motor that had gone past TBO.

Past TBO
 

Do oil analysis every oil change. That can help you spot trends developing.

If my memory serves, if you are flying Part 91 there is no requirement to pull the engine at TBO. OTOH, it has been years since I had to know these things so my advice may be worthless!

I like your humor:D:D.Good advice.
This is the coolest thread. I am a big fan of the big fan that keeps u cool especially the one driven by an engine that has lots of hours before TBO. Is there any other way? Done any deadstick landings lately folks?

I finally convinced one of my customers (a four owner private flying club) to get their Continental O-300 in their C172 overhauled. It was a few hundred past TBO. Over the past 5 years or so, I pulled several of the cylinders during annual inspections for repairs due to low compression. It is legal to just keep fixing it, but I personally get nervous knowing the engine and most of it's components, accesories, hoses etc are getting tired. While I personally do not like flying SEL at night, over heavily wooded terrain or over water, I especially do not like flying a high time engine in these conditions.

I have had two actual "engine outs" in my ultralight.... luckily both happened within gliding distance of a suitable place to land.
Definitely gets the adrenaline going!

Crash behind the fence - A&P error.

Crash over the fence- Pilot error.

ETOPS= Engines Turn Or People Swim.

First and only was in 2000.
I didn't really care for it.

I am sure you can run that engine beyond TBO as long as the oil analysis comes back good and you are getting good "numbers" at annual. But..... The longer you fly it, the more out of spec the internals become and the more expensive an overhaul becomes. Plus you run the risk of engine failure - something I have been fortunate not to have experienced.

I knew a pilot that I flew T6's with who flew his R1340 to something like 2200 hrs. Recommended TBO is 1200 and one could safely go to 1500 with good numbers and still probably have the internals be within spec. Heck, I heard stories about duster companies who would run those engines to 2400 hours. They would basically pull them as junk once they quit because everything would be out of spec and you would essentially be building a new engine.

I echo the above. If the specs are good and oil sample comes back ok, then would not have any problem flying it further.

That said you will prolly be replacing cam, lifters and other stuff anyways at OH time. Would not go more than say 500 hours past recommended overhaul time but then thats me.

One thing that I will add is that TBO is just a number.
There is no magical device that makes the engine stop at TBO, nor is there any guarantee that it will make it to TBO.

Just like some Porsche engines die early from bearing or seal failures, it is possible for any engine, including an airplane engine, to fail. And there will always be stories of that special engine that just refuses to quit.

"Just wipe her down & go fly" Columbus took a chance ..and look at all the water he crossed.

While we are talking about engine failure, I used to be a flt. engineer on a PBY5A Canso flying out of Winnipeg , Manitoba. We used to fly groceries and provisions to a commercial fish camp 300 miles north of Winnipeg to a place called Island Lake. Southbound with a load of frozen fish at about 4000 feet, one engine started misfiring. The captain turned the a/c around and he said to remove the front hatch and be prepared to start throwing out the frozen fish. We landed uneventfully on the water and taxiied to the dock. In those days engines had to be overhauled after so many hours and no extensions allowed. The radial engine had a concentric crack around the crankcase hence the misfiring. One plug was loose in its cylinder. Meanwhile a new engine was flown and barged in and two weeks later we flew south. I still remember the noise of those engines and the noise one makes when it is not running right.:eek:

Depends on the last overhaul or zero hour engine condition. If this was a new zero time engine and compression and oil look good, TBO can be flown well pass. If the last reman. or build was to service limits , then TBO regardless of compression and oil might be pushing it.


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135(commerical) ops w/o waivers must conform to TBO.