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Dropping the ECI jugs for..................educate me please

R

riobison

Well Known Member
Bought a new to me RV9A with 500 hrs on it and the engine an O320. Unfortunately it has the ECI cylinders that fall into the AD range to replace them. I was aware of this so it was part of the deal.

It appears that Lycoming and Superior are now the 2 main players. What are my options? Steel, Chrome, Cermi Chrome, Nitride??????????

Is steel only for new and the rest are coatings for overhauled jugs?

I'm the typical pilot in western Canada in Alberta that fly's 30 to 50 hrs a yr.

I've had chrome before in another plane and it went through a lot of oil like 5 hrs+- a qt so not really wanting to repeat that again. I guess there wouldn't be any corrosion on the cylinders to worry about.

Just trying to understand exactly what options are truly available.

I'm thinking as well to bump up the CR to 9 to 1 while its apart.

Thanks

Tim
 
Also Continental cylinders.

I had ECI cylinders with 9:1 pistons and replaced them at 1200 hrs (group A nickel carbide cylinders with delaminating compression rings) with standard Lycoming 8.5:1 cylinders/pistons and cannot discern any loss of power and can now use mogas.
Fin. 9A
 
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I had great hopes for nickel carbide cylinders; they did not live up to the hype.
They never got to better than 8 to 10 hours per quart oil consumption. When the time comes I will replace with nitride or plain steel on my PV IO-360.

I agree: I have flown a few hours in a nearly identical RV7 that has 9:1 CR and could not tell any difference in performance to my 8.5:1 CR.
I run 90+ octane MoGas 90% of the time.
 
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Unless things have changed drastically in the last couple of months, you’re big problem is going to be finding new cylinders at all - Lycoming was making barely enough to supply their own engine building, and Superior was the only place to buy replacements - and they were struggling to keep up.

Basic answer to your question though is that steel or nitrided barrels break in well, have good oil consumption when they do, and so long as you fly regularly, will last to TBO. I did the Cerminil thing twenty years ago, and struggled with the high oil consumption for years. I used Chromed overhauled jugs before that and was never happy. My number one choice these days are nitrided barrels - put them in, break them in, and fly them.

Paul
 
It was about a 6 month wait for my new Superior IO-320 cylinders when I decided to bite the bullet and replace my never flown ECI's.. That was almost a year ago now so get your order in ASAP. I ordered mine from AirPower.
 
Another option

There are used cylinders out there that are in great condition and you could get them in days rather than months. Check out places like Shiloh Aviation in New Mexico. You could be flying, not waiting.
 
used jugs

I've thought of used cylinders but hate to put something of unknown history onto basically a new 500 hr airframe and bottom end.

I know up here in Canada the used jugs are hard to find and are bringing almost new prices if they can be found.

yes, Im probably not in a great position.

I just look at Shiloh and after the conversion of the US green back to the cdn peso thats getting into new prices without even considering the shipping. Wow
 
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