About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and lessons learned from condition-based maintenance in aviation, highlighting specific engine issues and the importance of safety.
Worn intake valves, pitted camshafts, shock cooling, and AD compliance are on the docket. Email podcasts@aopa.org for a chance to get on the show. Join the world's largest aviation community at aopa.org/join Full notes below: Norm wonders whether condition-based maintenance and inspections failed him. He is co-owners in an airplane with a Lycoming IO-360, and after a few years they found a crack in the crankcase. The engine was torn down and found to have some rust on the cylinder walls, scoring on the crankshaft, and a worn and pitted lifter. They had been borescoping, doing oil analysis, looking at the filter, and never found any concerns. The hosts say the approach worked perfectly. The point of condition-based maintenance is to fix safety related problems, and they argue that all Norm's issues were financial issues. Mike argues that the lifter wear could have been found with by measuring the valve opening, but that it wouldn't have necessarily resulted in a teardown. The oil analysis wouldn't have found anything because the metal chunks were too large, and although a magnet over the filter material may have helped, he's not sure that would have resulted in a teardown either…
People in this episode
Host: Mike
Topics covered
- condition-based maintenance
- aviation safety
- engine inspection
- aircraft maintenance
- financial issues
Keywords
- intake valves
- camshafts
- AD compliance
- oil analysis
- engine teardown
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AOPA
Products: Lycoming IO-360, IO-540
More episodes of Ask the A&Ps
- "TBO is not a reason to do anything to an engine" · May 15, 2026 · 58 min
- "If you lose a cylinder in your Cessna 150 you are down on a road somewhere" · May 1, 2026 · 51 min
- "Am I doing anything evil?" · April 15, 2026 · 57 min
- "That installation is fraught with peril" · April 1, 2026 · 54 min
- "I'm an old mechanic and really like the idea of priming and painting" · March 15, 2026 · 49 min
- "That's an oft-reported myth" · March 1, 2026 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ask the A&Ps podcast page.