Service difficulty report · Exhaust Valve · Cirrus SR20

Difficulty date
November 8, 2011
Submitted
January 19, 2012
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N581PU
Make and model
Cirrus SR20
Aircraft serial
2041
Aircraft time
849 hours
Engine
Cont IO360ES
Engine time
849 hours
Part
Exhaust Valve
Part number
655866
Condition
Binding
Location
Nr 2
Part time
849 hours
Component
Cylinder
Component part number
655479
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
R, E
Precautionary procedure
E

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

DURING A ROUTINE PRE-INSPECTION ENGINE RUN-UP, THE MX TECH DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND WAS UNABLE TO REACH STATIC RPM. THE TECH ALSO NOTED LOW EGT ON CYLINDER NR 2. THE CYLINDER NR 2 EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER COVER AND EXHAUST VALVE SPRING WERE REMOVED, AT WHICH POINT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE NR 2 EXHAUST VALVE WAS SEIZED AND COULD NOT BE MOVED BY HAND. A BORESCOPE INSP WAS PERFORMED ON CYLINDER NR 2 AND NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE EXHAUST VALVE AND PISTON WAS FOUND. AFTER PERFORMING A BORESCOPE INSP ON THE REMAINING CYLINDERS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE EDGE OF THE CYLINDER NR 6 EXHAUST VALVE HAD CONTACTED THE TOP OF THE PISTON, LEAVING A SHALLOW EYEBROW SHAPED MARK. NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE EXHAUST VALVE AND PISTON WAS FOUND ON THE REMAINING CYLINDERS. THE CYLINDER NR 6 EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER COVER AND EXHAUST VALVE SPRING WERE REMOVED AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE NR 6 EXHAUST VALVE WAS BINDING AND COULD NOT BE MOVED FREELY BY HAND. THE EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER COVERS AND EXHAUST VALVE SPRINGS WERE REMOVED FROM THE REMAINING CYLINDERS AND ALL OF THE REMAINING EXHAUST VALVES MOVED FREELY. IAW TECH SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONS, CYLINDER NR 2 (S/N: AC10BA845) AND NR 6 (S/N: AC10BA893) WERE REMOVED AND SENT TO AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. SERVICEABLE REPAIRED REPLACEMENT CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES AND NEW CYLINDER NR 6 PISTON WERE SUBSEQUENTLY INSTALLED.

More about the Cirrus SR20