Service difficulty report · Piston · Piper PA44180

Difficulty date
May 19, 2004
Submitted
July 22, 2004
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Piper PA44180
Aircraft time
3,449 hours
Engine
Lyc O360A1H
Propeller
Hartzl HCC2YR2
Part
Piston
Part number
75089LW11775
Condition
Broken
Location
Engine
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

(CAN) DURING NR 1 INSP, A SIG AMOUNT OF NON-FERROUS METAL WAS FOUND IN OIL FILTER ELEMENT. OIL SUCTION SCREEN WAS PULLED AND WAS FOUND TO BE FULL OF NON-FERROUS METAL. CYL NR 1 WAS PULLED AND FWD PISTON PIN PLUG WAS FOUND TO BE WORN COMPLETELY ALLOWING PISTON PIN TO MIGRATE FWD TO POINT AFT PISTON PIN PLUG WAS ONLY PART LEFT IN AFT PISTON BOSS BETWEEN CONNECT ROD AND PISTON. AFT PISTON BOSS HAD 1 INCH PIECE BROKEN OUT OF IT. NR 3 CYL WAS REMOVED, WAS FOUND THAT FORWARD PISTON PIN PLUG WAS STARTING TO WEAR ABOUT .0625 OF AN INCH. HEAT AND TIME, ALUMINUM PLUG WORE AGAINST STEEL CYLINDER AND ONCE WEAR STARTED, IT WORE RAPIDLY. NO IND OF OIL PRESS OR POWER LOSS ON PREVIOUS FLIGHT OR DURING RUN UP FOR INSP.

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