Service difficulty report · Pushrod · Cessna 320A

Difficulty date
August 12, 2004
Submitted
February 3, 2005
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Cessna 320A
Aircraft time
3,598 hours
Engine
Cont TSIO470B
Propeller
Hartzl HCA2VF2
Part
Pushrod
Part number
6524518
Condition
Broken
Location
Rt Engine
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
K, E
Precautionary procedure
E, D

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

What was found

(CAN) PILOT PARKED THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE OF OIL LEAKING AND RT ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH. THE RT ENGINE NR4 CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BROKEN INTAKE PUSHROD, BROKEN EXHAUST PUSHROD AND BROKEN PUSHROD TUBE THAT CAUSED OIL TO LEAK FROM ENGINE. IT WAS FOUND THAT BOTH PUSHROAD TUBES WERE SLIGHTLY DENTED CAUSING THE PUSHRODS TO RUB AND OVER TIME WEAKEN AND BREAK. WHEN THE PUSHRODS BROKE THEY PUNCHED HO LES INTO THE PUSHROD TUBES AND OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE.THE ENGINES ARE INSTALLED VERY CLOSE TO BOTTOM COWLINGS, BOTTOM COWLINGS ARE NOTREMOVABLE MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH HAND TOOLS.

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