Service difficulty report · Spark Plug · Lancar LC42550FG

Difficulty date
September 7, 2012
Submitted
September 14, 2012
Operation
General aviation
Aircraft
N915KB
Make and model
Lancar LC42550FG
Aircraft serial
421012
Aircraft time
1,707 hours
Engine
Cont IO550N
Engine time
126 hours
Part
Spark Plug
Part number
RHB32S
Condition
Cracked
Location
Engine
Part time
126 hours
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
V
Nature of condition
E
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, HE FELT AN OCCASSIONL VIBRATION AND SURGE IN POWER. PILOT ALSO NOTICED THAT HIS NR 3 CYLINDER EGT WOULD FLUCTUATE ABOUT 20 DEGREES AND ENGINE RPM WOULD FLUCTUATE BY APPROXIMATELY 30 RPM. CHANGES IN FUEL MIXTURE, PROP CONTROL, OR POWER SETTINGS DID NOT AFFECT THE CONDITION. PILOT LANDED ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION OF ENGINE, 3 OF THE 12 RHB32S WERE FOUND TO HAVE CRACKED INSULATORS. WE HAVE SEEN THESE PN SPARK PLUGS CRACKED QUITE FREQUENTLY. ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED WITH MASSIVE ELECTRODE SPARK PLUGS IAW SIL03-2B. ENGINE OPERATION POST SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT WAS NORMAL.