time to overhaul the O-360?

[Jon Hankins]

Hello all,

it is annual time again for the 59 180 comanche, and this year I was planning on replacing the original exhaust and getting the dual exhaust from APP. I've got that ordered now just waiting on the exhaust to show up. I also was going to pull #3 cylinder due to high EGT and CHT. Well I pulled the cylinder found a broke ring but also found that I have incorrect connecting rod bolts installed on #3 rod. pulled the #1 cylinder and verified that the wrong ones are installed on all connection rods. so now comes the decision to either fix the rod bolts and do a top overhaul on all cylinders or just bite the bullet and go for the major overhaul.
Engine has 1250 SMOH from 1993, If I just do the repair will cost between 3-4K.
of course the overhaul will be between 15-20K. I wasnt ready to do the overhaul just yet, as I was going to replace the old hartzell steel hub prop during that time.
so now I have the big decision.

I also had acquired the LASAR ignition system a few years ago just waiting on an excuse to install it. should I install the LASAR system or just go with the conventional mags, or go with the new electro air system?

any advise would be appreciatied

Thanks
Jon Hankins

[N3322G]

Jon,

Wrote this awhile ago but might help some http://www.comancheflyer.com/NS/tech_articles.php See the bottom of the engine list. Lycoming has a 2000 TBO in general but they also have a ten year TBO. In Canada I think its a requirement for every 10 years.

Sounds like you do your own work - I'd go with ElectroAir over LASAR based on company viability. I see the ElectroAir as more cumbersome than regular mags so I have stayed with regular mags. JMO.

[MULEFLY]

Joe... Lasar was at it's "peak" produced in Rockford, IL by Unison... the owners got tired of the winters and relocated to FL... and the manufacturing (and distribution) kind of went to hell. Since then I think that the company has been sold at least 2 times and all of the brains (read folks that gave excellent tech support) behind the Lasar have long been gone.

I put the Electroaire in my twinco... completed last November and I haven't got a lot of time on them yet. As one of the first installs there were some bugs... (harnesses weren't long enough, where to mount the brain box, discovered that they had a bad spark plug, etc.)... but I'm sure that Heritage would install the next one in about 1/2 the time that it took to install mine. Zeke who posts over on Delphi did the initial install on a twinco at Electroaire... he loves it, has a flight school and is installing them on every airplane in his fleet. I believe that Electroaire now has approval to put a 6 cylinder version on the IO540... but I could be wrong on that. They definitely are "in" the business and provide excellent technical support.

My mags were at 500 hours -- it was time for them to be serviced ... so I rationalized that at least I wouldn't be overhauling 2 mags...

All the best!
Jim