OK, I'm gonna show my total and complete ignorance, but, what is the "rope trick"? I may need it someday....
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OK, I'm gonna show my total and complete ignorance, but, what is the "rope trick"? I may need it someday....
It's a method of cleaning up valve stems/guides to reduce stickyness without removing the cylinder. Although it sounds like an improvised procedure, Lycoming has a service instuction (#1425) that describes how to perfrom the process.
Remove the upper spark plug. Rotate prop so piston is towards the bottom of the cylinder. Feed in lots of rope into the spark plug hole, once you have OVER 10' of rope in there rotate the prop so the piston is compressing against the rope. You will feel the piston against the rope as you move the prop back, but that rope is now pressing against the bottom of the valve holding it in place. Tie a knot in the other end, so a helper does push all the rope into the hole! (yes, it happened).
Another method, put the piston at bottom dead center (BDC) center and use an air compressor to pressurize the cylinder. If the piston is at TDC the prop will swing with extreme force (enough to kill you!), hence the rope trick is safer to work around.
Compress the spring, and give a good tab to the valve spring hat, and with luck the valve retainers will pop out. Caution, I pack some red shop towels around the valve retainers - often they are stuck, and will fly off to parts unknown when you pop them out. Use caution so you do not loose them.
EDIT:
http://www.lycoming.com/support/publ...fs/SI1425a.pdf
Comment about prop
It might be a good thing I brought the airplane home in pieces. I put one of the wings on my workbench to do some fabric repair and found this on one of the aileron pulleys that was replaced. This is after I saw the same thing on the other wing in the shop and pointed it out. I'm going to look all the work over very carefully.
Attachment 2331
All I can say about that picture of the pulley is A/P? pfffhtt! This was done on the recent 5k annual correct? I'd report the find to the FSDO, not that it would help. All I can say Eric is I feel your pain, and your experience as well as mine and countless others is what I believe is the real problem with declining GA numbers.
Yeah, as they say, it sucks. I pulled two cylinders and the accessory case to verify the oil pump AD. The guy I bought the aircraft from said that the engine was rebuilt and all ADs complied with. Not so. As I mentioned previously, I've rebuilt hundreds if not over 1000 automotive engines and so I know what "rebuilt" (or remanufactured) means. What I found I might call "overhauled." There is a distinction. Well, all I want to do is get this thing legal and safe but I do think I'll report the cotter key. That is potentially life threatening which goes beyond what I am willing to tolerate.
I asked earlier in the thread what was recorded in the records and never got an answer. But I agree, the plane was disasembled and removed from the shop so even if recorded, the shops's work has been superceded. Not much for the FAA to do other than follow up to make sure when the airplane is returned to service, it is done so IAW the regs.