Connecting rod bolts

[LBPilot82]

Well, trying to get through the annual and get my ship back in the air and found #5 cylinder at about 60psi. Normaly I wouldn't have, but my IA wanted to pull the connecting rod to "take a peek" at the bearing after removing the cylinder. After reading a few posts, I think this may have been a mistake . Well, now I can't find replacement connecting rod bolts (p/n 530213). Looked at ECI, Superior, Preferred airparts, Teledyne.......nothing. Any ideas on where to get some?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Interesting. You know until Continental came out with their SB, in the 80's I think, with the list of things they say should be replaced at overhaul, these bolts were just inspected and reused. In fact that is exactly what their latest overhaul manual still says.

These are not one time high tech stretch bolts commonly found today. You are not overhauling your engine. Do what makes you, or more likely your IA, feel good.

[N171TD]

I agree with Bruce but if you need new bolts, Fresno Airparts has them listed in TAP and their phone 559 237 4863.

[jrenwick]

The Fresno Airparts ad in Trade-a-Plane lists them for $191.50 for a set of 12: http://www.trade-a-plane.com/displaypdf ... 0000663775

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Hill Aircraft (CessnaParts.com) has them. The part is superceded by part 655959. $25.98 a bolt.

So LB what was your IA looking for with the "look see" and what did he find?

We had a thread about this exact subject a while back I think because I suggested a "look see" to someone. Not something I would do just because but something I might do depending on circumstances. I recall I was in a very small camp with that opinion for a number of reasons.

To be honest I probably wouldn't have pulled the cylinder leading to the availablity of the connecting rod but I'm just arm chair quarterbacking here.

[53B]

Hi,

The 655959 bolt is not interchangeable with the 530213 bolt according to TCM service bulletin SB00-3A.

If you have the old part number rod (530184 identified by forging number 530186), you need to use bolt part number 530213 with p/n 24804 or p/n 626140 nut and 639292 cotter pin.

The 655959 bolt uses a spiro-lock nut without a cotter pin for the later part number rods.

Aircraft Specialties of Tulsa, OK ( 918-836-6872) shows 116 of the ECI equivalent in stock. AEC530213
(I bought mine back in March with a list price of $14.56 ea.)


I hope this helps!

[LBPilot82]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll call Fresno air parts. I've dealt with them before and am happy with their service. I agree that these aren't the stretch bolt that Lycoming likes but since I'm in there and have it apart...... Yah, after pulling the cylinder and rod out as requested by my IA, I came home and looked at some threads on the subject. Not far into it, the palm hit the forehead. Kind of regret pulling the rod now. If anything were wrong with the bearings, it would have shown in the oil analysis and they have been coming back clean as a whistle. So, we took our look see and found exactly what I had originally expected....yep looks great to me!! Now I've got to reseat a single bearing when it would have been much better to leave it alone but unfortunately, my signature isn't on the books to sign her off. I have a hard enough time telling myself that it's ok to R&R one or two jugs at a time let alone changing just one rod bearing. Doesn't feel right to me. I'm no A&P or IA but have lots of experience in automotive and this isn't something I would do on my car. By the way, I ordered a new steel cyclinder kit from ECI, mostly since that is what two cyclinders on the plane have already been replaced with. My old core isn't worth anything to them as they have upgraded to the Titan cylinders. According to their website, they have done quite a bit to help alleviate problems at the exhaust valve. Anyone used these yet? Good, bad, ugly? Thanks again.

[GAHorn]

Here's a link to one of those previous discussions regarding this subject:
http://www.cessna170.org/forums/viewtop ... ngs#p54384