electricsnail wrote:.. Now the hard part opening up the wallet to buy a new one ( Zane we need a throwing up smiley to express that feeling) Mike

Ya mean like this

BTW Sure glad that big old piece of steel didn't become "two" pieces while you were over some of that hostile terrain!

Now since you will have the O-Hauled PP - - when is the tailwheel mod going to happen? Gets the prop further off the ground ! ! !

I sure wish an engine shop would weigh in on this discussion. TCM cranks are nitrated and extremely hard. A prop strike can crack the crank in a heart beat. Lycoming cranks are not so they can stand a lot of abuse before failing. This is the reason Continental and Lycoming engines have quite different prop strike requirements. Follow mfg recommendations.

I had a prop strike in my Cessna 182 with the O470 Cont. engine. My mechanic told me that we had to tear the engine down and magniflux all of the steel parts. We found a cracked crank. He said that if we didn't do it and I had a problem that was related to the prob strike, my insurance wouldn't cover it. So we tore it down and did it right. I had about 850 hours on the MOH at that time. Maybe Lycoming is different that Cont. Service bulletins. That I don't know.

Bob

Electricsnail,

Good for you!! Sometimes it's hard to follow your gut. Asking questions and researching these things helps to find the "right" answer. I'm glad you found out about that crack the (relatively) easy way.

Having had a crankshaft fail over less than favorable terrain, I can tell you that it gets even more expensive there, even if YOU don't get hurt.

MTV

Well I have some more updates......

I turns out that in addition my prop governor was toast.....engine was making metal and the housing got chewed it up.......the cam failed and was pretty worn on the bearing surfaces (I'm sure nothing to do w/ prop strike just lycomings crappy ovearhead cam design). Other than that it came back clean.

Last week I finally ordered the new crankshaft......went with a brand new Superior one. Also getting a brand new prop governor from PCU. Brand new cylinders from ECI. When all done it should will really be a brand new engine....unfortunately it will only be 0 smoh not new.

I really decided I want an engine I can trust. My stinson stalls at about 45mph (with the new vg's I put on it ) the mooney does not.

Glad I found out the engine was bad at a shop in Tulsa rather than overhead, I am obsessed with engines having had one stop I really just don't trust most of the planes I come across. I also purchased a EI 4 cylinder engine analyzer to go on the plane to further enhance safety. I will have one in every plane i own.

I have been doing the overhaul with my buddy who is an IA he allowed me to take it all apart and I will assist in the rebuild. Overhauling this engine is also serving as one of the big parts of getting my A&P certificate and I think is just good experience in general for a pilot to know what's going on up front. I think I will feel real comfortable flying out there knowing exactly what is in my engine no questionable parts.....

Hopefully I'll have the thing flying mid april.......fingers crossed.

The Lycoming IO 360 has a very strong crank shaft. It doesn't have counter weights to snap around and cause damage. It also has a very thick prop flange (unlike the O-320) and is hard to bend.

Still, I would want to see the prop. Did it come to a complete stop? Just touch something and bend a tip?

It makes a difference.

Still there is no substitute for safety and the only safe way is to tear it down and look. Have the crank NDI'ed and reassembled. If it is low time don't do the O/H.

I always have trouble giving advice in such situations because I am a A&P and IA and do my own work. I would not hesitate for myself to tear it down.

Actually, I believe that the angle valve IO-360, which is the most common of the IO 360's, DOES have crank balancers??

The O-360 are the ones without crank balancers.

Nevertheless, I'm with you....I'd trust a good mechanic to tear it down and go through it, which is what he did. And, found out the bad news.

MTV