Hello All,

I may be in the market for a c170 in the near future. There is an aircraft for sale that has been sitting for about 2 years without being flown; the owner bought a c180. The aircraft and engine had been well taken care of prior to. The engine has been "run up" ocasionally. What are the issues that i may run into with this type of situation with engine corrosion, etc. The aircraft has been stored inside in a heated hangar. Thanks.

macdon221

were is it? if its in manitoba it should be fine, aslong as they are not near the ocean or a great lake they keep very well.

As ccurrie states, as long as it was taken care of and away from the ocean it should be alright. Several years ago I put my 172 with an O-300 into storage in AZ. We were supposed to be overseas for a short time. (US Army) Well, we ended up being in Okinawa for 5 years then getting sent to Germany. Nearly 8 years before I got to fly it. Other than a flat tire and bad battery there was no problems with it at all.
Keith

I tried to post yesterday but for whatever reason it didn't go up. So hopefully this isn't a duplicate but in my opinion a person that has a 180 and is keeping the 170 in a heated hangar likely has the means to keep that 170 well maintained. I think if I was actually in the market for a 170 and had one sitting right handy... I'd be all over it. Let us know what you decide. And of course do a pre-purchase.

Check the engine real closely. Ground running for a few minutes will tend to deposit combustion byproducts in the oil, one of which is water. If the engine
isn't allowed to properly reach its normal operating temperature long enough to burn off the impurities, they'll hang around and eat away at the engine.

That's not even going into the fuel system and all your seals, rubber, etc.

Not to say it isn't a good airplane at a good price, just make sure your offer reflects all the stuff you may have to do to get it airworthy.

Interesting talk over in the "Best Camshaft" thread about Lycoming camshafts being situated above the crank, and thereby more subject to corrosion and less static oil coverage.

How does the C145 compare by design? I had no idea the shaft situation was so different between the manufacturers.

Ya Zane the c-145 cam is on the bottom of the crank and they do eat cams much less. If you dont know about any particular engine all you have to do is look were the pushrod tubes are if they are on top so is the cam the pushrods point straight at the cam.

Nevertheless, ANY engine that sits for a long period of time is going to corrode unless it's pickled properly.

If you're going to park it for a while, pickle it--it's not that big a deal.

MTV

mtv wrote:If you're going to park it for a while, pickle it--it's not that big a deal.

How long are we talking here? I sometimes go 1.5-2 months without flying the beast during the winter.

I am not a mechanic, but have seen two friends, one with a 170 and the other a 172, both with 0300's, have to replace their oil pan/containers. Both were pitted with corrosion and they were expensive and hard to find.

Zane,

Most engine experts tell you to fly it every week or two at the least. If I were going to park it without flying at all for a month, I'd pickle it.

Note that if you use pickling oil, you are permitted to fly the airplane for short periods with pickling oil installed, OR CamGuard claims to be an approved pickling oil, if you increase the percentage in teh case.

Remember, the Camshaft isn't the only steel in that engine, cylinder bores are going to start to pit, other rotating assemblies are going to pit, and this stuff is really hard to see.

And, you may fly it for a couple hundred hours before it manifests itself in the form of metal.

A local fellow here just had this show up on his Lycoming and he's been running it regularly for the last 2 years...but back then it sat for over a year of non use, while the plane was being worked on.


MTV

patrol guy wrote:....... 0300's, have to replace their oil pan/containers. Both were pitted with corrosion and they were expensive and hard to find.

They tend to corrode in front of the intake passage, apparently moisture or whatever collects there as it is blocked from flowing back to the drain. There is an approved fix for this problem using epoxy, but I think it is for a pitted-only condition-- if it rots all the way through, it's too late. I've heard of welding in a patch, but I guess that it's hard to weld the sump cuz 1) it's magnesium and 2) it's oil saturated which contaminates the weld.

Eric