Hey DP.... sorry to hear about your engine. I had the same issue (although mine was the cam and lifters coming apart) a couple of years ago and I elected to have my engine rebuilt. Plane was down for several months and it wasn't cheap.

I was just in your neighborhood about ten days ago. My better half and I spent a night at Greg's place and I didn't realize until the next day when we were leaving that that was your plane that I parked next to. If I had known you were only ten million mosquitoes away, I would have made it a point to say hello. Actually, we were there on the hottest day ever known in the park so we didn't do much of anything but lounge around (and swat at those mosquitoes!)

This photo was taken from our cabin deck...... DP's plane on the left, mine on the right.

I owned a C170 for about 12 years, and studied up on all the upgrade options.
Lycoming O-360 180 hp: DelAir (and others? -- with an IO-360, Stoots sounds like 200 horse?) Usually constant-speed, but I've seen them installed with fixed-pitch.
Continental IO-360 195-210 hp. XP Mods. Usually c/s, maybe fixed. Uses same mount (I think). Fuel system mods required due to fuel injection. 100LL only, no mogas.
Franklin 220 hp: usually c/s. 100LL only, no mogas.
Personally I wouldn't even consider for a minute installing the GO-300 or a 165 Franklin, IMHO the three above are the only viable choices. But by the time you spend the money to do an engine upgrade, you will have spent enough to have bought a C180 which is a more capable airplane anyway. You didn't mention the engine time, but unless the engine is pretty high time it sounds like IRAN'ing all the cylinders and connecting rods would be the most cost-effective way to get your airplane back on it's feet. You could just fix the problem cylinder(s), but doing them all will keep you from getting that "what if" feeling every time you're over hostile territory.

Nice pic, kg. Sorry to have missed you. Sure has been a little warm and buggy lately. Come on by and say hello next time you make it over here, and if you have any wisdom to share from your engine rebuild, I'm all ears.

-DP

My $00.02

Try to stay away from fuel injection/turbos on single engines. Clogging an injector/turbo where you fly could be dangerous! Just, more to break. I have seen it happen.

The MT I use is mind boggling! Sea, snow, dirt, rocks.... Unreal!

People must really love the C170 because of the tremendous after market STCs I am learning about.

hotrod150 wrote:You could just fix the problem cylinder(s), but doing them all will keep you from getting that "what if" feeling every time you're over hostile territory.

Roger that. Almost everything around here is hostile territory, unless I'm on skis in the wintertime. Thanks for sharing your insights.

-DP

If you don't want a project airplane then stick with what you got and go see Stoots. You've got a known baseline that way. Otherwise, make Kevin an offer he can't refuse....

EB

Delair has two fixed pitch props on there stc but both are kind of sucky, a Pawnee prop would be cool but it would be a field approval I'm sure. For this reason I ended up with the MT prop on mine and love it, it's expensive but if you figure out the cost per mile and how much faster it is you are better off with the constant speed.

Converting to a lycoming is expensive but its great to check the oil before every flight and its still on full! And go inspection after inspection without having to tear your engine apart!
Not to mention the belly stays white.

The Cessna 170B is one of the best planes ever built and lycoming 0-360s are one of the best engines around its crazy not to put them together.

All that being said, if you have a big load to haul and some distance to go its hard to beat a 180/5, just plan on doing cylinders often.

ccurrie wrote:The Cessna 170B is one of the best planes ever built and lycoming 0-360s are one of the best engines around its crazy not to put them together.

All that being said, if you have a big load to haul and some distance to go its hard to beat a 180/5, just plan on doing cylinders often.

Ok, that's it, I need two planes now!

Still losing sleep over this one. Maybe if someone here would be good enough to point me to a cherry 180 with all the stuff I want already included?

On the other hand, whoever wants to put an IO-360 into this airframe would wind up with one of the nicer 170Bs around. Might as well be this guy, right?? I'm not sure I've wrung all the fun out of this plane yet.

185's are on the table too. Just a lot of airplane to pay for when the need is only there 50% or less of the time.

-DP

If you like the airplane, keep it. There's nothing quite like "knowing" your airplane from a safety standpoint. After owning my own for about 500 hours, I really understand the feeling about comfort with the same airplane.

If it were mine, I'd opt for the Lycoming with a CS prop. I have that package on my P172D, and while it's sure no 182, it's a darned good little airplane, good on short strips, high strips, OK speed (115 knots for flight planning purposes), carries 4 with partial tanks, 3 with full tanks, less than 10 gph. Mine's an Avcon conversion, but I wouldn't recommend Avcon at this point--they have a 0 customer service rating with almost anyone who has tried to get in touch with them.

Cary

So from lots of reading, PMing, and general nosing around, I understand that the interior volume of the 170, 180, and 185 don't really differ. It's mainly the gross weight, and the HP that change, along with the third row seating, beefier structure and stabilator as you move up. Plus a stiffer control feel and a panel that's harder to see over. What am I missing?

Thanks,

-DP