First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

[KAR 120C]

Hi all, my first photos herewith. With my Taylorcraft BC12 D came an engine. I am told it is an A65 varient.

I have taken photographs of the data plate which is completely illegible apart from the number stamped at the bottom. Can the engine be identified from this? Where would I go to find out? Continental maybe?

Finally, as can be seen from the photos, some of the cooling fins are slightly damaged. Should I be concerned about this?

Michael

[ATTACH[ATTACH=CONFIG]11606

[Scott]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

I expect the bent fins are the least of your concerns at this time, if the corrosion on the prop bolts and hub is any indication of the state of preservation of the engine.

Looks like a continental anyway. the A75 looks the same on the outside but chances are its a 65. Others will now more.

The rocker covers are stamped as opposed to cast and the cylinders have primer ports. I think this indicates they may be less than 60 years old! If the engine has not been preserved you should be concerned about internal corrosion. Have a look inside the mag bosses, the original accessory cases were magnesium and tend to corrode. You can see some parts with an inspection camera, but IMO ultimately you'll need to remove the cylinders to see if there's corrosion on internals.

do you have logs for the engine?

[Mark Bowden]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

This is what my Continental tag looks like. The serial number stamp on yours is in the right place. It is strange there are no other stamped identifications evident in the photos where other stampings might or should be. Based on note in one of my engine overhaul set of docs, this tag is likely a replacement of my original tag from 1945 (it's in too good of shape as well).

Maybe you could do a pencil rubbing of the other areas and see if the model ID comes through.

Go to Continental's website and call the tech support line. They have been extremely helpful each time I have called. They have indicated much of their history has been migrated to an electronic database and the tech's have access to drawings and specs (but not all).

However, not all of the records may be present from our vintage era. For example my engine serial number has not yet been "found" in the original database.

If they don't have your serial you may have to look at other individual PN's if evident to confirm the model of engine.

Mark

[Guest]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

This is what my Continental tag looks like. The serial number stamp on yours is in the right place. It is strange there are no other stamped identifications evident in the photos where other stampings might or should be. Based on note in one of my engine overhaul set of docs, this tag is likely a replacement of my original tag from 1945 (it's in too good of shape as well).

Maybe you could do a pencil rubbing of the other areas and see if the model ID comes through.

Go to Continental's website and call the tech support line. They have been extremely helpful each time I have called. They have indicated much of their history has been migrated to an electronic database and the tech's have access to drawings and specs (but not all).

However, not all of the records may be present from our vintage era. For example my engine serial number has not yet been "found" in the original database.

If they don't have your serial you may have to look at other individual PN's if evident to confirm the model of engine.

Mark

Mark,

Yours is an aftermarket replacement. I bet someone rebuilt your engine and replaced the tag.

I have had and seen others that look just like Michael's, s/n is only stamped data and the screen print info is long gone.

Logbooks would fill in the blanks (or should).

Dave

[astjp2]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

A65-8, nothing special, no flanged crank, not injected, dual plugs, I have about 4 in parts laying around...easy to work on, simple, the hardest thing is to get the oil pump to work correctly. What mags and carb do you have? Tim

[Ragwing nut]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

Only way to truly identify is to pull a cylinder and see if the tops of the connecting rods are drilled and if the bottom of the pistons have a waffle head. If it does it is a 75, if not its a 65.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

When I got new pistons and rods for the 65 I rebuilt, they sent me waffle bottom pistons and the rods were drilled. Continental said almost all the rods were updated with the drill hole to spray oil on the bottom of the piston. Some of the pistons had waffles and some didn't. Only thing they said to be sure of was to NOT mix them.
Seems NOTHING on our planes is consistent!

Hank

[KAR 120C]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

I expect the bent fins are the least of your concerns at this time, if the corrosion on the prop bolts and hub is any indication of the state of preservation of the engine.

Looks like a continental anyway. the A75 looks the same on the outside but chances are its a 65. Others will now more.

The rocker covers are stamped as opposed to cast and the cylinders have primer ports. I think this indicates they may be less than 60 years old! If the engine has not been preserved you should be concerned about internal corrosion. Have a look inside the mag bosses, the original accessory cases were magnesium and tend to corrode. You can see some parts with an inspection camera, but IMO ultimately you'll need to remove the cylinders to see if there's corrosion on internals.

do you have logs for the engine?

I have looked behind the make shift magneto covers present on the engine, no magnetos with the engine. My attached photographs show what I saw. There appears to be old engine oil present within the magneto boss enclosures. old gaskets are still in place. There is also a graphite grease type material present. I have not spotted any corrosion internally.

As yet I have found no engine logs with the documentation that came with the aircraft. I will keep looking but not hopeful.

I am reluctant to do any work on the engine at this stage as currently I do not have an LAA inspector on board with my project. Not for the want of trying locally! I know the engine will have to be stripped and rebuilt, something I feel more than competent with, but I respect my potential inspectors prerogative to decline me this luxury. As you chaps in America may know The LAA is pretty much the equivalent of your EAA and are responsible for governing all to do with UK permit aircraft. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Looking forward to your replies.
Michael

[3Dreaming]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

I think you mean FAA, and not EAA. The FAA is our governing body. The EAA is the Experimental Aircraft Association.

[Ragwing nut]

Re: First Pictures - Continental engine. ID help please

When I got new pistons and rods for the 65 I rebuilt, they sent me waffle bottom pistons and the rods were drilled. Continental said almost all the rods were updated with the drill hole to spray oil on the bottom of the piston. Some of the pistons had waffles and some didn't. Only thing they said to be sure of was to NOT mix them.
Seems NOTHING on our planes is consistent!

Hank

the waffle head piston has same compression as 65, but the part number is for 75 which makes its power at 2475 instead of 2300. Alot of the rods did get drilled or swapped out. Anytime I built an engine I usually put drilled rods in it. they carry same part number.