Need two A-65 cylinders

[Robert Lees]

Well my engine (on 5011M) continues to give me trouble. Two cylinders are cracked between the valve and plug, so I need replacements. I believe they are 0.015 over, but that can be confirmed later.

Any ideas?

Rob

[Robert Lees]

Or another A-65; I'm hoping to do another trip in April.

[3Dreaming]

I just went through the same cylinder search the end of last year. Good luck, the search can be frustrating. With a little patience, and taking longer than I wanted I was able to complete a nice major overhaul on the A-65 for the Taylorcraft I bought back in October last year. The engine is running great, but I still have a little to do to the airplane before I try and find it a new home.

[Guest]

Tom and all,

What is your opinion about the best state to put the cylinders in prior to selling?

Is it best to remove all the valves/springs/rockers and send it to a shop to have the cylinder made into a yellow tagged stud assembly and then sell the valve parts separately?

Or is it best to have it sent to a shop and have it made into a stud assembly then have the vales ground, rockers serviced, parts inspected and have it assembled as a serviceable cylinder assembly? By doing this the jug may not be eligible for use in MOH because of some small parts being reused.

What do you think? Which way gives the best monetary return to the cylinder owner and makes the jug attractive to buyers.

I have 4 that are P015 and two may be ok to keep at P015 and get a yellow tag and the other 2 probably have to be chromed back to std.

Thanks for your consideration, Dave R.

[Ragwing nut]

Tom and all,

What is your opinion about the best state to put the cylinders in prior to selling?

Is it best to remove all the valves/springs/rockers and send it to a shop to have the cylinder made into a yellow tagged stud assembly and then sell the valve parts separately?

Or is it best to have it sent to a shop and have it made into a stud assembly then have the vales ground, rockers serviced, parts inspected and have it assembled as a serviceable cylinder assembly? By doing this the jug may not be eligible for use in MOH because of some small parts being reused.

What do you think? Which way gives the best monetary return to the cylinder owner and makes the jug attractive to buyers.

I have 4 that are P015 and two may be ok to keep at P015 and get a yellow tag and the other 2 probably have to be chromed back to std.

Thanks for your consideration, Dave R.

That depends on the shop doing the work. I don't trust most shops valve work. I would get the stud assy yellow tagged. You can always add the other parts later as required. Finding good a65 cylinders is getting tough. I went through 30 of them trying to find some for Tom Baker and struck out.

[3Dreaming]

Tom and all,

What is your opinion about the best state to put the cylinders in prior to selling?

Is it best to remove all the valves/springs/rockers and send it to a shop to have the cylinder made into a yellow tagged stud assembly and then sell the valve parts separately?

Or is it best to have it sent to a shop and have it made into a stud assembly then have the vales ground, rockers serviced, parts inspected and have it assembled as a serviceable cylinder assembly? By doing this the jug may not be eligible for use in MOH because of some small parts being reused.

What do you think? Which way gives the best monetary return to the cylinder owner and makes the jug attractive to buyers.

I have 4 that are P015 and two may be ok to keep at P015 and get a yellow tag and the other 2 probably have to be chromed back to std.

Thanks for your consideration, Dave R.

If you are selling, with the least amount of work possible, unless you want to make a complete assembly with new parts. The cylinders I bought I agreed on a price pending inspection by a cylinder shop. If they didn't pass I didn't have to buy them. I paid for the inspection, and would have paid for or at least split the shipping. I was lucky because they were close enough to drop them off at the shop. I think this is fair for all involved. I would sure hate to pay $200 plus for cylinders that might not be any good.

[3Dreaming]

Rob, you might check with Poplar Grove Airmotive. They might have some cores they could build up.

[Scott]

I understand there are a few shops that can weld repair these kind of typical cracks. Anyone have any experience with this?
http://www.airplanecylinders.com/index.htm

http://dgaircraft.com/services.html

[PA1195]

Why not buy new ones and be done with all the triage?

Gary

[Ragwing nut]

Why not buy new ones and be done with all the triage?

Gary

$6k for a set of special cylinders is absurd to me. especially for an A65

[Robert Lees]

Rob, you might check with Poplar Grove Airmotive. They might have some cores they could build up.

Tom, they're the ones who found the cracks, and they have none in stock.

Rob

[PA1195]

Yes that's lots of $ but almost what I paid for mine when I did the C-85 Stroker STC. Then it was an O-200 crank, rods, cylinders-pistons, C-90 cam and lifter bodies, bearings, gaskets and more. But I agree for one or two to keep things spinning a little longer other sources should be less expensive. That's one reason these old planes aren't worth much as is and we see many for sale (all makes) with higher time engines. It's almost cheaper to replace the whole engine with something.

Gary

[mikerice]

I have heard that Harrison Engine Services can weld on cylinders, but I have not had it done. I think there are many cylinders out there that could be recovered if someone can weld on them. That said I have also heard that Superior was making new A65 cylinder again. I don't know the A65 price, but comparable O200 cylinders are less than 1200 each last time I looked. The 2 cylinders I sent into Harrison last summer were re-chromed and redone very nicely, and the cost was under a thousand each, complete with pistons rings and gaskets, they looked brand new. Gotta have something rebuildable though.

[PA1195]

https://generalaviationnews.com/2018/05/29/superior-delivering-factory-new-new-o-170-a-65-cylinders/

Might be worth price shopping and likely still expensive. My PA-11's C-90 went through cylinders like popcorn for prior owners and me until I started over with new.

Things wear out and after 70 some years equipment gets old like us. There's a local Taylorcraft with an A-65 for sale (like many on Barnstormers and others). Nice plane but any engine work needed later and poof! it's financially submerged. Some aircraft remain in demand and if damaged are worth more as parts than whole. I'm not convinced the Taylorcraft is one although they're fun while they run.


Gary

[gilligansae]

I had a similar issue 2 yrs ago--- bought a "rebuilt" engine w/ 105 hrs on it and less than 10 hrs later two cylinders were compression less than 40. Sent them out only to find one had a 60yr old crack in the exhaust port to the seat and the other had the valve guide hole so sloppy the guide had 10 thou clearance in it and was bouncing all over the place. After calling over a dozen places I found two cylinders at Gibson in Oklahoma. I think the guy who I talked to was Marshall. Might be worth a shot... sold me two chromed cylinders for $1700+shipping and I have had no issues since.