STC for Muffler

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Colin
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STC for Muffler

Post by Colin »

Okay, the Centurion engine muffler situation is foolish. They had five ADs and they replaced them all with a single AD that mandates a 25hr inspection and, as far as my mechanic and I can figure, it means the new bracket lasts 40hrs before it cracks. It's a $30 part, so maybe that's not a big deal, but getting into the shop for the inspection every 25hrs is a pain with a plane that's meant to go 100hrs between oil changes.

On the NG it is solved with a baffling box that absorbs the vibration of the engine. Why Technify hasn't copied this, we don't know.

My mechanic thinks that he could get the box from the manufacturer (it's not Technify manufactured but a standard automobile item). Install a pair on my plane for six months (I'd be experimental during that window), and get an STC letter from the local FSDO. Then we could recover any costs by selling the letter for a nominal fee.

Other than the supercharging effort, has anyone been involved in anything of this nature? It seems very straightforward.

Anyone know anyone inside Continental that could say whether THEY are about to release an STC themselves to fix this glaring example of poor engineering?
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
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Karl
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Re: STC for Muffler

Post by Karl »

Good question Colin, I will try and get some information from my contacts at the factory.

Strange thing is we fly a lot of hours here and never had an exhaust fail but the brackets that were added are not very good.
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Colin
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Re: STC for Muffler

Post by Colin »

the brackets that were added are not very good
I've gone through two already. The engineer that drew those should be embarrassed. Antoine could do better reaching into the backseat of his new plane with a crayon on a napkin. (That would be the other way to go, I suppose. A better bracket. But that seems more complex.)
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
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