| TITAN® KitEngine™ Frequently
Asked Questions |
| Q:
If the parts in a TITAN® KitEngine™ are all FAA-approved,
why is the engine not certificated? |
A: Engine
certification does begin with certified parts that are subjected
to the FAA approval process. However, certification of the
entire engine requires much more than FAA approval of individual
parts. The additional testing and documentation required
by FAA regulations for engine certification represent substantial
costs. These costs must be passed on to the buyer, thereby
causing the certificated engine to always be more expensive
than a TITAN® KitEngine™.
|
| Q: Who
can do maintenance on a TITAN® KitEngine™? |
A: Unlike
a certificated engine, which can only be maintained by a
licensed A&P mechanic (subject to some exceptions),
a TITAN® KitEngine™ can be maintained by the airplane owner
if he/she has the proper manuals, tools and experience.
|
| Q: How
does the warranty on a TITAN® KitEngine™ compare to the warranty
for the certificated version of the engine? |
A:
The warranty on a new Lycoming engine from the factory is
twelve months (unlimited hours) from date of first operation,
parts and labor, with pro-ration for second year. A TITAN®
KitEngine™ carries two warranties; one for the parts and
one for the assembly. ECi provides a warranty that is one
year, parts and labor, then prorated to TBO at actual hours
or 40 hours per month, whichever is greater. The warranty
on the Nickel+Carbide™ cylinder bore is 5 years, parts
and labor, with a new set of rings. In addition to the ECi
warranty, the buyer ordinarily receives a warranty from
the engine builder when the TITAN® KitEngine™ purchased has
been assembled and tested.
|
| Q: What options do I have with TITAN® cylinders? How
do I chose between plain through hardened steel and the
ECi's proprietary Nickel+Carbide™ coating? |
|
A:
A significant factor in deciding the type of cylinder to
buy is how much you fly your airplane. Most recreational
pilots fly 100 hours or less per year and often those
hours are flown only in the fair weather months. Infrequent
use is a major cause of premature wear, corrosion and
costly repair bills. Most cylinder manufacturers, including
ECi, will not warrant steel (nitrided or through hardened)
against corrosion. On the other hand, an aircraft flown
more than 2 hours at one time on a weekly burns off accumulated
water in the crankcase and assures that a good oil film
remains on all steel parts between operations.
For the airplane that operates infrequently, ECi stongly
recommends cylinders with the Nickel+Carbide™ bore coating.
This coating is part of a unique system that includes
a moly-filled top compression ring that creates a self
lubricating system for minimal wear and maximum service
life. ECi's Nickel+Carbide™ cylinder bore coating is backed
by a 5 year limited warranty against premature wear and
corrosion so your investment in cylinders is preserved.
|
| Q:
What are the consequences of putting non-certificated parts
in a certificated engine? |
A:
The engine no longer conforms to its type design and the
data plate must be removed.
|
| Q: Can I buy an assembled and tested TITAN® KitEngine™
directly from ECi? |
A:
No. ECi manufactures parts but chooses not to build engines
because there are many highly qualified engine shops throughout
the world who can assemble and test engines to the kit plane
owner's custom requirements. ECi will gladly furnish the
kit plane owner with a list of engine shops who professionally
assemble and test the TITAN® KitEngine™.
|
| Q: Do I have to buy the engine pre-assembled or can
I assemble the engine kit myself? |
|
A: ECi
neither recommends nor encourages KitPlane owners to assemble
their own TITAN® KitEngine™ unless:
- They have had formal
training or extensive experience in traditional aircraft
engine maintenance and overhaul,
- They have available the current overhaul and illustrated
parts manuals published by the manufacturer of the
certificated engine of similar design,
- They have the required calibrated tools to meet the
requirements published in the overhaul manuals, and
- They
have the facilities to run-in the assembled engine
in accordance with ECi's published “Break-In
Instructions”.
|
| Q:
From the perspective of the KitPlane owner, what are the
differences between an ECi TITAN® KitEngine™ and a Lycoming
certificated engine of similar design? |
|
A:
The primary differences are:
- The inscription
on the data plate
- The warranty
- Nickel+Carbide™ cylinder bores
- Available options
- Cost
|
| Q: Can electronic ignition, FADEC, tuned exhaust, high
compression pistons, porting and polishing and other enhancements
be added to the TITAN® KitEngine™ without adversely affecting
my warranty? |
A: Yes,
provided the enhancement(s) do not cause the design limits
of the components in the engine to be exceeded. This decision
is best left to one of the qualified engine shops that ECi
has chosen to build the TITAN® KitEngine™.
|
| Q: Can I burn Mogas (auto gas)in a TITAN® KitEngine™?
Do I have to have a valid STC? Will the use of Mogas adversely
affect my warranty? |
A: “Yes”
to the first question. “No” to the second question.
STCs do not apply to non-certificated engines. To the third
question, “it may”. If damage to the engine
occurs or a problem arises which is attributable to the
use of Mogas, then ECi will deny warranty for the resulting
problem. For example, valve seat recession is the result
of improper use of Mogas and will not be covered by ECi's
warranty. (See ECi written Warranty Policy and the warranty
of the engine shop that builds the engine)
NOTE: See ECi's “Break-in Instructions” regarding
use of leaded fuel for run-in and break-in.
|
| Q: Are the critical components in a TITAN® KitEngine™
balanced? |
|
A: Yes.
The following specifications apply:
- Crankshaft
Dynamically balanced to 0.3 in./oz., or less.
- Connecting Rods All rods weigh within
12 grams of each other
- Pistons All pistons have the same weight
in grams.
- Starter Ring Gear Support Dynamically
balanced to 0.13 in./oz., or less.
|
| Q: What is the TBO of a TITAN® KitEngine™? |
A: Because
the TITAN® KitEngine™ is a non-certificated engine, there
is no published TBO. However, ECi recommends that the TBO
published for the certified engine of similar design be
followed.
|
| Q: Does the TITAN® KitEngine™ produce more HP or operate
more efficiently than the certificated engine of similar
design? |
A: The
performance parameters of the TITAN® KitEngine™ are the
same as the performance parameters of the certificated
engine of similar design when
- The basic engines are
fitted with equivalent accessories,
- The pistons and cylinders provide the same compression
ratio,
- The installations in the airframe are equivalent,
- The same propeller is installed, and
- The engines are operated in an equivalent manner.
|
| Q: When comparing a TITAN® KitEngine™ crankcase and a
Lycoming crankcase, are there any design differences? What
are the benefits of these design differences? |
A:
The TITAN® KitEngine™ crankcase incorporates many features
that ECi learned from its many years of repair experience.
Large radiused webs between the cylinder pads have been
added to reduce the potential for cracking. Both crankcase
halves have been machined on the inside to accept piston
cooling nozzles and additional nozzles which spray lubrication
on the camshaft lobe and lifter face. One other significant
improvement is an optional thrust washer at the front main
journal for greater lubrication and wear resistance. All
of these design differences are FAA approved.
|
| Q:
What are crankshaft “lightening holes”?
What purpose do they serve? Does the TITAN® KitEngine™ crankshaft
have lightening holes? |
A: When
crankshaft propeller flanges have holes drilled in them
to reduce weight, the holes are appropriately called “lightening
holes”. While weight saving in an aircraft engine
is desirable, there is a negative tradeoff. Crankshaft repair
experience at ECi has taught that prop strikes on recreational
use airplanes are fairly common and a “beefy”
propeller flange will minimize damage to the crankshaft
when a sudden stoppage occurs. TITAN® KitEngine™ crankshafts,
which are forged from high quality VAR (vacuum arc re-melt)
steel, have a solid propeller flange that is thicker than
the flange on a Lycoming engine of similar design. By performing
machining, grinding, dynamically balancing and heat treating
at the ECi factory in San Antonio, strict process control
is maintained so that a safe and affordable crankshaft is
available for the TITAN® KitEngine™.
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