Bob Breeden
Registered User
Alaska
Guys,
Perhaps you expert mechanics have developed an opinion on this. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
The cylinders are removed from my O-320 right now and being sent to a cylinder shop to reface the exhaust ports. My mechanic says the cylinders look real good otherwise. 1570 hours total time on a 1977 engine from a 1977 Cub. We looked at the cam and tappets, and they look like new.
Questions: Now that the cylinders are off, is is advisable from a practical standpoint, or legal with an STC to replace the pistons with high compression pistons? Which pistons are recommended? I use 87 octane car gas all the time except when on trips, when of course the engine burns 100LL. Would I lose my cargas STC, or cause damage with 87 octane fuel? Is there a perceptable gain in efficiency getting more bang for the gallon of gas? Does leaning become touchy?
There is nothing like my trusty old 150 horse engine. She will pull stumps out of the ground. She takes off shorter than she will land in any given condition except super high density altitudes, even on fairly soft ground.
But there is nothing like horsepower to spin that 82 x 41 prop a bit faster on takeoff. I am not looking to cruise any faster, already cruise at less than 1/2 throttle, 95 miles an hour.
Thanks,
Bob Breeden
Perhaps you expert mechanics have developed an opinion on this. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
The cylinders are removed from my O-320 right now and being sent to a cylinder shop to reface the exhaust ports. My mechanic says the cylinders look real good otherwise. 1570 hours total time on a 1977 engine from a 1977 Cub. We looked at the cam and tappets, and they look like new.
Questions: Now that the cylinders are off, is is advisable from a practical standpoint, or legal with an STC to replace the pistons with high compression pistons? Which pistons are recommended? I use 87 octane car gas all the time except when on trips, when of course the engine burns 100LL. Would I lose my cargas STC, or cause damage with 87 octane fuel? Is there a perceptable gain in efficiency getting more bang for the gallon of gas? Does leaning become touchy?
There is nothing like my trusty old 150 horse engine. She will pull stumps out of the ground. She takes off shorter than she will land in any given condition except super high density altitudes, even on fairly soft ground.
But there is nothing like horsepower to spin that 82 x 41 prop a bit faster on takeoff. I am not looking to cruise any faster, already cruise at less than 1/2 throttle, 95 miles an hour.
Thanks,
Bob Breeden