Lycomming io-233 or o-233 issues

Are these engines any good? What issues have they had and have they been resolved? My search on the web has not returned much information.

Thanks,
Forrest

I am told by a flight school operator that the electronic ignition last 100 hrs and then has to go back to Champion for repair consistantly.

Thanks Steve.

Does anyone else have any feedback?

Thanks,
Forrest

I don't have any experience with this engine. However, based on what Steve said I would wait until the bugs were worked out before committing to using one. Having to send the ignition back every 100 hours is basically limiting you to the home traffic pattern, to say nothing of the inconvenience.

I am a fan of electronic ignition. It must be totally reliable to be useful. 100 hours is not reliable.

Further to Steve’s input, I concur the Ignition is unique to this model engine and problematic! .... so unable to change out to something with proven reliability...

If it is experimental you could install mags or what ever. The one I exampled is an SLSA used in a flight school and Lycoming maintains the ASTM standard and they would have to approve the change if SLSA is retained.

This engine has been out for several years. Not having the issue resolved by now doesn't look good on lycoming or champion. In my business there would be Managers and Engineers fired for this. I wonder how they are keeping it under the radar? You would think that one would be able to find more information on the web about the proplem.

Appears to me that anybody that bought this engine has a plane that has the value of one needing a new engine unless they sell it to an uninspecting sole.

Thanks,
I'll stay away.

Regards,
Forrest

I have the 233 in my S-7 and have about 275 trouble free hours on it. I chose that engine because Lycoming called me and asked if I would make exhaust systems for it. During the building time they sent me at least 3 new ignition systems and the engine hadn’t been started yet. I really didn’t want to be a tester for Champion so I installed a dual lightspeed setup. It’s been trouble free and a proven system.

Ffoster said:

This engine has been out for several years. Not having the issue resolved by now doesn't look good on lycoming or champion. In my business there would be Managers and Engineers fired for this. I wonder how they are keeping it under the radar? You would think that one would be able to find more information on the web about the proplem.

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Well, Champion managed to keep their spark plug problems "under the radar" for over 10 years until enough of the aviation forums "outed" them that they were forced to fix the issues... I suspect there just aren't enough airplanes using this engine to have achieved "critical bad PR mass" to raise the attention of Champion management.

Frankly, at this point, they've sullied their corporate reputation to the point I just avoid anything the company manufactures... It's one of the reasons I now fly a Rotax-powered airplane – it's just not easy to avoid Champion products if you fly Lycoming or Continental engines...

Ffoster said:

Are these engines any good? What issues have they had and have they been resolved? My search on the web has not returned much information.

Thanks,
Forrest

Click to expand...

So what are you planning on putting this engine in?

“If it is experimental you could install mags or what ever. The one I exampled is an SLSA used in a flight school and Lycoming maintains the ASTM standard and they would have to approve the change if SLSA is retained.”

Thanks Steve, that is a much better way of explaining it. I was referring to LSA category.

redfin said:

“If it is experimental you could install mags or what ever. The one I exampled is an SLSA used in a flight school and Lycoming maintains the ASTM standard and they would have to approve the change if SLSA is retained.”

Thanks Steve, that is a much better way of explaining it. I was referring to LSA category.

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ELSA or SLSA?

Experimental. Salon, wanted to know if one should stay away from an slsa with this engine.

Thanks for the replies!

Regards,
Forrest

Are you going to instruct in it? If not no reason not to convert to ELSA

We have yo-233 in our Super Legend-first failure at 180hr, replacement from Champion, which we waited for several months to receive, failed 35hr later. 2 mags is not an option as the accessory case only has one hole. Champion comped us a Slick mag (Champion again), added a single Lightspeed. Only about 10 hours on this setup. Working ok so far. Needless to say, this has been very frustrating. Champion management knows ALL about the situation.

Ffoster said:

This engine has been out for several years. Not having the issue resolved by now doesn't look good on lycoming or champion. In my business there would be Managers and Engineers fired for this. I wonder how they are keeping it under the radar? You would think that one would be able to find more information on the web about the proplem.

Appears to me that anybody that bought this engine has a plane that has the value of one needing a new engine unless they sell it to an uninspecting sole.

Thanks,
I'll stay away.

Regards,
Forrest

Click to expand...

I have personally seen the results of exhaust valve keepers pulling through the retainers on 4 different rotax 914's, because they were mounted on SLSA's the FAA wont issue an AD...all engines were between 800-1600 hours. If this would have been a certified O-what ever, we would be doing engine tear downs...according to a subsequent AD to inspect. Tim

As I understand it, the FAA would not issue an AD for SLSAs because of an engine issue. Rotax would be the one to do that, in the form of a mandatory service bulletin.

SLSAs, under the regs, are required be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's directives, and that includes compliance with mandatory SBs from airframe, engine, and propeller manufacturer. To my knowledge, every SLSA basically "punts" the engine maintenance to the engine manufacturer (predominantly Rotax on SLSA), requiring the owner to maintain the engine in accordance with Rotax guidance.

And Rotax seems to be considerably more strict than the FAA when it comes to those mandatory service bulletins, service intervals (5-year flexible hose replacements), and even overhaul schedules (calendar expiration is enforced, regardless of the engine time). There are plenty of Rotax 912ULS engines sold to experimental builders because they hit the calendar date for overhaul while still well below the TBO in hours, and the SLSA owner realized they could sell their current engine for enough money that they put that money towards a new engine at basically the same out of pocket cost as a complete overhaul at one of the factory-authorized overhaul facilities. (Experimental aircraft, of course, don't have to comply with "mandatory" service bulletins, and those Rotax 912 engines are pretty daggone reliable, even with higher hours.)

That requirement to maintain the aircraft per the manufacturer's guidance presents a unique challenge when it comes to "upgrades" for SLSA. Even something as simple as swapping out an old Dynon screen for one of the new HDX screens would require an "approval letter", unless the manufacturer listed the HDX on their approved equipment list. Hard to get that if you happen to own an SLSA whose manufacturer is out of business... The only solution for those "out of business" folks is to move the airplane to the Experimental category by converting them to E-LSA.

reviving an old thread.... Just had the ignition in my o-233 fail again yesterday, this time away from my home airport. I see that lycoming has issued a service letter (L283) which replaces the Champion CDI with a conventional mag plus a litespeed system. My engine is very close to the firewall (Wagabond/Vagabond experimental) & if the magneto/harness assembly is longer than the existing PMA it might mean some tube surgery, which it turn means I'm dissassembling the airplane to bring it home. any opinions about the litespeed dual system? I often go to very remote places & would rather bite the bullet of a difficult install vs get stranded. again.