Borescope & Cam Pics

455 Bravo Uniform

455 Bravo Uniform

Final Approach
Joined
Aug 18, 2015
Messages
5,770
Location
KLAF
Display Name
Display name:
455 Bravo Uniform
Cool stuff (to me).

My wife got me a borescope for my birthday.

Another poster in another thread said I could see the cam from the oil filler neck in an IO-470.

I've been too busy to take the cowl off and plugs out, but not the oil filler cap...had an hour and the weather was too windy for my personal mins.Below are pics of my cam.

I did not realize 2 valves on opposite cylinders are opened by a shared lobe. Looks from some internet pics that about half are shared. Airplane engines are weird to me, I'm a car guy.

I think I see a little wear pattern on the shared lobe. Not sure what looks normal for these engines. In a car, no big deal.
Cam 1.jpg Cam 2.jpg Cam 3.jpg Cam 5.jpg Cam 6.jpg
 
When you view these pictures, what do you glean from them?
To me your engine is amazingly clean. How many hours on it.
 
Looks good in there! Which borescope did you get?
 
Tom-D said:
When you view these pictures, what do you glean from them?
To me your engine is amazingly clean. How many hours on it.
Click to expand...

What do I glean: Made me “feel better”. No ugly cam wear on a few lobes. Prior owner put low hours per year on the plane prior to my purchase. Sat hangared in Salt Lake City. I have a little vibration/roughness, thinking about getting prop balance checked. Compressions are good. Gonna scope cylinders soon. Oil analysis showed high chrome 10 hours ago, gonna re-check it again in 5 more hours.

Engine was overhauled 7 years ago after 1100 hrs. It was a “field” overhaul. About 3-4 years ago it had 90 hours on it and was torn down due to making metal and then reassembled by Precision Air Power (see notes below...field overhaul had some assembly errors based on my discussion with prior owner’s second A&P). I bought it last summer with 40 hours on it after that (130 TSMOH). I’ve put 30 hours on it since I bought it.

CFB1B53D-D861-476E-B195-77508810D3FF.jpeg
 
ytodd said:
Looks good in there! Which borescope did you get?
Click to expand...

Vividia Ablescope VA-400 U

I’m amazed at the depth of view, thought it would only focus on a narrow range.

You have to adjust the light for best image capture.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Those pics are so clear. What scope?

What engine? Where did you access from?

Also, is that cam wear normal for that engine? Looks ok to me.
Click to expand...
CamGuard user.....that was with an iPhone 6 thru the cylinder holes. Engine time (TSIO-520D) is over 1,000 hrs. Looks fine to me....
 
Tom-D said:
When I review maintenance records and see entries like this, I see a bunch of writing that means nothing, no part numbers used, no serial numbers, nothing that could be used to identify parts when a new AD comes along.
Click to expand...

All that is what’s stapled to the back of the front sheet, along with a pile of parts tags from the prior owner.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
All that is what’s stapled to the back of the front sheet, along with a pile of parts tags from the prior owner.
Click to expand...
Bunch of parts tags mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
 
Tom-D said:
Bunch of parts tags mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
Click to expand...

Nope, not without taking stuff apart myself and checking it out, which I have little idea of what I’d be looking at. Same as any other “drop it off and fix it please” owner, of which I’m partially one.
 
Tom-D said:
Bunch of parts tags mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
Click to expand...
Bunch of part numbers, and serial numbers written in the logs, mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
Same-Same. Gotta tear into it to prove it. But chances are that the tags and invoices, go with the parts installed.
 
bluerooster said:
Bunch of part numbers, and serial numbers written in the logs, mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
Same-Same. Gotta tear into it to prove it. But chances are that the tags and invoices, go with the parts installed.
Click to expand...
just depends....if ya doin a pencil whip annual all's ya need are the logs and some ink.
 
AKBill said:
I've got a VA-800 scope and am very happy with the quality of the image. Thanks for posting
Click to expand...
I have the VA-400 and am happy too....but I also have a few other cheap ones too that work well.
 
robert lomax said:
Really?????

Hey Guys,,, just go on Amazon..
I bought a very usable bore scope for $18.00 !!!!!
Click to expand...
I guess I overpaid. I spent $25 on mine!
I have not used it on the engine yet, but I have been using it on some home remodeling projects. I drill a small hole into the wall to find wiring and plumbing. It also works good looking under the sink trying to track down where there faucet was leaking.
 
Yeah, I’m a cheapskate. But none of the other options had a way for me to put the borescope in the cylinder and look at the piston, then the cylinder walls, and then the valves. This one has an articulating head to look in all directons. Plus a dimmable light. Plus, the some of the dental cam/borescope reviews talked about lack of focal length.
 
Tom-D said:
Bunch of parts tags mean nothing, can you prove they are the parts installed?
Click to expand...

So a bunch of parts tag information transcribed onto a maintenance entry record proves what?

You got a dishonest mechanic, you got a problem. You got an honest mechanic (a rare quantity these days from the impression I get from tone of your posts Tom) you shouldn't have to worry quite so much.
 
GRG55 said:
So a bunch of parts tag information transcribed onto a maintenance entry record proves what?
Click to expand...
It proves that the maintenance record is complete, not a bunch of tags in a box/folder/what ever.
I've seen records that have yellow tags dated 50 years ago, on products that aren't even installed anymore.
Plus I've seen work orders that tell us nothing stapled to the log book. All they do is clutter the record.
When you are doing a records search trying to find AD compliance, you need all the info you can get. date and TT when installed all that.
Entries like "overhauled oil pump" mean nothing, entries like "Removed and replaced oil pump with P/N xxxxxx-x Serial number XXXX" give you the info to know if that pump complies with ADs.
entries like " removed and replaced all 6 cylinders with Superior After market cylinders S/N 1____,2_____,3_____,4_____,5_____,6______. Just may save you from a tear down to determine if the new Cylinder AD complies.

Statements like "Rejected crank" what good do they do?
Statements like Removed and replaced crankshaft using a reworked crank from Aircraft specialities, S/N ____ at .010" under fitted with superior .010" bearings.
These type of entries tell you the info you need, both for AD compliance and knowledge to know what to expect at next overhaul.

But they are your records, you as owner are responsible to see the the proper entries are made, but I repeat, they are your records, you keep them any way you like. but don't bi--h when your A&P charges you a couple extra hours for trying to figure out what you have installed.
 
GRG55 said:
You got a dishonest mechanic, you got a problem. You got an honest mechanic (a rare quantity these days from the impression I get from tone of your posts Tom) you shouldn't have to worry quite so much.
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised at the number of A&P mechanics that don't / won't make a proper return to service entry.
 
Tom-D said:
When you view these pictures, what do you glean from them?
Click to expand...

Most of the time it is what you do not see; mainly corrosion or galling. Like my O-200 which I did this am through the oil sump after I drained the oil. No you can't see everything that route but if you had seen an ow-ey, that is invaluable.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Most of the time it is what you do not see; mainly corrosion or galling. Like my O-200 which I did this am through the oil sump after I drained the oil. No you can't see everything that route but if you had seen an ow-ey, that is invaluable.
Click to expand...
What can you see looking up thru the oil tank on a 0-200?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top