Look up AD 2006-20-09, I believe this may be the latest in a series of ADs
about the crankshaft in referenced (started by) that SB569 (you know there
is a new SB569a).

There is an extensive list of serial numbers that it applies to, you need to
know the serial number in the engine you are looking at to know if the AD
applies. Lycoming had a "bad batch", of cranks produced, it's a metallurgy
thing.
Our older (much older) crank is doing just fine, built previous to this AD,
and keeps on going... and going.. and going.

Good Luck

BT

"Douglas Paterson" wrote in message
. ..
Another newbie question for the group:

(I feel like this MUST have been discussed here before, but my search came
up empty--if I need to work on my USENET search skills, try to be gentle
with me....)

Can anyone help me decode what's going on with Lycoming's SB 569? It
seems like all the airplanes I'm looking at use Lycoming IO-540 engines,
which I understand are, possibly, subject to that service bulletin. I've
read that the FAA is considering making that an AD, meaning that the
crankshaft would need to be replaced at the next overhaul or other case
opening. There's something like a three-year window in order to get the
new shaft at 2AMU, after which it will go to 16AMU(?). So--if that's a
mandatory replacement, it seems like there'd be a strong economic argument
to overhaul before the window closes, whether it needs it or not.

- Is there any easy way to tell whether a given airplane has an affected
crankshaft? I'm a newbie, inexperienced (to put it politely) with reading
logs. Of course, I would expect that to turn up in any pre-buy, but I'm
thinking along the lines of maybe there are some other factors that would
let me know "there's no way this plane is affected, because
_________"--save a lot of trouble trying to verify that there's no issue.

- Anyone know the status of the AD? Anyone have opinions on what to do
w/ the SB if it does NOT become an AD? I see AOPA is opposed to the AD,
for what that's worth....

- While shopping, any suggestions on how to value/devalue a given
airplane based on its status with this?

Thanks!
--
Doug
"Where am I to go/Now that I've gone too far?" -- Golden Earring,
"Twilight Zone"
(my email is spam-proofed; read the address and make the appropriate
change to contact me)