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This is the magneto piston PTO side and you can see very clearly
deep gouges where the pieces of crankshaft rod bearings passed the skirt of the piston
probably into the combustion chamber and got violently embedded in the top of the piston
and head. Mark surmized that my reports of high water temperature and high fuel
consumption was an indication that the engine was working much harder to overcome the
crankshaft rod bearing friction. I remember the water temperature went over 175
during my test flight but I rationalized that it was due to the 107° outside air
temperature in connection with 80% humidity. When I nosed over and throttled back to
5400 RPM the temperature went back down to acceptable level but still a little higher than
normal. I had never flown in those conditions before and even though I went through
the motions, there might have been a little blindness to small details that indicated such
a long trip was unwise. By the grace of God there go I. I can thank Him the
outcome was not much worse.
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