The FAA has revised its Lycoming piston pin directive, and for owners of the affected engines the clock starts Nov. 24.AD 2026-22-13 replaces August’s AD 2026-17-10, adds engine models and covers 957 engines on U.S.-registered airplanes. Depending on the pin’s age and hours, it calls for an oil change and filter check within five flight hours after Nov. 24 or, for some engines, a new pin before the next flight.The AD applies by engine model, not by airplane. If your Lycoming is in its Table 1 and carries a piston pin with part number LW-13445 made between Jan. 7, 2021 and Dec. 15, 2025, it covers you, and it applies anyway if the pin’s manufacture date can’t be determined. An engine whose LW-13445 pins went in before Jan. 7, 2021 is outside it. August’s AD covered O-235, O-540 and IO-540 engines, and Table 1 adds the O-320, IO-320, AIO-320, LIO-320, AEIO-320, VO-435 and TVO-435 series. The FAA cites metal found in engine oil during oil changes and two engine failures that couldn’t be detected beforehand, and says pin microcracks are hard to find before they fail.
Pin manufacture date
Hours in service as of Nov. 24
What the AD requires
Jan. 7, 2021 to Mar. 22, 2023
Any
Oil change and inspection of the oil filter, pressure screen and suction screen within 5 hours. If clean, replace the pin at the next cylinder removal or overhaul, not past the time between overhauls in Lycoming Service Instruction 1009BF.
Mar. 23, 2023 to Dec. 15, 2025, or unknown
Under 150
Same inspection within 5 hours. Replace the pin within 25 hours or by 150 hours since installation, whichever comes first.
Mar. 23, 2023 to Dec. 15, 2025, or unknown
150 or more
New pin before further flight, with no inspection step.Metal found in any inspection means a new pin before the next flight. Special flight permits are not allowed for the inspection itself. They may be issued for a replacement if no metal is found, and for engines that need a new pin before further flight, an oil change showing no metal comes before a permit can be issued.The FAA prices the pin replacement, oil change, and inspection together at $4,325 per engine, from 25 work-hours at $85 plus $2,200 in parts. The $4,139,025 fleet figure is that price multiplied across all 957 engines, and the FAA notes Lycoming says some costs may be covered under warranty. Comments are open through Dec. 24.Why it mattersThe August AD matched engines against serial numbers in a Lycoming service bulletin. This one starts with the engine model and then asks for the pin’s part number and manufacture date. Owners who checked their engines against the August AD should review the revised applicability again. The FAA has expanded the list of affected engine models while removing some engines previously covered. The AD also doesn’t spell out whether an oil change and inspection done under the August AD counts toward the new five-hour requirement.Browse current single-engine piston aircraft for sale on GlobalAir.com.
Recent Comments