FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B
Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices
Aircraft Inspection and Repair
AC 43.13-1B | 8. Engines, Fuel, Exhaust, and Propellers | 1. Engines | 8-2. Special Inspection
9/8/98
AC 43.13-1B
CHAPTER 8. ENGINES, FUEL, EXHAUST, AND PROPELLERS
SECTION 1. ENGINES
8-1. GENERAL. Consult the manufac-
turer’s manuals, service bulletins, and instruc-
tion books regarding the repair and overhaul,
inspection, installation, and maintenance of
aircraft engines, for that particular make,
model, and type of engine. This section lists
acceptable inspection and repair procedures
that may be used in the absence of an engine
manufacturer’s maintenance information.
pencil mark has not turned to a grayish-white
or ash color. This is the cold cylinder.
(2) The probable cause of the cold cyl-
inder is either a defective spark plug or igni-
tion lead. Switch spark plugs to another cylin-
der and run the test again. If the problem stays
with the original cylinder, the problem is either
the ignition lead or the magneto.
8-2. SPECIAL INSPECTION. A visual
inspection is needed to determine the condition
of the engine and its components. An annual
or 100-hour inspection should include the en-
gine and nacelle group as follows.
a. Cold Cylinder Check. If an engine is
running rough the cause may be a bad ignition
lead, a spark plug not firing, a partially clogged
fuel injector, or a bad magneto. The dead cyl-
inder will be colder than the surrounding cyl-
inders and can be quickly determined by using
the recommended cold cylinder checks. This
should be done using a thermocouple probe
which is very sensitive to small differences in
temperature, which is the case with a partially-
clogged injector. For a carbureted engine, the
following check may be helpful:
b. Piston Engine Sudden Stoppage In-
spection. Sudden stoppage is a very rapid and
complete stoppage of the engine. It can be
caused by engine seizure or by one or more of
the propeller blades striking an object in such a
way that rpm goes to zero in less than one
complete revolution of the propeller. Sudden
stoppage can cause internal damage to con-
stant-speed propellers; reduction drive; gear
train damage in the accessory section; crank-
shaft misalignment; or damage to accessories
such as magnetos, generators, vacuum pumps,
and tach generators.
(1) Every engine that suffers a sudden
stoppage must be inspected in accordance with
the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions
before being returned to service.
(1) Using experienced personnel, run
the engine on the bad magneto for approxi-
mately 30 seconds at 1200 rpm. Without
switching the magneto switch back to both
shut off the engine. Have another mechanic
use a grease pencil (non-carbon), and quickly
mark each exhaust stack approximately 1 inch
from the flange that holds the exhaust stack to
the cylinder. Next, check the exhaust stacks
and look for the exhaust stack whose grease
(2) If the engine manufacturer does not
provide the required information, then the en-
gine case must be opened and every major
component part must be inspected using visual
and/or nondestructive inspection (NDI) proce-
dures as applicable.
(3) The sudden-stoppage inspections
include: checking for cowling, spinner, and
airframe cracks and hidden damage; and
alignment of the engine mount to the airframe,
Par 8-1
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