P&E APPLY NOW AT AOPA.ORG/FINANCEMYTRAINING Putting off your PILOT'S LICENSE or INSTRUMENT RATING? Craving a SEAPLANE RATING? Still paying for ONE LESSON AT A TIME? APPLY NOW FOR AOPA'S FLEXIBLE AVIATION LOAN DO YOU WANT QUICK & EASY? Fill out a quick online application and be approved in one business day. DO YOU WANT AFFORDABLE? A $10,000 flight training loan with monthly payments as low as $250 a month. AOPA Member rates starting at WSJ Prime +5%. DO YOU WANT FLEXIBILITY? You can borrow as much as 3x your monthly income (up to a max of $100k). Go to aopa.org/financemytraining to apply today. SAVVY Continental's guidance suggesting that the opposite-side nut should be removed and the nut and threads be lubricated, nor that the opposite-side threads should be cleaned and the opposite-side nut be replaced with a new one. It's dubious that following Continental's published guidance will accomplish anything useful regarding torqueing the opposite-side nut-which is probably why so many mechanics don't even bother with it unless they're also replacing the opposite-side cylinder. BE AFRAID If you have a cylinder repaired or replaced, your conscientious A&P probably employed what would generally be considered proper maintenance practices. The torque wrench could have been calibrated recently, set to the proper torque value, and given the reassuring click indicating that the desired torque value was achieved. And yet it's entirely possible that some of the fastener preloads achieved may be below the design minimum required for safety and reliability of the engine. Most of the time you and your A&P will get lucky; the cylinder will stay attached to the engine and the main bearing won't spin. But occasionally-despite your mechanic's best efforts-one of those bad things will happen. Of course, any time multiple cylinders are replaced-especially top overhauls where all of them are replaced at one time-the probability of failure increases exponentially with the number of fasteners that are messed with. Food for thought next time your mechanic suggests that it might be a good idea to pull some jugs. My advice: Never pull a cylinder if you can possibly avoid it. Try to avoid pulling more than one at a time if you possibly can. Eschew top overhauls like the plague. If there's no alternative, ask your mechanic to read this article to help ensure he does the work with an appropriate level of trepidation. AOPA MIKE BUSCH is an A&P/IA. AOPA's Flexible Aviation Loan can be put to work right now to get you on your way as a better trained, more proficient pilot. EMAIL mike.busch@savvyaviator.com savvyaviation.com 96 | AOPA PILOT March 2020http://www.AOPA.ORG/FINANCEMYTRAINING http://www.aopa.org/financemytraining http://www.savvyaviation.com