Basic Steps for Inspecting and Repairing Engine Mounts

Across all parts of a typical aircraft, the engine mount can be considered one of the most crucial assemblies, serving to support the engine and all other power plant components. Without an engine mount, the aircraft engine and all other related components would be subject to major undue stress, leading to increased wear and tear, among other hazards. Despite engine mounts being well-designed and securely attached to the frame through bolting, such assemblies face major stresses ranging from load-bearing forces to extreme heat. As such, they need to be inspected and repaired on a regular basis so that they can remain reliable with ample integrity. To help you better manage your engine mount(s), we will discuss their care in more detail below.

If one is not trained in how to detect engine mount damage, it can be easy to overlook various defects that are obscured by paint and carbon build-ups. Furthermore, pitting and fatigue may result from corrosion, while stress cracking may occur on cabling, tubing, and adjustable metal components. As a result, pilots and maintenance crew members should familiarize themselves with the basic process of the engine mount inspection, ensuring that they never let any issue or concern go amiss.

For the first step of the inspection, the engine mount should be removed from the aircraft, and this will require the right tools for loosening and removing the bolts that secure the mount to the firewall. Then, the engine mount should undergo a sandblasting process prior to beginning the inspection itself. There are two major reasons for why this sandblast is highly recommended, one of which is because it will allow for any paint, chemical, or carbon that has built up on the surface to be removed, exposing the metallic surfaces of the mount so that defects are very easy to find. Additionally, sandblasting also clears welding, making it easier to implement strong, reliable, and clean welding for any necessary repair. Once that is completed, federal airworthiness advisors often recommend carrying out magnet/mag particle inspections, among other tests. With a mag particle inspection, defects in welded components and seams can be detected as such issues are not generally visible to the naked eye.

Tabular structure parts must also be inspected once the engine mount has undergone all processes and testing, and this is important as such areas will also face corrosion and pitting over time. As a general rule of thumb, any sections of tubing that have pitting or voids surpassing 10% of the tube’s overall thickness should be replaced. Additionally, all weld joints should be inspected as well to see if any cracking has occurred.

Once this is said and done, any necessary repairs should be considered, and one should also create a list of all necessary replacements. If welding is necessary for any area, TIG welding in particular should be carried out as it ensures more seamless results. Despite this, TIG welding does require ample experience for a reliable weld to be established, so it should only be carried out by professionals who excel in aviation welding.

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1. stephen howard
2. Posted on September 1, 2022
aircraft engines