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That's the second 337 blown head I've seen in the last two weeks.
While I was visiting my brother who lives at a private strip in Hawkins, TX recently, the owner of a P337 based there showed me a blown cyllinder he'd replaced. The head had completely broken free of the rest of the cyllinder.
In the TX case, as in the case of Mr. Harney, the pilot was able to continue operating the engine. In fact, he used Unicom to check with a nearby airport to see whether they had a mechanic!
I'd like to hope that if ever my 73 P337 blows a head, the engine will continue to operate pretty normally, with just a little loss in power. But that's hoping for a lot, is it not?
Pardon my ignorance, but I don't get it. How can a blown head not create all kinds of mayhem, including burned wires and hoses, smell of smoke in the cockpit, alarming indications on instruments and worrisome vibrations and noises -- or worse, such as a serious fire fed by a burned-through fuel line?
What am I missing in my understanding of engines, the tons of explosive force a cyllinder contains and the super-hot, 1500 degree gasses that would blast through any crack onto whatever is adjacent?
And what causes a head to blow clean off? In the case of the TX engine, the piston (also removed) had very thick and rough deposits of carbon. I suppose hot carbon deposits could have been causing detonation or pre-ignition, which are said to be a cyllinder's worst enemy.
This is a sincere inquiry. Any expertise out there on this issue?
Best,
GJHumphrey
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