stevie on Instagram: "77A won a LINDY! 🏆 I was going to wait to share the following series of events with a YouTube video first, but I can’t post about this award without sharing this story and thanking my friend and mechanic Cameron (@slip.it). A few months ago, I posted about the top overhaul we completed on my C-85. Just 12 flying hours after the top overhaul, the engine developed an oil leak around one of the cylinder bases…which ended up being a through stud coming out of one case half, despite torquing everything IAW TCM torque specs. This meant we had to split the entire case and now do a FULL engine overhaul, with less than 2 months until Oshkosh. (I have amazing luck. LOL). When we split the case, we also found out that my crankshaft was bad, so we decided to turn my C-85 into a C-85 Stroker, which is a C-85 with an O-200 crankshaft, rods, and pistons. It still makes 85 hp on paper, but in practice it makes a little more, so it’s a great upgrade. Typically, an engine overha...
14K likes, 315 comments - bayflight on August 1, 2024: "77A won a LINDY! 🏆 I was going to wait to share the following series of events with a YouTube video first, but I can’t post about this award without sharing this story and thanking my friend and mechanic Cameron (@slip.it). A few months ago, I posted about the top overhaul we completed on my C-85. Just 12 flying hours after the top overhaul, the engine developed an oil leak around one of the cylinder bases…which ended up being a through stud coming out of one case half, despite torquing everything IAW TCM torque specs. This meant we had to split the entire case and now do a FULL engine overhaul, with less than 2 months until Oshkosh. (I have amazing luck. LOL). When we split the case, we also found out that my crankshaft was bad, so we decided to turn my C-85 into a C-85 Stroker, which is a C-85 with an O-200 crankshaft, rods, and pistons. It still makes 85 hp on paper, but in practice it makes a little more, so it’s a great upgrade. Typically, an engine overhaul like this would take 3-4 months. With the expertise of Cameron, the determination of Graham, and the help of many friends, together we were able to build up a C-85 Stroker in about 3 weeks. Cameron was patient enough to let me get as hands-on as possible with the engine build and he taught me SO much throughout the process. Although the circumstances of this upgrade weren’t the greatest, it’s been an incredible and very rewarding learning experience. Thanks to Cameron, the engine is balanced within a tenth of a gram, only burned half a quart of oil during the first ten hours, and runs smooth as glass. We also replaced the ignition harness and exhaust system, as well as painted the case, cylinders, engine mounts, inside of the top cowling, intake tubes, oil tank, and cleaned the firewall. Thank you to @obrienshangar who let us borrow his @mccauleyprops 1B90/7150 cruise prop for the long trip. And of course, a HUGE thank you to @nealaviationksee, @artcraftpaint, and @garminaviation! I am so excited to have won a Bronze Lindy for Best Class II Classic Aircraft at EAA AirVenture this year and I can’t wait to improve 77A even more for next year! #twopeat 📸 @tandessonealphotographyllc".