N804RV
Well Known Member
...A very prominent engine expert one told me that the border between nitrided area and non-nitrided areas acts as a stress riser and if someone is attempting to remove the affected area, AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUN, should probably subject the crank to a commercial X-ray study to see if fracture planes have started.
FWIW
I'm not a metallurgist, and I did not stay in a Holiday Inn last night. But, ...
After reading and looking at the pictures in the Hurst reports, showing the fracture planes emanating from the origin, this is kinda what I was thinking.
But, I wonder if you could really know whether or not you'd fixed the problem with what they call "isotropic super-finishing" of an already run crank without destructive metallurgical analysis.
I've dug through the entire docket. And, the conclusion I have reached is that the determination of the root cause is inconclusive. We just don't know what we don't know. And, since uncle Sam has passed judgement, its a moot point anyway! :-(
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