When I was in Flight Engineers/Mechanics School our instructor told us never to put the mixture in auto lean below five hundred feet. If the pilot requested it they told us to flick the switch indicating to the pilot that we were in auto lean and then monitor the fuel consumption rate to maintain adequate fuel for the flight.
On this particular flight we were about 200 feet ASL when an exhaust valve on the left engine did not open resulting in the top of the jug being blown off. Luckily I was following the instructors’ advice and the mixture was in auto rich. The engine almost ripped from the mounts and in the next two seconds I had placed the cross feed in the open position and I was operating the wobble pumps. The engine stabilized and the MAP and RPM held steady as if nothing had happened.
When we got on the ground and opened the cowl we found the busted jug. We requested that we be allowed to change the engine but the district office refused our request. We ended up doing a top overhaul on the effected cylinder replacing the jug and the piston. We were afraid the articulating rod or its bearings had been damaged and we again requested an engine change and again it was refused. After doing a 6-hour green run on the new cylinder we went for a test flight. The Navy tower indicated that we were blowing a lot of smoke thinking we were on fire. We returned and checked everything. When we went back on the runway the tower again indicated that we were trailing smoke. We returned and performed a cold cylinder check with no negative indications. Once again we requested an engine change and once again it was refused. This time the chief told me to pull the oil filter and bring it to him. He took the filter to the Navy machine shop and rolled it in the bed of a lathe. There were curly cue chips as well as other forms of chips on the filter. The chief had a picture taken of the filter and sent it to the district office. They authorized the engine change.
We pulled the P-Boat into the hangar and I removed the cowling. I started to make the various disconnects at the firewall and the chief stopped me asking what I was doing. I told him and he told me that the proper way to pull an engine was to make the disconnects at the Dynafocal mounts. This required the removal of the carburetor and several other accessories. The Navy mechanics watched us in total disbelief as we labored to follow the chiefs' orders. It took almost three days to pull and replace the engine when it would normally take one day or less.
