CFM56 Combustor:

Borescope Inspection Guide

June 2012

Book Number: GEK 119179

CFM, CFM56, LEAP and the CFM logo are trademarks of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran group) and GE. The information in this document is CFM Proprietary Information and is disclosed in confidence. It is the property
of CFM International and its parent companies, and shall not be used, disclosed to others or reproduced without the express written consent of CFM. If consent is given for reproduction in whole or in part, this notice shall appear in any such reproduction in
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 This guide is designed to aid Airline Maintenance Personnel
with the identification of typical visual findings during a
CFM56 Combustor Module borescope inspection. Engine
model specific limitation and detailed acceptance of non-
acceptance criteria are only found in the Engine Manuals
and/or Aircraft Maintenance Manuals.
Contact CFMI Product Support Engineering if assistance is
needed in classification of distress.

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 CFM International Proprietary Information
The information contained in this document is CFM international proprietary
information and disclosed in confidence. CFM International is a 50/50 joint
company between Snecma and General Electric Company. It is the property of
CFM International and shall not be used disclosed to others or reproduced without
the express written consent of CFM International, including, but without
limitation, it is not to be used in the creation, manufacture, development, or
derivation of any repairs, modifications, spare parts, designs, or configuration
changes or to obtain FAA or any other regulatory approval to do so. If consent is
given for reproduction in whole or in part, this notice and the notice set forth on
each page of this document shall appear in any such reproduction in whole or in
part.

CFM56-7B

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Table of Contents

Title Page Number

Introduction 5
Pre TI Outer Liners with and without Multi-Holes 6
Difference Between Pre TI / TI / Harsh Environment 7
Combustors
Combustor Without Distress 8
Dome Distress 9
Inner/Outer Combustor Liner Cracks 14
Inner/Outer Combustor Liner Burn Through Holes 17
Inner/Outer Combustor Liner TBC Spallation 19
Acronyms 20

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 Introduction
This guide is intended exclusively for the owners and operators of CFM56 Engines. It
has been prepared as a guide for use in the analysis of borescope findings on the parts
of the CFM56 Combustor Modules. The purpose of this guide is to enable quick and
accurate identification of the typical visual findings during the borescope inspection
of a combustor.

The data/images presented here do not supersede or replace any FAA approved
documents. This document and the material within it are subordinate to Aircraft AND
Engine Maintenance Manuals.

CFM56-5B

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Pre TI Outer Liners With and Without
Multi-Hole Patches Explaination
Metal temperatures
Baseline

3
1 2

Panel

Pre TI
Multihole
Description of Multi-Hole Patch
• Two rows of fifteen holes located
behind the central primary dilution
holes on Pre-TI Outer Liner
• Provides preferential cooling in
areas of distress
• Panel 1 TBC temperature decreased 320° F
• Will reduce CMAS and TBC Spallation
• Panel 1 Metal temperature decreased 240° F
• Combined with lack of TBC Spall will reduce
overhang creep

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Major Differences Between Pre-Tech Insertion /
Tech Insertion / Harsh Environment Combustors
Secondary Dilution
Multi Hole patches on 3rd
moved forward on inner
panel of inner liner
/ outer liners

Difference between
Pre-
Pre-TI and TI Comb.
Assy. A

Outer Liner Inner Liner

Difference between
TI and Harsh Additional
Environment Comb. multi hole
Assy. patches

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Combustor without distress
Secondary Swirler
without ovalization

Outer Liner Deflector Plate Fuel Nozzle Tip Dome Area

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Dome: Deflector distress
AMM Limit (Sketch) • Ensure AMM limits are provided as following:
Figure 1
1. Up to 9 exposed dome cooling holes permitted
in each deflector quadrant (1 – 4) as shown in
Quadrant
Quadrant
Figure 1
4 ALF 1
2. More than 9 exposed dome cooling holes per
3
Quadrant
2
Quadrant quadrant is allowed if exposed holes are within
pattern restriction shown in Figure 2

3. The Continue-In-Service limit is 100 cycles if

Figure 2 exposed dome cooling holes are within patter
restriction shown in Figure 3

Example of
ALF exposed
cooling holes

New make
Figure 3
deflector edge

ALF

New make
deflector edge
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Dome: Deflector Oxidation / Missing
Material

Missing Material

Deflector experiencing Oxidation/ Missing Material still within AMM limits

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 Dome: Venturi Cracking / Secondary Swirler
Eyelet Cracking
Cracked Venturi / Swirler

No AMM Limit for this condition, but if requested, DR Cracking in the eyelets of the primary swirl are
available allowable on wing (per CFM SAC Airbus and Boeing
Venturi cracking has not been linked to any downstream AMM’s)
distress
Disposition:
• Accept 1 crack per venturi up to 0.100 in width of
missing material is permitted
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Dome: Coking / Carbon Build-Up on
Secondary Swirler Venturies

Carbon accumulation
There is no limit to the amount of carbon accumulation on
•There
any surface of the combustor assembly, including the dome
venturi area

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Dome: Primary Swirler Ovalization/ Fuel
Nozzle Tip Wear

DAC SAC

Recommendation:
The above conditions are acceptable subject to inspection
•The
of the fuel nozzle wear tips

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Inner/Outer Combustor Liner: Crack Examples
1

Axial Cracks

Note: These are approximate dimensions and not exact

2
1) Axial Crack
• 3 axial cracks, each less than one panel in
length
• One crack connected to a burn through
hole
2) Axial Crack
• Crack across one panel
• There is no limit to the number of axial
cracks that are contained within one panel
for both Boeing and Airbus CFM AMM’s
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Inner/Outer Combustor Liner: Crack
Examples
1 2

1) Circumferential crack
• Circumferential crack not connected 3
• Crack not longer than 2 dilution lands
2)Circumferential crack
• Circumferential crack connected to Axial Crack
• Multiple cracks are allowed to connect if they are
contained within one panel are within the area of one
dilution hole in length (per recently updated CFM SAC
Airbus and Boeing AMM’s)
3) Axial crack
• Axial crack connected to burn through hole
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 Inner/Outer Combustor Liner Supports:
Cracks
1

1) Aft Support Leg Cracking

• Currently no AMM limits for this condition because condition is not
easy to be inspected on wing and condition is found commonly on CFM
SAC Liners in the shop
• Recommendation is to BSI HPT Nozzle during routine BSI intervals

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Inner/Outer Combustor Liner: Burn Through
Hole Examples

Burn Through
Holes

Note: These are approximate dimensions and not

Burn through holes: exact
• Burn through holes are smaller than 2 times the area of a dilution hole
• Burn through holes are still within AMM limits (ref. CFM SAC Boeing and
Airbus limits)

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Inner/Outer Combustor Liner: Burn
Through Hole Examples

Burn through holes:

• Burn through holes are greater than 2 times the
area of a dilution hole
• The maximum size of any hole is not more than 5
the size of a dilution hole according to SAC CFM
Airbus and Boeing AMM’s

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Inner/Outer Combustor Liner: Missing
Material

1 2

1) TBC Spallation
• Any amount is acceptable per the all CFM Boeing and Airbus AMM’s
2) Circumferential crack
• Circumferential crack connected to Axial Crack
• Multiple cracks are allowed to connect if they are contained within one panel are
within the area of one dilution hole in length

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Acronym List

AMM – Aircraft Maintenance Manual HPT – High Pressure Turbine

Assy – Assembly IL – Inner Liner
BSI – Borescope Inspection OL – Outer Liner
Comb – Combustor SAC – Single Annular Combustor
DAC – Dual Annular Combustor TBC – Thermal Barrier Coating
DR – Departure Record TI – Tech Insertion

20
GE Title or job number
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10/15/2012
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