Cessna Anticipates AvGas Demise

Dan_Thomas_ wrote

The Thielert also has maintenance drawbacks. We checked
into getting some for our 172s, and to maintain them you need either
to take them to an approved repair facility, or go to Texas and take a
two-week (IIRC) course in their maintenance. And buy a bunch of
expensive tools. Any major repairs requires a removal of the engine
and sending it to the approved repair people. Can't take the head off,
for instance, and re-ring a piston or do the valves.
There's no TBO. They call it a TBR, where the whole engine is
replaced with a new one. I can't put my finger on the time but I think
it's around 2400 hours.

Everything but the TBR may be nearly a non issue, if the Thielert has the
kind of no mess reliability I have grown to expect from most diesels. Re
ringing and doing valves are things that an air cooled engine may need
often, but a diesel will probably not need until it is replaced.

Only time will tell how they hold up, once they get into the field with
sufficient numbers. I have a feeling they will be impressive.

I also suspect that the TBR thing could change, also. The factory probably
is going to get all of those replaced engines into their shop, and do a
complete tear-down, and inspection and measurement of every part in the
engine, to get a feel for areas that may need improvement, or possibly could
be made lighter.

I look forward to seeing many Thielerts in the air, and hopefully someone
else will get a product into the air, also. The jet fuel burning IC engine
is GA's best hope for the little guy, IMHO.
--
Jim in NC