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Overhaul !!!!! ??????
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Mike Spera wrote: Charles Talleyrand wrote: My local mechanic says that I need to overhaul my engine. It's got 1200 hours but it's been 27 years since the last overhaul. He's worried about the age, and he hears "piston slap" when he runs the engine. Compression and oil analysis are fine. He is well respected around the local airport. He proposes either a name brand $16,000 overhaul, or a less costly option where he and a local aviation mechanic professor can work on it together ("two eyes are better than one" he says). If it makes a difference, I don't live in farmland. I live in the forest, with forest and lake for 100 miles in every direction. Any advise? Any way to explain to the wife? Anyone want a nice C-150 with a new paint job but a tired engine? Others have chimed in suggesting replacing only the top end components that are out of whack. Consider that 27 years is more than TWICE the manufacturer's recommended time to overhaul limit of 12 years. You may get away with patchwork as others have claimed. But these folks rarely report back when their high year, avoided overhaul ended them up in the weeds. So, nobody has any real stats on how this crap shoot plays out. Only the winners pipe up. It sucks but this is a reality with owning. I'm not sure whether folks realize when they buy an airplane that "judgment day" (the day when overhaul is necessary) must come. I figure on a good chance of overhaul or at least some major engine work (cylinder) when a plane is past 10 years or 1000 hours. How to tell the wife? Explain the options. Patch it up and risk being very dead in a crash, sell it and take a huge loss, or do it right and have a safe plane to enjoy for the next 12 years. Divide $16k by 12. By the way, don't just figure the price of the engine overhaul. You will likely need an alternator and starter overhaul, new rubber mounts, new oil and fuel hoses, new baffling, and lots of other small stuff. $5k is a good estimate for planning (loan) purposes. My only problem with field overhauls is that the finished product is of unknown quality. It is somewhat of a crap shoot when the factorys/shops do them. And those guys do it all day, every day. They know every little nuance that can avoid later problems. And, you get a warranty. Yes, they are very limited. But if the thing blows up 50 hours after you get it back, they take care of the problem. With a field overhaul you are likely out of luck. Others likely have strong opinions contrary to mine. In the end, it is your butt vs. your money at risk. Good Luck, Mike Mike, You did not specify whether it is a Continental or a Lycoming -- big difference! Lycomings, with the cam mounted above the crankshaft, have a tendency to get corrosion on the front lobes of the cam, when the oil dries up and moisture collects at the top of the crankcase. Usually it is the front lobes that take the hit. Continentals, with the cam below the crank, apparently manage to stay covered with oil and avoid the corrosion problem. Sometimes the valve guides get coked up and need reaming. If all operational parameters look good, don't touch it -- just fly it. All engines have some piston slap, due to the loose tolerances of aircooled engines. -- Remove _'s from email address to talk to me. |
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