diamondaviators.net

dmloftus wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:55 pm

mhoran wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:34 pm Factory rebuilds / overhauls are taking 30 weeks+ (and even missing those dates). If you don't need an engine *now*, that's a great option. Unfortunately overhaul of your own engine is the only practical option otherwise.

I guess I have more to learn. BTW, I wasn't referring to Lycoming rebuilding one's own engine, which I understand would be a very lengthy process. I was under the impression from companies like Air Power that you can pay them $40K for a "new" factory remanufactured engine plus a refundable $20K core charge that you get back when you turn in your original. That way you can fly your own engine until your "new" engine is delivered and do a much faster swap.

https://www.airpowerinc.com/henpl-rt10051

David:

That is what I did in November, 2020. I ordered a Lycoming Factory rebuild (from AirPower) for $32,700. I was considering keeping my old engine, overhauling it with my A&P, and preserving it as a ready spare (until I saw the Core charge from Lycoming of $17,400). Round trip freight was just under $1K. I was initially quoted an 11 week delivery, which progressively stretched to 14 weeks. Having it done by a good shop closer to me would have taken a month less, assuming no big issues.

I wanted to have a zero-time engine, so a Lycoming rebuild was the only way to go. Plus, during the long delay, I removed the old engine, had the prop governor and oil cooler overhauled, and did some other maintenance items on the airplane. The downside was you don't know the history of any of the parts in a rebuild, even if Lycoming does it, just that they meet new tolerances. If they had rebuilt mine, I would have known the history of the engine.

Anyway compared to the supply chain issues folks are dealing with today, I consider myself lucky...

Steve wrote: ↑Tue Sep 06, 2022 11:02 pm I wanted to have a zero-time engine, so a Lycoming rebuild was the only way to go. Plus, during the long delay, I removed the old engine, had the prop governor and oil cooler overhauled, and did some other maintenance items on the airplane. The downside was you don't know the history of any of the parts in a rebuild, even if Lycoming does it, just that they meet new tolerances. If they had rebuilt mine, I would have known the history of the engine.

Anyway compared to the supply chain issues folks are dealing with today, I consider myself lucky...

Thanks Steve. I suppose that's the same issue with rebuilt cylinders as well. You have no idea what the history is.

Good video on independent overhaul process. I think I'll go the Lycoming remanufactured route when it's time ;-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvg-9ce ... aveGoodwin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dr-ob5 ... aveGoodwin

Good Morning from Germany! Even if it's far away I want to share my experience:

I'm owning my DA40-180 since 2001, it's the 40052 and I'm loving my plane as it's a family member. TT is about 700h now. I did the overhaul a little more than 1 year ago because of rust in the cylinders. We have cold winters here in the north of Germany and even if the plane is in the hangar, there is a problem with condensation during winter. The performance wasn't bad but in comparison to now there has been about 15% less power.

As the engine just had a TT of the e 700h I decided not to change but to overhaul it. Cost has been about 36.000 Euro with new cylinder etc. and the company did the good job within 4 weeks.

Even if I'm satisfied and can really recommend the Company Dachsel (dachsel.de) there was a failure in the LASAR system afterwords. We couldn't fix it but with the support of Diamond in Austria it was changed to a slick start system.

Now everything is fine

Regards, Geerd

Interesting to read those stories. There have been developments in my own situation. As my engine was approaching TBO, I asked a quote for an overhaul back in March from a nearby shop (one of the larger ones in Canada). The quote was 28500 CAD (21400 USD) with new Lycoming cylinders. I set that aside thinking I would get back to it in the fall, but a recent problem with what seems to be a connecting rod cut that short and the plane is now grounded. I asked for an updated quote and the shop explained that with inflation and Lycoming price increases, it would now be 36000 CAD (27000 USD), still with new Lycoming cylinders, but with uncertain lead times that would be at least 3-4 months, perhaps even 6+ months.

Given the price increase and the long lead times, I decided to explore other options. I called another shop in central Canada for a quote and theirs was 46500 CAD for a scope of work identical to the one above but with Superior cylinders, so not a good option. I also searched for available M1A engines and found two. One is at a shop in eastern Canada but it is reserved for Diamond. The shop asked Diamond if they would release the engine and take mine after its overhaul but they declined. I suppose I could have bought that engine from Diamond but I didn't even bother to inquire given the margins I expect they would have added on top. The shop pointed me to the owner of this wreck https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/p ... aa10b.html who had the engine repaired by a shop in Florida where it is currently located. The exhaustive teardown report shows 276TT and damage limited to the cooling fins on one cylinder, which was replaced. The engine was quoted at 50000 USD minus 15000 USD for my core, for a net cost of 35000 USD. Not bad for a 276TT engine but still quite a bit more than overhauling my own engine at the nearby shop.

In the end, I will go the overhaul route, mainly for cost reasons but also for the proximity of the shop in the event the engine requires service after the overhaul. But the engine in Florida might be a good option for others here.

PM me for specifics like shop names and contacts if interested.

Charles: I would imagine that the shipping cost from FL to Canada would be at least a couple thousand USD (you have to ship the core back as well).

Steve wrote: ↑Mon Sep 19, 2022 2:22 pm Charles: I would imagine that the shipping cost from FL to Canada would be at least a couple thousand USD (you have to ship the core back as well).

Probably, yes, and there would likely be customs issues to deal with as well. By contrast, the shop I'm using will pick up and deliver the engine for free at the maintenance shop where the plane is, which is about 150 miles from them.

Week 6/7 (halfway mark based on initial estimate) update:

Mags are back from overhaul (despite requesting new ones, which are apparently unavailable). Accessory case and oil sump are back. New cylinders and parts (e.g. camshaft) are in. Crankcase, crankshaft are still at the machine shop. Prop, governor and oil cooler are still out for overhaul. I had requested fine wire plugs but apparently those are hard to come by.

Fingers crossed no major issues are found with the crank or case, and we should be flying again in just over a month!

fine wire plugs but apparently those are hard to come by

I picked some up a week ago at mcfarlaneaviation.com

Everything is back at the shop at this point except for the steel parts. Fortunately our prop only needed a clean-and-seal (I opted for an IRAN instead of overhaul since we're not planning to sell any time soon.) Unfortunately the machine shop is super backed up, and the overhauler has been waiting for a case to come back that he sent in back in late July. So what was a 12 week turnaround is now indefinite.