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  #1  
Old 01-17-2019, 01:12 PM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Davis, CA, USA
Posts: 540
Default taking an engine from donor aircraft

I'm doing some planning, and would like to hear some stories and experiences for those who have pulled an engine(/prop) from a donor aircraft for use on your RV. I hear talk about it, but does anyone actually do it?

ex: pulled a engine, prop, accessories, and maybe avionics, instruments, from a perfectly good Mooney or Cherokee 180 with 4000 hours and 1000 SMOH; bolted it up to your RV6,7,8. and now happily flying around (or not).

How did it work out for you? Financially worth it or not? Adapting systems from one aircraft to the RV? Selling off parts of the donor plane to recoup some costs? Pitfalls and gotchas? Anything else you would like to add?

I may start some threads about buying/rebuilding a salvage or used engine vs buying new, so that discussion doesn't need to happen here.

Thanks!
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  #2  
Old 01-17-2019, 01:23 PM
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Mel Mel is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Dallas area
Posts: 10,768
Default

Pulled Lycoming O-320-E3D from Beechcraft Sport that had been damaged in a windstorm. Air Salvage of Dallas test run the engine. I installed it on my RV-6 at 2500 hr. total time. Had to change the prop as the Sport prop was not appropriate for the speed range of the RV. Flew the RV for 3 years. Overhauled the engine to increase HP. I carefully measured all parts removed and all met better than serviceable specs at 2815 hrs. At this time it was burning a quart of oil every 12-14 hrs.
The Sport was in a flight school in Arizona which means that it came from a dry climate and flew pretty much every day.
I would not hesitate to do the same again.
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RV-6 Flying since 1993 (sold)
<rvmel(at)icloud.com>

Last edited by Mel : 01-17-2019 at 02:02 PM.
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  #3  
Old 01-17-2019, 01:24 PM
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Beagle Beagle is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Vienna, VA
Posts: 61
Default

Jeff,

+1

Sorry I don't have any experiences to add but I too am very interested hearing from those who have used reclaimed/salvaged parts.
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  #4  
Old 01-17-2019, 01:50 PM
rdrcrmatt rdrcrmatt is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 300
Default

Lots to cover, and I'm sure people smarter and more experienced than I am will chime in. Here's my list of concerns.

Was the engine preserved or recently run?
I know of an IO-540-C4B5 that was removed from an Apache, not preserved, in a hangar for a couple years, thrown on a plane, and was eating the cam. Also had a unairworthy repair for an oil leak that didn't fix the problem and spiraled into a teardown. Really crappy of someone to do that.

Is the engine the right engine for the platform?
There's a lot to consider in picking a powerplant. Are you sure all of the specs will work on your airframe? Or, the ones that aren't quite right, can you modify / work through them?
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  #5  
Old 01-17-2019, 02:36 PM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
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Location: Davis, CA, USA
Posts: 540
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Sorry, I wasn't clear. I am not talking about starting with a salvage aircraft or engine. I think Mel had an ideal situation there, knowing why the aircraft was damaged and knowing the engine was perfectly good. I am talking about buying an airplane where you can do all the normal prebuy; logbook check, test flight and engine inspection stuff. Fly it home, then dismantle it.

A sticking point for me, living in CA, would be paying sales and property tax on a registered aircraft. That alone could make it poor financial plan.
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  #6  
Old 01-17-2019, 02:56 PM
LittleDave LittleDave is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Bolivar, MO
Posts: 21
Default

Interesting question. One I have also considered. I bought an Arrow last year to fly while finishing the 7. It's past TBO but I have confidence in it as it came from a local small flight school and the plane in which I got my commercial license. Currently the FAA is taking feedback for a proposed AD with respect to the wing spars. Depending on how that goes, my investment in Arrow may be sunk. If so, I have engine, prop, avionics that may well go into the 7.
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  #7  
Old 01-17-2019, 03:13 PM
rv7charlie rv7charlie is offline
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pocahontas MS
Posts: 3,884
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When I started flying around 1990, it was a fairly common practice to purchase flying a/c and cannibalize them for the engine, instruments, and even interiors (seats, etc) on some cases. It tended to drive the antique/classic guys crazy, seeing old but sound airframes going to the salvage yard. Kits were much less developed then, and 'EFIS' was not a word that homebuilders could pronounce. The RV builder population these days seems to be dominated by those who can't pronounce 'experimental'. :-)

The process is probably still doable, if you shop smart. You sometimes see twins with high time/runout engines selling for about the core value on the engines. If you can get in for the core value, the biggest risk is cost to overhaul, which would still be lower than the mortgage level pricing for a new engine.

Charlie
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  #8  
Old 01-17-2019, 08:30 PM
Tommy123 Tommy123 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Naples fl
Posts: 140
Default Of course

I had a Mooney E model that I rebuilt the engine with new cylinders and crank. Everything went through a shop that needed it. New Hartzell similar. When I went to sell it I got ridiculous offers that wouldn't even cover the engine and prop. I kept everything firewall forward and the radios. Sold the airframe for $15,000. Bought a 7 unfinished quick build. That where the engine/ prop live now.
Then I got the idiots that couldn't believe you can change airplane engines (you wouldn't do that to a Ferrari the numbers won't match!). Gosh, I really hate selling a airplane, the internet expert idiots come out of the woodwork. Then you get the old guys that are lonely and want to tell war stories with no intention of buying. Brokers are worth the money.
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  #9  
Old 01-17-2019, 08:31 PM
Tommy123 Tommy123 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Naples fl
Posts: 140
Default Vans

If you buy a kit you can buy a new engine from vans, they have really good prices on engines.
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  #10  
Old 01-17-2019, 08:45 PM
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jcaplins jcaplins is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Davis, CA, USA
Posts: 540
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tommy123 View Post
If you buy a kit you can buy a new engine from vans, they have really good prices on engines.
yes, I still have that option. it will cost me about $45,000. (engine, prop, firewall kit, engine mount, gear legs, and cowling) + plus whatever else I can't think of.
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