Best deal on new IO-320??

AF_Alan · #1 11-25-2011, 03:44 PM

Time to pull the trigger and order an engine. Wife mandated it be a new engine or she'll never fly in it ... and who am I to argue.

Decided on an IO-320 roller tappet and looking at prices noted Van's at $26500 for a Lycoming and Mattituck at $23700 for same basic engine with servo and starter.

Am I missing something that would explain a nearly $3K difference? Is it just the "branding" that I'd be paying for with a Lycoming?

I know about the $1000 discount from Van's for prop/engine but $2K seems too much to leave on the table as the threads have positive comments about both sources.

Thanks for any insights!

az_gila · #2 11-25-2011, 04:35 PM

One is made with only Lycoming parts - the other is made with FAA/PMA parts from multiple vendors.

Given the Mattituck name and warranty, I would save the extra $$$ and buy avionics...

Captain Avgas · #3 11-25-2011, 05:35 PM

The Vans offering is an authentic Lycoming. The Mattituck offering is a Lycoming clone, probably making extensive use of ECI components.

A new engine is a very significant (and expensive) purchase decision so you should take the opportunity to do some research via the VansAirforce archives. The following thread might be a good place to start.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ht=ECI+problem

Personally I would not be worrying too much about saving a couple of thousand dollars on a purchase of this importance....I'd go for the best because your life will depend on your engine. Shopping for an engine based primarily on price is like trying to save a few dollars by choosing a cheap heart pacemaker.

Mattituck is a good company. Why don't you ask them to give you a price on an engine built from Lycoming parts for comparison.

I recommend you also check the prices from AeroSport Power. They are an excellent company as well. You can go here to get comparative prices on engines with ECI parts, Superior parts, and Lycoming parts.

http://www.aerosportpower.com/prices.htm#NewEngines

Mike S · #4 11-25-2011, 05:38 PM

There is one in the classifieds right now.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=79320

AF_Alan · #5 11-28-2011, 11:02 AM

All -
Thanks all for the input. A big investment I won't rush into.

JonJay · #6 11-28-2011, 11:10 AM

One vote for Aerosport Power. Your search here will provide several very good engine sources.
I feel the need to plug Aerosport because of the excellent service I have recieved from them. Bart is allways available personally by phone. I had a valve stick at 425 hours, 4 1/2 years of service. They reconditioned the entire cylinder, not just the valve guide, shipped it back with ALL of the gaskets and hardware, including four exhaust gaskets nuts washer etc.., and charged me $22 for the shipping. That was it, total charge $22.
That is way beyond a warranty repair.

Neal@F14 · #7 11-28-2011, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonJay

One vote for Aerosport Power.

Looking at Aerosport's website prices for the IO-340 vs the IO-320 would lead me to seriously think about the 340 if I were about to plunk down $26-27K for a new engine and was originally considering an IO-320. The 340 seems to be only 7-8 lbs heavier and gives around 17 more horsepower.

pvalovich · #8 11-28-2011, 02:47 PM

I have to second all the positive comments about Aerosport. Seven years ago I knew nothing about engines when I started my research. The technical specs all appeared more or less similar among Vans, Lyc, Superior, Mattituck - and other second-hand providers. At one time I was even impressed by Superior's composite sump but didn't go there (the old saying, God takes care of drunks and fighter pilots). I was also impressed by Superior's marketing - especially their "We'll help you build your own so you can really understand your engine" program.

I even considered the used-engine logic - a used engine has already passed it's initial break-in gremlins.

Finally came to the conclusion that saving a few bucks wasn't what mattered. What was important was the company's patience in getting me smart about their product and their willingness to put up with naive repetitive questions about performance, installation and operation.

Aerosport. No regrets, no complaints, still no questions unanswered.