Lycoming update - 10 months lead time

[chaskuss]

I was advised to create a dummy engine to do all my firewall forward work. This avoids a situation where you've invested tens of thousands of dollars on a lump of metal that will be sitting on the front of your project for a year or more while you finish. By the time you finish your warranty maybe expired. You also don't have to worry about the dummy engine rusting while it's just sitting there. Between scrounging from friends and the local aircraft engine rebuilder, I've been able to piece together most of the parts of an IO-360. The fuel and ignition parts are the items that I will eventually use on the real engine. Doing this has several advantages. Number one it keeps a fair amount of money in your bank account and not hanging needlessly on the front of your project. Number two, it allows you to do all the firewall forward and cowl installation work before you actually make that big engine purchase. If you have an engine rebuild shop within driving distance I would suggest you go visit them. Be sure to explain to them exactly what you want to do. You only want red tag parts. The crankcases I'm using have a 3-inch hole in them and the crankshaft was broken in two. It's best to install all the parts so that the engines weight will be correct. If you leave any large pieces out, the dummy engine may not have the correct motor mount sag. That will affect the mounting of the cowl assembly. Just a suggestion and worth what you paid for it.

Charlie

[AlexC]

Could folks share what have been the recent lead times of their non-Thunderbolt Lycoming orders for the RV14(A)?

Thanks,
Alex

[Bgill]

I ordered mine end of July. I received a projected Dec 20 ship date. My plans were to see it actually in Q1 2020. Vans requested final payment mid Dec. The engine shipped last week and ready for delivery this Monday. Looks like 6 months may be the right planning number - knowing it might also show up a month early.

[larrys]

I ordered the Thunderbolt 390 for our RV14A at Sun & Fun last year. And when I emailed last week they said (dated December 23 19') "We should be starting the engine in about 2 weeks. I am hoping we can ship it before end of January."

Larry

[AlexC]

Thanks, Byron and Larry - much appreciated.

_Alex

[sjarrell]

Originally Posted by markelliott

Just a public service announcement

I ordered a Lycoming IO-390 Thunderbolt through Vans April 2019.....was told at that time delivery would be Oct 2019 but "lead times are coming down and expect it possibly by the August or September".

update this morning "Currently we have your engine to ship in early January. We are decreasing our lead times though and I am hopeful we will be able to ship it earlier than that."......

Ordered our IO390 Thunderbolt engine 10/29/19. Was originally told to expect a July ship date (9 months). That was updated this last week to September (11 months). It looks like the lead times are going up, not coming down.

We will definitely be waiting on the engine.

[RViator60]

I ordered my IO390 Thunderbolt in mid-Nov 2019 and was told by Jeff at that time that I should plan for delivery in a year. I'm assuming 10-11 months is a reasonable lead time estimate which should work well for my build.

[Flyingsnowdog]

I ordered my standard IO-390 Aug 9 and just received my letter from Vans to have final payment by Feb 17 with shipment to follow

[AlexC]

Thanks - it seems that the standard engines are taking about a half a year, and the Thunderbolts are creeping toward a full year. I appreciate the responses!

_Alex

[BobRV7]

To AlexC:
My RV 7 Lycoming YO-360-A1A was ordered from vans 2/21/2019 invoice date 7/3/2019, shipping Date 7/2/2019 departed on 7/3/2019 arrived in Denver 7-3-2019 went to South Holland, IL 7/4/2019 back to Denver, Co then to my hanger on 7/9/2019
It came with a Avstar AV10-4164-1 P/N 61C26047 carburetor instead of a
MSA carb which Van's said. The Starter is a Hartzel-31A28861-Y H-T021229 which was also differant than i was suppose to get,(couldn't find any info on that). The grey paint on the engine wasn't as good as it should be as some was peeled off. The lower engine cap for carb install was leaking the preservative and it is real sticky stuff, I'll have to ask them how to clean that out of the engine as I didn't understand what they had in theirr info that was with the engine. The engine came with no engine manual or any drawing of oil line connections etc. just some info of what i shoud do before running it. I'll have to call them for more info and maybe get a manual etc.