Certified Engine - homebuilt back to Certified a/c

[Flybuddy2]

Can someone with a certified aircraft purchase a used certified engine out of a homebuilt for legal use??
Can't seem to find any reg that applies--Was told by FAA at Sun-N-Fun a couple of years back that once a certified engine goes into a homebuilt it's no longer certified. Another issue is the dataplate--should the certified dataplate be removed when engine installed in a homebuilt??
thx Tom

[guccidude1]

Short answer is yes, but. AN A&P will have to certify that all ADs are complied with and all accessories are correct for that model of engine, that there are no uncertified parts in or on the engine. Or, you can have it overhauled at a certified overhaul shop and it will return to you with all the paperwork that says it be good to go. One other related item, insure the engine is the correct engine for the airframe. Not all O-320s for example, will be eligible to hang on a C-172, only the dash numbers permitted by the airframe manufacturer. Dan

[Mel]

It would probably be difficult to find an A&P willing to do this. He would have to certify that the engine meets it's "Type Certificate". To accomplish this he would have to attest that every part in the engine is "certified" and in compliance with the TC.

[Flybuddy2]

Thanks guys--not planning on doing this--just got into a discussion and we had several different opinions..Tom

[Daver]

The FSDO that just did my inspection said my certified lycoming is STILL a
certified engine and the name plate can stay.

I asked if I, as the builder/repairman could work on it, he said "of course you can"

Dave
-9A flying

[pierre smith]

We bought a certified engine out of a flipped Comanche (mini tornado) and overhauled it ourselves. Since I'm not an A@P, I couldn't sign the logbook off and couldn't find a cooperative A@P that would.

The DAR refused to give me a pink slip at first and I found out that I could legally remove the original data plate and....voila!! a Smith/Morgan 0-360 was born! Perfectly legal. A new data plate was engraved (actually, the back side of the old one) and re-installed,

Best,

[Toobuilder]

Originally Posted by Daver

The FSDO that just did my inspection said my certified lycoming is STILL a
certified engine and the name plate can stay.

I asked if I, as the builder/repairman could work on it, he said "of course you can"

Dave
-9A flying

FSDO personnel often are left to their own when it comes to "interpreting" the regs, and some inspectors are easier than others. It's one good reason to "shop around" when trying to deal with a FSDO. Some are extremely accommodating when it comes to homebuilts while others act like they are all deathtraps and should be banned.

That said, the very fact that an engine installed on a homebuilt can be maintained by ANYONE means it MUST be inspected for compliance with its TC before going back on a production airplane. Therefore, the very act of bolting a Lycoming onto a homebuilt effectively "poisons" the engine, and it stays that way until it is removed from the experimental and is "cured" by the signature of a certified mechanic/inspector. Good luck finding someone who will certify compliance with a TC without splitting the case.

For those that confuse the 25 hour test rule for "certified" engines vs. 40 hours for "experimental" engines - I think that is more of a case of the FSDO giving credit for being "close enough", rather than conforming to the TC as a "certified" engine.