MrNomad

MrNomad

Well Known Member
The friend who helped me build my 9A burned one valve in his O-200 engine (C150).

So we pulled all 4 jugs including one fairly new Millenium and sent them to a local aviation machine shop which is held in high regard. According to the written estimate, the repair costs for 3 jugs (approx 1000 hours) should be less than $400, including paperwork.

This will be a repair, not an overhaul. $400 for all three jugs.

I realize that the three jugs had only 1000 hours but if we left them much longer, I doubt we could fix them this inexpensively.

What am I missing? I was expecting a much higher estimate?


Barry RV9A
106 hours of utter enjoyment, satisfaction, and accomplishment after an 18 month build
 
Repair

Just by the price, I would assume they are just going to replace the burned valve and grind, hone and lap the rest. Ask them if this is the case.
 
You know,

I haven't been in aviation long; but I have already seen so many cheap repairs turn expensive that I think that we need to put "cheap repair" into the oxymoron category for airplanes. Think of all the little pieces of hardware that come on a head. Just one going wrong and you can ruin the whole thing. Completely new ones are what, $850-1000 each? With new ones you basically have a new engine with greater reliability and resale. And guess what, they come with valves & everything ready to go, you just have to bolt them in.

You can turn one repair into two really easily, usually the "cheap repair" is first, and the second repair is to fix it right, spending more money and effort than you would have if you just made it right all the way in the first place.

The other factor is downtime, if you having to tear the plane apart again to do same/similar again with more downtime is no fun.

Here is Mike Busch's take ton the "Jug Jungle". Interestingly, he is very positive about the Superior Cylinders for the 0-200.

Hans
 
Barry,

Perhaps the key phrase here is "which is held in high regard." You may just have happened onto one of those remaining honest shops that does what is needed and does it well. If they have been around for a while and people trust them, maybe you should, too. If these jugs haven't been overhauled before and haven't been abused, they may need only honing and valve grinding/lapping. Not too big a job. Sounds like an inexpensive way to take this engine up to time for a major.

Bob Kelly
 
Quality work has to be encouraged.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find Superior jugs. When Superior filed bankruptcy, orders for their remaining parts in the pipeline went ballistic. Several vendors told me that their larger customers called and took every Superior jug they had on the shelf.

Our repair shop called today and reported that one jug was pitted and should not be used. We didn?t quibble and told them to find another because we do not want to do this job again.

I think Bob Kelly put his finger on the answer. Perhaps this repair facility truly deserves the high regard they?re held in. Also, because the jugs only had 900-1000 hours, they can still be saved. There?s something to be said for NOT waiting till things are falling apart.

It?s comforting to believe that your machine shop is a craftsman rather than a chop shop. All too often we experience otherwise but if our expectations are realized with the O-200, I will happily share the shop?s name with everyone.

Quality work has to be encouraged.

Barry RV9A 105 hours

Tucson
 
O-200's are some very cheap engines to run/maintain. New cylinders could be found for <$800 when Superior made them.
 
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