Gash

Gash

Well Known Member
Hi guys,
I've been using the advanced search function trying to find an answer to this question, with no luck. So, at risk of asking something that may have already been discussed repeatedly (but I'm too dumb to find it), here goes:

Where should I be looking to find the best deal on an IO-360 M1B engine?

Some say that Vans has the best deal. Others have told me that local engine shops can build one up from parts even cheaper. I've visited the websites of engine companies who sponsor VAF, have searched classifieds, made phone calls around the country, etc. etc. After all of this, I'm not finding any one vendor that really stands out as having competitive pricing. I would welcome your ideas on this subject. Thanks very much!
 
HSANTIBANEZ said:
TMXIO-360, excelent service, contact Mahlon Russel.
Click to expand...

I've had my TMXIO for 6 months now. (current pricing)

I tried to spend more money... Mahlon suggested a configuration that best fit my mission profile. He suggested NOT having certain details that I was requesting. This made the engine significantly less then I had expected.

Apples to Apples I found prices to be pretty standard. When you try to give cash to someone and they push it back... I'll be going back to them for the next project:)

*I did shop around. I have only bought 1 aircraft engine in my life. I'm sure others have had great experiences with other great builders in this community. Just sharing my experience.

Regards,

Scott
 
The best deal goes beyond $$$

Mahlon Russell gave me the best customer and technical support one could ask for!

And I asked a lot!
 
TMX for sure

I have had several questions after buying my engine and Mahlon has always answered my calls or emails. I can't say too much about everyone I have dealt with at Mattituck. Sometimes they will have a class where you get to watch and engine get built (not yours, it is a group class). If you get the chance I highly recommend going. Not sure but I don't think they have them more than once a year but as Mahlon.

I should get to fire my engine up this summer!!
 
Yah... nothing to add except how Mahlon and all the guys at Mattituck go WAAAAAY above and beyond!

The shopping experience was truly the best!

Buy your engine from Mahlon!

You won't be disappointed.

:) CJ
 
Mattituck is where I got mine based almost exclusively on the recommendations of other RVers. Price was important, and -- yeah -- I'm a working stiff, but I didn't know anything about engines and Mahlon walked me through it and although I didn't need much builder support upon delivery, he was immediately available to answer the dumbest question or two I could throw at him.

Here's the setup I went with.

At this point, btw, you might consider waiting until Oshkosh to order. I think they give you something like a $500 break, usually.
 
TMX thumbs up

Mahlon walks on water..And he pays me $50 every time I say this..;)

Frank
 
Bob Collins,
I enjoyed your blog post about your engine decision. That was a fun read! You really know how to write!
 
Same question I am asking...

Hello,

Thats a good question, and one I am trying to resolve myself right now.
I am still a way off needing to order the finishing kit, Engine etc, but the
recent Vans Lycoming Sun & Fun price special did get my attention.(expires 4th May)

The issues I need to resolve myself is
- Do I buy now, assuming that the engine prices will continue to go up, or wait?
I had a look at lettersfromflyovercountry engine choice (2008), and note that something similar would today cost about $5,000 more.

- And of course who do I buy from. I know price is not everything. When I compared prices mid last year Mattituck & Aerosport were my clear favorites, right now Vans Lycoming deal looks pretty good.

I have narrowed my choice down to 4 (always open to more suggestions!), and in order of price they are...

Superior Kit XP-IO360-B1HD2 (and get it assembled locally)
Vans Lycoming Sun & Fun deal $26,200
Aeroport & Mattituck currently more than Vans

One of my concerns is that straying away from the Vans Lycoming may make the installion more difficult.
I am not sure how good the instructions/manual/plans are or how great the firewall fwd kit is, but I would hope that buying
the firewall fwd kit from Vans for one of the engines they sell, would give me the best chance of having everything I need.
How to I work out if the Superior above is close or exactly the same as the Lycoming M1B?
I believe the Aerosport & Mattituck Horizontal Inductions are much the same as the Lyc.

Thoughts & comments welcome.......
 
I can answer the "how good are the instructions" portion of the question. The answer: It doesn't matter. You won't be following the instructions.

The engines are all pretty similar, depending on what combination you go with. The fuel line comes out of the firewall and the to fuel pump, out of the fuel pump to the servo, T's off to a pressure line, out of the servo and up to the spider. It's up to you how you get them all there without hitting the exhaust, engine mount etc.

The alternator goes where the alternator goes, the starter goes where the starter goes and the instructions provide guidance on routing the wires in a satisfactory way. No heavy lifting, just bloody knuckes.

You add exhaust and if you use Vetterman -- make a note: use Vetterman -- it'll fit like a glove no matter what you go with.

The baffle kit is pretty good and the instructions for those are very good.

Routing of the throttle and mixture control is no real issue with this model as long as you pay almost no attention to the Van's drawing telling you where to locate the routing holes.

The FAB kit is pretty straight forward and can only go in one spot.

The oil cooler you use is up to you and -- combined with the baffle kit -- just takes a little ingenuity if you have an "A" model (you have to cut a little of it away to clear an engine mount).

If you have one Lightspeed, you have to secure the input wire across the manifold intake with some big Adel clamps. If you have probe wires for an engine monitor, you'll have to route those. And you have, a few wires for the mag and/or the Lightspeed output.

There's no way Van's instruction alone can tell you what to do with all of that because of the many choices.

What I found via the instructions is you should forget about ordering ANY cables or hoses off the instructions because they won't fit. Just measure via the route you choose and order your fluid lines from Tom Swearingen and make your own big cables. And you'll be fine.

Regardless of where you order from -- Van's, Mattituck, Aerosport etc -- there are PLENTY of people here who've done the exact installation and -- as I can attest -- walk you patiently through each part of it, although -- as others have said -- having a sympathetic ear on the other end of the phone helps. I don't know if Van's provides tech support for engines or not.

As an update to my original blog post, you know that part where I had ingeniously figured out how I would have the engine paid off by time of first flight by not buying new cars. Yeah, that didn't work. Something else always come along from time to time that diverted a principal payment away from the engine cost, and some other house projects ended up erasing what dent I made in the principal over the last almost four years.

I think the hardest thing about the engine installation is falling asleep at night knowing how much it costs. Especially since the cars aren't getting any younger.
 
Talk with Ly-Con in Visalia, CA. They've given me good pricing on a variety of custom builds, mixing any manufacturers' parts to yield performance and cost control. Their cylinder port and flowing is second to none for hp/$. Particularly, ask about a "new overhaul". They'll supply the core and overhaul to new limits and use new cylinders; this should save you ~$5,000 over an out-of-the-box kit engine, and it will be any configuration you specify.

John Siebold
 
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