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Engine Delivery Accuracy from Final Payment

bertschb said:
I have a different take on this. I made my final payment last week after receiving my email from Vans that said "... your RV Engine is entering Lycoming production". My scheduled delivery date is mid-August so I know there is no way my engine is entering production now but I don't care. After waiting more than 3 years for my engine (and having my build stalled for a year), I'm very happy SOMETHING is happening. After all the delays I'll be surprised if I actually get my engine in August but any movement is a good sign and I'm thankful for it.
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Waiting 3 years for an engine is disappointing for sure.
 
Just got a call from Vadim at continental. My engine has been done for about 2 weeks but as suggested earlier they are waiting on Pmags from hartzell. He said they are having a hard time getting them direct so he has just ordered them retail from Spruce.

Kind of concerned hartzell is not even getting them to OEM’s…
 
So, here's a question: I'm just getting started on my third RV build. The first time around, I bought the engine from Aerosport Power. The second time around, I got it from Van's. This time out, I can't decide what to do. Van's prices (while an outrageous increase over the last time) are still way better than I've been able to find in the secondary market. Lead times, however, are nuts. I can either get it in three or four months, but pay over $100K (for an IO-360-A1B6) - or pay "only" $63K, but wait 18 months. Holy cow!

I'm a fast builder and expect to have my standard -8 flying in under two years. That, of course, requires that every item necessary be on hand the moment I'm ready for it. My first inclination is to order the standard Lycoming from Van's and hope for the best, but hope isn't a plan. I'd get the Thunderbolt just for the time saved (even though I think it's largely a marketing gimmick), but it doesn't sound as though the 14 months they're quoting on Van's site is honest.

What should I do? :)
 
kbalch said:
So, here's a question: I'm just getting started on my third RV build. The first time around, I bought the engine from Aerosport Power. The second time around, I got it from Van's. This time out, I can't decide what to do. Van's prices (while an outrageous increase over the last time) are still way better than I've been able to find in the secondary market. Lead times, however, are nuts. I can either get it in three or four months, but pay over $100K (for an IO-360-A1B6) - or pay "only" $63K, but wait 18 months. Holy cow!

I'm a fast builder and expect to have my standard -8 flying in under two years. That, of course, requires that every item necessary be on hand the moment I'm ready for it. My first inclination is to order the standard Lycoming from Van's and hope for the best, but hope isn't a plan. I'd get the Thunderbolt just for the time saved (even though I think it's largely a marketing gimmick), but it doesn't sound as though the 14 months they're quoting on Van's site is honest.

What should I do? :)
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First, I'd be extremely skeptical of the 14 or 18 month claim. That has turned out to be total BS. Maybe the IO-360 is shorter than the IO-390, but given Vans performance on their promises, I wouldn't give them a cent for an engine. I'm not sure what the deal is between Lycoming and Vans as to priority, but I'm very skeptical that it's first come first served...and I wouldn't even consider a Thunderbolt. @Imagine47 has been waiting almost 4 years for his. It's almost as if they just don't like him :oops:..14 months? Hah!

Me? I'd be at OSH hitting all the other vendors. An IO-360-A1B6 is not an uncommon engine in the overhaul market...ordering from Lycoming would be my last option
 
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kbalch said:
So, here's a question: I'm just getting started on my third RV build. The first time around, I bought the engine from Aerosport Power. The second time around, I got it from Van's. This time out, I can't decide what to do. Van's prices (while an outrageous increase over the last time) are still way better than I've been able to find in the secondary market. Lead times, however, are nuts. I can either get it in three or four months, but pay over $100K (for an IO-360-A1B6) - or pay "only" $63K, but wait 18 months. Holy cow!

I'm a fast builder and expect to have my standard -8 flying in under two years. That, of course, requires that every item necessary be on hand the moment I'm ready for it. My first inclination is to order the standard Lycoming from Van's and hope for the best, but hope isn't a plan. I'd get the Thunderbolt just for the time saved (even though I think it's largely a marketing gimmick), but it doesn't sound as though the 14 months they're quoting on Van's site is honest.

What should I do? :)
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Have you given Continental's TITAN a shot? You would be at about $57k for a 195 HP engine. The deposit is $5000. Here is a link to the builder tool: https://continental.aero/titan-engine-builder/
 
I forgot to mention that he did also say lead times should be going down at continental as they have gotten pretty well caught up on cases, cranks and sumps.

I kinda feel bad for vans being stuck in the middle with lycoming. Yeah they decided to do it, but I’m sure they don’t appreciate being jerked around by lycoming either. They are getting the production notices from lycoming amd communicating that to the customer it’s not really their fault lycoming isn’t following through.

Just reading all of the issues on here is what swayed me to a Titan. They have been in communication and following through on their stated timeline.
 
Thanks, guys. I hadn't even thought about Titan, but it sure seems like a viable option. Are the engines truly clones of the Lyc? Same horizontal induction, same accessory case, same fuel injection, same baffle fitment, etc.? Will everything in the Van's firewall forward kit just bolt up to it?

I'm still not sure if I can get to OSH this year, but I'm going to try.
 
kbalch said:
Thanks, guys. I hadn't even thought about Titan, but it sure seems like a viable option. Are the engines truly clones of the Lyc? Same horizontal induction, same accessory case, same fuel injection, same baffle fitment, etc.? Will everything in the Van's firewall forward kit just bolt up to it?

I'm still not sure if I can get to OSH this year, but I'm going to try.
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I would ask Titan, but I had a Titan IOX-370 on my -8 and had a good experience. It's been a few years, so I would ask titan to confirm the other information, but in my case, everything just hooked up normally
 
Mark Dickens said:
I would ask Titan, but I had a Titan IOX-370 on my -8 and had a good experience. It's been a few years, so I would ask titan to confirm the other information, but in my case, everything just hooked up normally
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Great info; much appreciated. If that's the case, it sounds very tempting. I'll definitely give them a call and see what they say.
 
I've been doing some reading about the Titan engines and it seems that they're using parallel valve cylinders, not the -A1B6's angle valve versions. That probably accounts for the slightly lower horsepower.
 
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