Ironflight said:
Steve -
I've been wrenching most of my life, but the little things I saw at Mattituck made me glad I didn't try to build this "simple" engine from a kit...at least not my first time! Absolutely no offense intended to anyone! Mattituck was also a good deal because they didn't charge for me to come and help, but either place would give you those little valuable lessons - and as mentioned above - access to extra parts should the ones in the kit not turn out to be exactly right....
Paul Dye
TMX-360
DITTO!! .... Paul said it all.
It's the "dentist" theory, i.e. some things are best not done yourself EVEN if you know what you're doing.
I've been building engines for appx. 30 years.....which qualifies me as a "CK" (certified knowitall)
So, naturally, when I initially began building my 8 I was SURE about building my own SP engine since I've done maybe a half-zillion engines. How difficult could a Lycosaur be?
Then I realized the $1,000 "savings" of going with an SP would eliminate the test cell and warranty. NO BRAINER
I resigned myself to buying from one of the reputable shops.....
fast forward 2 years....I went to Mattituck several weeks ago to watch Kirk's engine get built.
BOY was I surprised. I was AMAZED at how many "tribal knowledge" items there were throughout the build.
WATCHING THE BUILD was extremely informative, but NOT enough to justify going the SP route EVEN if you are an ACTUAL engine expert. Myself included.
Chance I could do it better: 0%
Chance I could do it faster: 0%
Chance I could do it worse: 100%
Chance I would save money: 0%
Chance I would have a test cell: 0%
I will be buying from Mattituck and "helping" with my build... even though I know my way around an engine.
Mattituck is closest to me, but other shops are just as good if logisitics are an issue.
Here's how to build your own engine:
1) Call Mattituck/PennYan/Lycon
2) Fly to Mattituck/PennYan/Lycon
3) Watch your engine get built
4) If at Mattituck: Have NY pizza for lunch (best in the world)
5) Write the check
6) Go home
7) Wait for the truck
8) Prominently display engine in your living room