cylinder overhaul shop recommendation please

FORANE

FORANE

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FORANE
Can anyone provide experience with cylinder overhaul shops? Not a replacement source, looking for a shop that does overhaul.
 
FORANE said:
Can anyone provide experience with cylinder overhaul shops?
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J&J Air Parts in Pleasanton, TX and Gibson Aviation in El Reno, OK. James runs J&J and Mark at Gibson. Both top shelf providers.
 
Sal's Aircraft Cylinders
15963 Parvin Rd, Prosper, TX 75078

(214) 630-7880
sal is the man, been using him for over 20 years.
 
To complete this thread, I ended up sending my cylinders to Gibson Aviation in El Reno OK. Their website states (allow 2 or 3 working days. Cylinders delivered after 3pm will count as next day). Actual turnaround time was 4-5 weeks. It was $495 per cylinder for overhaul. My cylinders ended up getting new valve guides, studs, one new piston, new rings and gaskets, etc without additional charge. Pics of what came back below. They look good. I'm a little concerned at the amount of intake valve seat ground, but it should be within allowable spec per Gibsons.


IMG_20211228_102026.jpg IMG_20211228_102049.jpg IMG_20211228_102056.jpg IMG_20211228_102119.jpg
 
FORANE said:
To complete this thread, I ended up sending my cylinders to Gibson Aviation in El Reno OK. Their website states (allow 2 or 3 working days. Cylinders delivered after 3pm will count as next day). Actual turnaround time was 4-5 weeks. It was $495 per cylinder for overhaul. My cylinders ended up getting new valve guides, studs, one new piston, new rings and gaskets, etc without additional charge. Pics of what came back below. They look good. I'm a little concerned at the amount of intake valve seat ground, but it should be within allowable spec per Gibsons.


View attachment 103204 View attachment 103205 View attachment 103206 View attachment 103207
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Looks like great work. Looks like new to me. I bet you will be very happy with them. Did you have all 4 overhauled?
 
I wonder how many folks have the shop assemble the pistons and rings

in the cylinder?
 
Gary Ward said:
Looks like great work. Looks like new to me. I bet you will be very happy with them. Did you have all 4 overhauled?
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Yes, all 4 were done. I was initially considering only the 2 we felt needed intake seat grinding or replacement. Glad we decided to do all 4 while they were off.
 
What was the total cost per cylinder with turn around shipping?

I recently needed a Lycoming O320E2A cylinder reworked. It was identical to yours. After calling and getting quotes, I decided it wasn’t cost effective to o/h the cylinder. Return cost was $950-$1,000 shipped. New cylinder was $1270 shipped to my maintenance shop. No core needed, either.
 
AeroLudite said:
What was the total cost per cylinder with turn around shipping?

I recently needed a Lycoming O320E2A cylinder reworked. It was identical to yours. After calling and getting quotes, I decided it wasn’t cost effective to o/h the cylinder. Return cost was $950-$1,000 shipped. New cylinder was $1270 shipped to my maintenance shop. No core needed, either.
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https://www.gibsonaviationok.com/cylinder-overhaul

Total cost including return shipping was under 2k for all 4 cylinders combined. Can't argue with new though if they are available. In my case, my exact cylinders are not available anywhere.
 
AeroLudite said:
I recently needed a Lycoming O320E2A cylinder reworked. It was identical to yours. After calling and getting quotes, I decided it wasn’t cost effective to o/h the cylinder. Return cost was $950-$1,000 shipped. New cylinder was $1270 shipped to my maintenance shop. No core needed, either.
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Smart move right there! You just saved yourself tons down the road. It’s easily worth 2-3 times more to go with new cylinder kits if you plan to keep the airplane long term. What brand cylinders were you able to find for that price? And was that the “kit” price?
 
As stated, $1270 delivered. Does NOT include new valve cover, however.
It was a Millinium Cylinder. Lycoming hasn’t made O320E2A cylinders in several years. A client of mine had his 1998 Saratoga sit in the mechanics hangar for 9mos waiting on a new Lycoming O540Turbo. $120,000 before core credits.

I use my Cherokee for flight instruction, so couldn’t afford such!
Several rebuild shops assured me the Millinium cylinders are good to go.
 
New cylinders... anyone have a vendor they like in particular?

I have an O-360-A1D with 1870 hrs SMOH on overhauled ECI cylinders. It’s at the shop right now and it looks like I need either a top overhaul or new cylinders. Gibson’s, Sal’s, J&J are all reputable shops, and the guys working on mine use J&J. But, if I overhaul, it’d be the 3rd run on these jugs; I’d be happy to get another 1000-1500 hours before doing a complete engine overhaul. Resale value not a factor, I’m keeping the plane (RV-8). Or, do I bite the bullet and buy new cylinder assemblies? Decisions, decisions... are prices pretty much the same among vendors? How about availability with supply shortages these days?
 
jbDC9 said:
New cylinders... anyone have a vendor they like in particular?
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Right now you’re probably stuck with whatever brand is available from whatever source has them.

In the past, Air Power generally had the best availability and pricing that I found.
 
jbDC9 said:
New cylinders... anyone have a vendor they like in particular?

I have an O-360-A1D with 1870 hrs SMOH on overhauled ECI cylinders. It’s at the shop right now and it looks like I need either a top overhaul or new cylinders. Gibson’s, Sal’s, J&J are all reputable shops, and the guys working on mine use J&J. But, if I overhaul, it’d be the 3rd run on these jugs; I’d be happy to get another 1000-1500 hours before doing a complete engine overhaul. Resale value not a factor, I’m keeping the plane (RV-8). Or, do I bite the bullet and buy new cylinder assemblies? Decisions, decisions... are prices pretty much the same among vendors? How about availability with supply shortages these days?
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Some ECI cylinders have a AD that requires their removal at 2000 hours and they can’t be overhauled. Check your serial numbers. In general if available most people now go with new cylinders on parallel valve 360’s because their cost is reasonable. A cylinder overhaul cleans up the barrel and valves but has zero impact on fatigue life (cracking) which can lead to catastrophic failures. That is the specific reason some ECI cylinders can’t be overhauled.
 
jbDC9 said:
New cylinders... How about availability with supply shortages these days?
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Answering my own question; after calling numerous vendors today, it appears that new cylinders don't exist! Unobtainium, back ordered everywhere.

My current jugs are Lycoming 1995 vintage but overhauled in 2005 by ECI with the Cerminil process. They're not under the AD so "should" be overhaulable, but J&J won't touch 'em. Will try Gibson's and Sal's... fingers crossed.
 
jbDC9 said:
Answering my own question; after calling numerous vendors today, it appears that new cylinders don't exist! Unobtainium, back ordered everywhere.
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That would explain why the cylinder overhaul shops are so backed up. Gibsons told me he was getting 40 cylinders shipped to him daily.
 
I don't know who my cylinders were sent to. Some shop in OK that my a&p does business with exclusively. Been waiting since Nov of 2021.
 
bluerooster said:
I don't know who my cylinders were sent to. Some shop in OK that my a&p does business with exclusively. Been waiting since Nov of 2021.
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Wow
I've heard the overhaul shops have been inundated with cylinders for overhaul lately. Likely this is due to widespread lack of available new cylinders. I have also heard the overhaul shops are having trouble sourcing parts for cylinder overhaul. One of those parts in short supply are valve guides.
 
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