How much will this hurt?!

malcoholio

malcoholio

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Malcoholio
So if you have followed the saga of my wayward engine ( https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/ups-lost-my-engine.134846/ )

you know I sent my engine that was making metal to the shop for an IRAN. The teardown is complete and they are advising of the following;

" Current unserviceable parts within engine. All bearings due to metal, Camshaft and lifters due to spalling of lifters. Two rods due to overheating. Possible crankshaft “due to heat cracks”. Oil cooler due to metal. Customer needs to flush governor and prop before engine is reinstalled."
​
So we are praying for a serviceable Crank, and wondering what everything else is going to cost. This is for a Continental 550. My question is how much is this going to hurt! I seem to recall that new Cranks are about $5,000, and are currently not available till Q2 of 2022!!

Does anyone want to guess? Maybe I should get a betting pool together to offset the costs! :D
 
550 rods are expensive little suckers, I think I paid $600 apiece 10 years ago, so figure triple by now :D

The crank is unobtanium. I've been waiting on one for 4 months for a motor Skyways is building me. GAMI is paying over the Conti core value to obtain cores for their engine operation, the situation is pretty grim.

You're halfway into the labor for the teardown, the rest is reassembly. I didn't read the other thread, but if you're past midtime on that motor, a full overhaul is probably warranted. You're mostly there now.

"The joy of ownership" they say. :D
 
The good news is that the delay in getting a new crank will let you put food on the table a bit longer but your guessing price seems low. Have you verified?
 
Cranks $5000!? No way, IIRC Lycoming 360 crank is $12,000. I would think you’d be $15,000…minimum.
 
I have no idea on what the cost will be other than to say... a lot! I would advise given that much destruction and the cost you are dumping into it to go ahead and make it a major overhaul. It will at least add a little value back into the airplane.
 
$45k including R&R (from the diagnosis of metal to the end of the break-in period). You asked for a guess... do you really want to track this? I’m too weak to stomach it. I make my wife write the big checks.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
$45k including R&R (from the diagnosis of metal to the end of the break-in period). You asked for a guess... do you really want to track this? I’m too weak to stomach it. I make my wife write the big checks.
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Ouch.

Thanks. I'll let you know how close you are. The word is still out on the Crank. Hoping for a Christmas Miracle. :D
 
malcoholio said:
Ouch.

Thanks. I'll let you know how close you are. The word is still out on the Crank. Hoping for a Christmas Miracle. :D
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A sincere good luck. My O-320 crank and case are out for inspection right now. I went from IRAN to overhaul as the inspection progressed and cost differential shrank to $3k (assuming the case and crank are serviceable).
 
How much will it cost? In light of the season - enough to make you say Wow.

 
Better bet is to find a unicorn and milk it. I think you are terminally screwed in the literal sense.
 
Does anyone want to guess? Maybe I should get a betting pool together to offset the costs! :D
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A new one for my O-320 is over $7000. Serviceable crank unavailable. When it's all said and done my engine will be worth nearly half today's market value of the airplane.
 
Dave Goodwin said:
A new one for my O-320 is over $7000. Serviceable crank unavailable. When it's all said and done my engine will be worth nearly half today's market value of the airplane.
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That's still pretty good. Most old airplanes are only worth what the engine and avionics are.
 
Dave Goodwin said:
A new one for my O-320 is over $7000. Serviceable crank unavailable. When it's all said and done my engine will be worth nearly half today's market value of the airplane.
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The pitting inside my 320 crank was one of the reasons I went with a lycoming rebuilt engine with zero hours Jan of 2020. I also didn't believe the local re-builder could rebuild my old motor in 7 weeks especially if I needed a crank.

I went back and forth on which way to go. The lycoming motor was best for me as it turned out.

Good luck getting yours back together.

I also wanted to keep the plane flying which I did.
Took 12 weeks to get the rebuilt engine from Lycoming when they said 7-9 weeks, it was during covid.

We swapped it 4th of July week.
I sent my core back to lycoming and got full core credit for it with a pitted up crank. I worried I might not get full core credit. Worked out best verses having mine overhauled by a local re-builder.

My rebuilt 0-320 was $27300. then, now they want $34552!
IMG_1135.JPG

287.JPG
 
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Hmmm, this discussion is making me consider renting more now (once I finish flight training).

Ouch, the "money to noise converter" prices are staggering!
 
Gary Ward said:
The pitting inside my 320 crank was one of the reasons I went with a lycoming rebuilt engine with zero hours Jan of 2020. I also didn't believe the local re-builder could rebuild my old motor in 7 weeks especially if I needed a crank.

I went back and forth on which way to go. The lycoming motor was best for me as it turned out.

Good luck getting yours back together.

I also wanted to keep the plane flying which I did.
Took 12 weeks to get the rebuilt engine from Lycoming when they said 7-9 weeks, it was during covid.

We swapped it in 7 days. Plane was only apart that long.

I sent my core back to lycoming and got full core credit for it with a pitted up crank. I worried I might not get full core credit. Worked out best verses having mine overhauled by a local re-builder.

My rebuilt 0-320 was $27300. then, now they want $34552!
IMG_1135.JPG

287.JPG
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So this number assumes a core credit? What is the value of the core credit and would you potentially get less (half or?)?
 
mandm said:
So this number assumes a core credit? What is the value of the core credit and would you potentially get less (half or?)?
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The core credit for a 0-320 was $16000. It had to be compete, have a genuine lycoming crank and rods, run within the last 12 months and a copy of the log book included.

All I know is Air Power returned my personal check a couple months after I sent my core back to lycoming in Pa. Air Power said lycoming had to inspect the motor before the check would be sent back. The check was mailed back to me with Void stamped across the front! I was happy with the whole transaction. No surprises.
 
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Gary Ward said:
The core credit for a 0-320 was $16000. It had to be compete, have a genuine lycoming crank and rods, run within the last 12 months and a copy of the log book included.

All I know is they returned my personal check a couple months after I sent my core back to lycoming in Pa. They said lycoming had to inspect the motor before the check would be sent back. The check was mailed back to me with Void stamped across the front!
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So basically you wrote a check for 27300 for the engine, 16000 for the core and another ~5000 to the mechanic to take out and reinstall?
 
mandm said:
So basically you wrote a check for 27300 for the engine, 16000 for the core and another ~5000 to the mechanic to take out and reinstall?
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Yup, Yup and no.
I did 99.9 % the labor in my hangar with my AP/IA supervision. He lives nearby(2 miles) was there every couple days and was there when we first started it. Starter, Alt, oil lines, fuel line, all scat hoses and some baffles were replaced the year before the engine swap. So I able to do it in 7 days.
 
Gary Ward said:
Yup, Yup and no.
I did 99.9 % the labor in my hangar with my AP/IA supervision. He lives nearby(2 miles) was there every couple days and was there when we first started it. Starter, Alt, oil lines, fuel line, all scat hoses and some baffles were replaced the year before the engine swap. So I able to do it in 7 days.
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Nice work and mind blowing! I guess I’m afraid to take off the cowling and you’re fixing hoses and moving engines. :)
 
Update: The Crank is shot. #3 & #4 Journals are 'cracked beyond repair'. Price of a new crank is $10K - 11K depending on where you look, but availability is reported to be JUNE! OUCH!

I called around looking for one, and people just started laughing at me when I asked if they had any.
 
Unit74 said:
Better bet is to find a unicorn and milk it. I think you are terminally screwed in the literal sense.
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This has been the best advice so far. Still waiting on a crank. Going on 6 months. Last update from Cont. is 67-days. But that was pushed from their February ship date, then 30-day extension. Does anyone have a unicorn trap I can borrow?

Still offering a $1,000 bounty for anyone that can find me a working / serviceable crank for the engine.
 
Don't give up, I was told there was not a serviceable used crank on the planet, and to completely forget about getting a new one (TSIO550).
I am a stubborn sob, I kept calling.
I found a NEW one at a better price than I was told an (unobtainable) used one would be!
Did you try Jesse at I think it's Colorado Airparts?
 
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