AirTalk.org

Peter · Guest

Hi,

I fly a UK based Socata TB20 and after escaping the various Lyco
crankshaft ADs, I have finally been caught by their all-out recall of
all remaining cranks made since about 1997, about 5000 of them. This
is SB569, now an AD with a 12 year limit from date of mfg.

I would like to use this very expensive exercise (about US$19,000 here
in the UK, allowing for the US$2,000 Lyco "special offer") as an
opportunity to get a better engine.

There are engine shops here which can do SB569 and dynamically balance
the crank, camshaft, pistons, con-rods, etc, and even gas-flow the
heads, but they will take about 4 months, which for me is an
unacceptable down-time.

So I've been looking at the cost of purchasing an engine, either from
some such vendor claiming to supply specially built engines (Pen Yan
is one name I see advertising widely; not sure if they are any good),
or from anybody (and then issuing the engine to one of the
aforementioned UK engine shops which can play with it for as long as
he likes... and then when I swap them out I would return my existing
engine for a rebate.

I am aware of the Superior engine option, but they have just ended
their 5 year warranty and in any case they use *your* existing
crankcases etc for the new engine, so again some downtime but not a
lot. But the biggest drawback is that none of the Superior agents I
know will balance any parts; they simply say there is no need to, it
isn't legal, etc.

No doubt I can buy a custom built engine from a number of places in
the USA (any recommendations would be much appreciated) but will they
take my old one for a rebate??

It's done 600hrs in 5yrs, had a shock load inspection (minor prop
damage when brand new) which was done as an in-warranty gold plated
job by a Lyco dealer even down to NDT on the crankcases and mag
overhauls, runs perfectly, and I have EDM700 data all the way back.
Dynamic prop balance is down to 0.05 IPS which is pretty good.

Any ideas?

Friedrich Ostertag · Guest

Hi Peter,

have you considered checking out whether your plane could take one of the
new diesel aka "jetfuel" engines? Flying in Europe that should save you
about 2/3 of your cost for fuel.

regards,
Friedrich
Peter wrote:

Peter · Guest

"Friedrich Ostertag" <newsostertag (AT) entfernenonlinehome (DOT) de> wrote