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Engines Maintenance

Engine Shop Survey: Field Overhauls Win

It goes from bad to worse. You sense something isn’t right with your engine, so you ask your shop to have a look. Hopefully it’s a fouled spark plug. Wishful thinking didn’t help because your shop called with news that you hoped not to hear for at least a few years: It’s time for an engine because half of the cylinders have low compression and there are valve problems, too. The shop suggests an overhaul. With dollar signs dancing in your eyeballs, it’s decision time. Do you opt for a field overhaul or buy a factory engine? How about cylinders, hoses, engine mounts and downtime? These are major considerations. The engine shop market is changing, so we conducted an engine shop experience survey on sister site AVweb.com to get a feel for how engine shops and the components they use are performing.

Larry Anglisano
Verified

It goes from bad to worse. You sense something isn’t right with your engine, so you ask your shop to have a look. Hopefully it’s a fouled spark plug. Wishful thinking didn’t help because your shop called with news that you hoped not to hear for at least a few years: It’s time for an engine because half of the cylinders have low compression and there are valve problems, too. The shop suggests an overhaul.

With dollar signs dancing in your eyeballs, it’s decision time. Do you opt for a field overhaul or buy a factory engine? How about cylinders, hoses, engine mounts and downtime? These are major considerations.

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.