0-300 Overhaul Facility

[dj2790]

Greetings: I would like to ask the membership for some recommendations on a top quality overhaul facility for the C-145 (0-300) engine. I am new and have never had one overhauled before and welcome some advice. Thanks to all in advance. Dan

[T. C. Downey]

Greetings: I would like to ask the membership for some recommendations on a top quality overhaul facility for the C-145 (0-300) engine. I am new and have never had one overhauled before and welcome some advice. Thanks to all in advance. Dan

I over haul them, $2500 bucks labor, every thing else is on your credit card. send me junk,get a big bill, send me good cores, not so much.

I just did my own, I had just a little over $14k when finished.

[T. C. Downey]

If he is in Fl. he might better take it over to Charley Mallot at Zepher hills and get it done, he's good but he ain't cheap.

[T. C. Downey]

Nickson's Machine Shop in Santa Maria, CA will overhaul your engine ready to bolt on cylinders, sump, and acc case for $1200 labor...provided you don't send him junk too! You'll still have to pay someone to assemble the rest of the engine so Tom's $2500 in labor is quite a deal.

Jeeezzz ………. I'll bolt the cases together too for $1200.

it really depends upon how many times the crank and cam and lifters have been ground before.

You can price out all the parts at aircraft speciality services in Tulsa Ok.

It's nearly a grand to have the cases lapped and line bored by Chuck Ney.

In the last year the freight has gone crazy.

[T. C. Downey]

C'mon, they do more than just bolt em together.

They lap and line bore, media blast...they are one of the best shops and their work has come out stunning with excellent reliability from the work I've seen from them over the past 20 years.

But, that is not an overhaul. that would be a repair.

Read FAR 43.2

[canav8]

Tom, I wasnt paying attention. where you located?
Doug

[T. C. Downey]

Whatever man! I ain't no meh can ick. I just write the checks to my IA that's been building Continentals for almost twice as long as I've been alive. He has more than a few engines running around that Nickson screwed together and he can call it a field repair...field overhaul...doesn't matter to me!

I deal with this issue almost on a daily matter, On many of the pre-buy inspections/annuals I see mistakes in the last engine overhaul entry. most times the work described will be enough to be an overhaul to "0" since major, but the entry will not say that, due to not being able to comply with the overhaul manual, where it says that all service bulletins must be complied with or the entry will not state the time since major is "0" since major.

Simple stuff, but it all counts.

In order for an A&P to take a short block like that shop delivers and make it a "0" since major engine. They would have to see 8130-3 tags for every part and routine that shop did, then except the liability of the entire build.

What do they do when the crank fails the inspection? who buys the new one?

[T. C. Downey]

But, that is not an overhaul. that would be a repair.

Read FAR 43.2

Whatever man! I ain't no meh can ick, and have no reason to read that FAR. I don't have to sign any log books, I just sign the checks to my IA that's been building Continentals for almost twice as long as I've been alive. He has more than a few engines running around that Nickson screwed together and he can call it a field repair...field overhaul...doesn't matter to me!

I had hoped you would see I wasn't trying to say Nickson is better/cheaper than you Tom, but I guess my comment that your $2500 overhaul (repair? LOL!) was a heck of a deal must have been lost on you. Sorry if I offended by sharing what IMO is a good shop. I'll let ya take it from here.

There was no offense taken. I don't know who they are so I have no opinion of their work.

My question was about who/how the logs are dealt with.

[T. C. Downey]

I wouldn't imagine anyone else but the customer would pay for that. How else would it work? If there is a shop that will take my engine and will buy me a crank if it fails inspection, I would love to send them the engine I just bought from BL!

Price averaging is exactly what the big shops do, if they quote you a solid price out the door, they have averaged the price over the past engines and know how to absorb the cost of the bad with the good.

With me and many other A&Ps we just contract the labor. all the other costs are exactly what it cost to overhaul your engine.

I my humble opinion the guy who starts the project, should be the guy who finishes it.

And remember every engine is a pandora's box, don't know what you have until you open and inspect.

The logs on my engine reflected a factory Remanufactured engine, in actually it had a .010" under standard crank.

[blueldr]

I, personally, would have complete confidence in anything that came out of Nixon. Their work has always been top notch and their reputation is spotless.

[c170b53]

Tom says

And remember every engine is a pandora's box, don't know what you have until you open and inspect.

Been there, done that, got the bills!

[HA]

sorry but I can't speak to which shop is a good facility for O-300 engines. I'll probably do my own when the time comes. to add to the previous conversation though, back when I did all the overhauls for our company I would send all my cases to Nickson's and they always did a standout job on those. I didn't use them for other stuff though, mostly because I already had my favorite shops for other parts and pieces.

[GAHorn]

The "picky-ness" of each owner is a personal and subjective matter. For a Part 91 operator who wants a few hundred hours of ownership and sell it to someone similar down the road...an engine which has been "repaired" is probably just fine....and the common man on the street will not differentiate between that process and a true "overhaul".

But if it is planned to put it into commercial service, or if one wants the option to sell it abroad (where foreign rules may differ significantly)...a genuine "overhaul" is more appropriate.

I believe a factory remanufactured engine fully complies with the rules even if it has a machined crankshaft .010" under. Those processes have their own advantages/pitfalls.

Tom, clearly you know the difference between repair/overhaul/reman/rebuild/etc. although most owners do not. Since you do, then it might be fair to point out that your labor to perform the "overhaul"....or the "repair" is likely the same?
And that the major differences being whether or not the owner is willing to pay for all NEW through-bolt$ and other mandatory part-replacements to meet that definition on his own engine or not?

[T. C. Downey]

George, when you really want full control of the rebuild process your local A&P gives you the best deal.

Overhauling the C-145/0-300 is not brain surgery and any A&P can legally do it.

How would you like to spend the money on a factory rebuilt engine only to find that the crank in it will not pass the overhaul manual for use again? Plus the fact, you will not know this until it is ready for the next overhaul.

[blueldr]

There are one helluva lot of A&P mechanics that have never even seen the inside of an engine let alone assembled or overhauled one.