Anyone recently overhaul TIO-540-AK1A

J

Jthamilton

Line Up and Wait
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Okie182
Well my time is up this november and I'm due for overhaul on the 2002 T182T. My initial estimate is $35,000 with new cylinders which I feel is very fair and from very good shop in Tulsa.

However, I inquired about cost of new crankshaft since it is required due to AD and WOW! I knew it would be pricy but I was informed it adds another $18,300 to bill.

Anyone have anything to compare or done this recently? Any less expensive options on buying a crankshaft??

Thanks
 
Jthamilton said:
Well my time is up this november and I'm due for overhaul on the 2002 T182T. My initial estimate is $35,000 with new cylinders which I feel is very fair and from very good shop in Tulsa.

However, I inquired about cost of new crankshaft since it is required due to AD and WOW! I knew it would be pricy but I was informed it adds another $18,300 to bill.

Anyone have anything to compare or done this recently? Any less expensive options on buying a crankshaft??

Thanks
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Price out a factory re-man using your engine for a core.
 
Thats exactly what crossed my mind the moment I saw the numbers. I am actually renting my house back in Oklahoma to nice guy who owns a aircraft parts company. He has extended an offer significant discount to help me with everything he can for the engine. He is also checking on possibility of getting Crankshaft at lower cost.

Unless I can get the numbers down factory reman will be strongly considered if even just for resale.

One more thing for me to tackle at Oshkosh!
 
Start aggressively mining for parts; you should be able, if you are patient, to score a good serviceable and overhaulable crank for a lot less money.

Continental gives full core credit for engines affected by the Airmelt crank AD, which means that for people (like me) who have them, a factory reman can be the best option. Does Lyc do the same or something like it?
 
Who swiped your crank-kit ?

The only way not to pay for the crank is a factory reman as they don't penalize you for their own faulty workmanship. But you won't get that reman for 35, make it 60. Now, with a reman, you also don't have the risk of eating a new turbocharger transition (6k) or the entire exhaust (10k). Make sure you know what the 35k overhaul includes, it may just be the cover charge at the adult bar, dances not included. Two reputable engine builders have told me that on a lycoming turbo, if the crank is not 100% reusable (dimensions at last OH or through the AD), they can't compete with the factory and recommended to go that route.
 
Prices on quote includes, fuel system, turbo, mag's, harness, and spark plugs.

When I asked about the crankshaft cost I was advised only option is a new one. Due to the AD on crankshafts for the particular engine if the crankshaft kit wasn't utilized earlier in the life of the aircraft it must be replaced at 12 years from manufacturing date. Since I have only owned the aircraft for a year I get the burden of the replacement.

I'm definitely going to see how much I can drop the cost with the parts contact also.
 
Before you take off the engine, have someone who knows what they are looking at take off the exhaust and turbo and tell you whether the transition is still within spec. If it is not, reinstall the turbo and exhaust, crank the engine and run it for 5min. Take it off, throw it in a box and send it to lycoming as 'running when removed'.
 
How much of this did you know when you bought the plane?
 
When I bought my 2007 T182T I looked a 2005 182T which we later found out was not one of the ones that needed a new crank. However, in researching it for me before we found out it was not necessary, he had found out that a number of crankshafts were out there that people had bought and never installed and were trying to sell them, and it was much cheaper. Never went further than this, and not sure if it was he broker blowing smoke up my... but if it is legit that may be an option.

BTW how many hours do you have on the engine, I have just over 1330 tach(1550 hobbs) and was hoping to hit 2000 or more tach.
 
N801BH said:
:hairraise::yikes::eek:...

I am liking experimentals and V-8 Fords more and more...:yes::yes::D
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Why would he want to trade the safest production aircraft available for a garage-built death-trap with a cobbled together conversion engine ?
 
wabower said:
How much of this did you know when you bought the plane?
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I knew it very well, thanks! I had my price point with all of this in mind and some addional fudge factors, so lets stick to question at hand.

Now that the time is here I'm curious about other folks experiences replacing the engine and costs.
 
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douglas393 said:
When I bought my 2007 T182T I looked a 2005 182T which we later found out was not one of the ones that needed a new crank. However, in researching it for me before we found out it was not necessary, he had found out that a number of crankshafts were out there that people had bought and never installed and were trying to sell them, and it was much cheaper. Never went further than this, and not sure if it was he broker blowing smoke up my... but if it is legit that may be an option.

BTW how many hours do you have on the engine, I have just over 1330 tach(1550 hobbs) and was hoping to hit 2000 or more tach.
Click to expand...

Tach has around 1500. It doesn't use oil and is very strong still. Apparently the issue is replacement by 12 years of manufacturing which I was aware of. If I didn't have this coming up I feel quite certain TBO would not be an issue.
 
I'm not going anywhere, just hoping a gag-down of that size didn't come as a major surprise. Glad it was budgeted.

Jthamilton said:
I knew it very well, thanks! I had my price point with all of this in mind and some addional fudge factors, so lets not go there.

Now that the time is here I'm curious about other folks experiences replacing the engine and costs.
Click to expand...
 
Jthamilton said:
Tach has around 1500. It doesn't use oil and is very strong still. Apparently the issue is replacement by 12 years of manufacturing which I was aware of. If I didn't have this coming up I feel quite certain TBO would not be an issue.
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Is that 12yr an AD due to the crank? Or does the language just read TBO 12yr or xxx hours, whichever comes first
 
dell30rb said:
Is that 12yr an AD due to the crank? Or does the language just read TBO 12yr or xxx hours, whichever comes first
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It used to be a SB and many owners were offered to either get a 'crank-kit' for $2000 or a discounted factory overhaul (and some other options). Many owners took the crank-kit, re-sold it for $12,000 and tried to sell the plane to an unsuspecting buyer without the kit.
Later Lycoming turned the SB into an AD and expanded the number of engines affected, at the same time they became a lot less accomodating with fixing their poor workmanship on their own dime ;) .
 
wabower said:
I'm not going anywhere, just hoping a gag-down of that size didn't come as a major surprise. Glad it was budgeted.
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No worries, sorry if sounded but short. Yes I made sure with entry of margin when I bought the aircraft and figured a worst case scenario of $60,000 based on my research.

I was successful in securing the aircraft with enough leeway that with zero time engine it's still below what's its value is.

HOWEVER, it still stinks! But ya know what can ya do?
 
True, but certainly more palatable as part of a preconceived plan. And educational as well as fun to try to achieve a better outcome. Even though you're playing with "house money" the check will be drawn against your account. :wink2:

Jthamilton said:
No worries, sorry if sounded but short. Yes I made sure with entry of margin when I bought the aircraft and figured a worst case scenario of $60,000 based on my research.

I was successful in securing the aircraft with enough leeway that with zero time engine it's still below what's its value is.

HOWEVER, it still stinks! But ya know what can ya do?
Click to expand...
 
weilke said:
It used to be a SB and many owners were offered to either get a 'crank-kit' for $2000 or a discounted factory overhaul (and some other options). Many owners took the crank-kit, re-sold it for $12,000 and tried to sell the plane to an unsuspecting buyer without the kit.
Later Lycoming turned the SB into an AD and expanded the number of engines affected, at the same time they became a lot less accomodating with fixing their poor workmanship on their own dime ;) .
Click to expand...


Hmmmm.

Lyc put out a SB with a limited number of engines involved.. Then converted it to a AD and expanded the number of motors involved.... What a f*cking scam...:mad::mad::mad2::yes:
 
To make it worse, I haven't been able to find any accidents related to the crankshaft. They may exist but I must have missed them.

I do agree, nice hose job!
 
wabower said:
True, but certainly more palatable as part of a preconceived plan. And educational as well as fun to try to achieve a better outcome. Even though you're playing with "house money" the check will be drawn against your account. :wink2:
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what makes it harder to hide from the wife!:yes:
 
Jthamilton said:
To make it worse, I haven't been able to find any accidents related to the crankshaft. They may exist but I must have missed them.

I do agree, nice hose job!
Click to expand...

I'm not aware of any TIO-540-AK1As that had failure issues. The TIO-540-AJ1A (T206) did, as did the TIO-540-J2BD (Navajo Chietain). Probably a couple of others that I forget. Planes crashed, people died. It was only on high-powered engines since those were the ones that stressed the cranks the hardest.

The concern with the lower-power engines (and why it's not a scam) is that the crank went from being an item of infinite life to an item of limited life. Life-limited parts are common in the turbine world and have to be retired by a certain age. Yes, the age is very conservative and most units (maybe even all) could go well past that age without any failures.

You can argue the business side of it, and that's separate. Engineering and safety wise, it was the right call.
 
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