TBO vs TOH

[jmpoplin]

I looked at http://www.factoryengines.com/ to get an idea for TBO costs on a TIO-540-S1AD for a Turbo Saratoga. I see the cost ranges from $43-60K and I know that is a major.

How about a top overhaul? Any estimates out there? I am just learning about turbo applications and read they require a top overhaul about mid life to get them to the TBO time. Info?

Happy New Year!
Jeff

 

[Ken Ibold]

A starting point is about $8,000 per cylinder, depending on where you live and the shop you use. You may not have to do all the cylinders, depending on how the engine was run.

 

[Ted]

Whether you need a top overhaul halfway will depend entirely on how the engine was operated. If run properly, though, they can make TBO just fine. If you buy one, it would be best to assume a top overhaul will be required to be safe on the budget side. My Aztec's left engine needed a top overhaul at 650 SMOH - it had been overhauled with new Superior Cylinders. But my right engine is still pulling strong at 1900 SMOH with overhauled cylinders that were put on at the last overhaul.

$8,000 per cylinder for a TOH sounds pricey, that'd be $48,000 for a 6-cylinder top overhaul. A set of 6 cylinder kits from the manufacturer should cost you under $10,000. If they come up with $38,000 worth of extra parts and labor, they might as well just put in a fully overhauled engine.

 

[Ken Ibold]

$8,000 per cylinder for a TOH sounds pricey, that'd be $48,000 for a 6-cylinder top overhaul. A set of 6 cylinder kits from the manufacturer should cost you under $10,000. If they come up with $38,000 worth of extra parts and labor, they might as well just put in a fully overhauled engine.

I've never paid for a whole top overhaul, but when I have replaced cylinders piecemeal you get up there. I'm sure you're right in that it wouldn't cost 8K per if you were doing all of them. That would be a lot of redundant labor.

 

[gismo]

A starting point is about $8,000 per cylinder, depending on where you live and the shop you use. You may not have to do all the cylinders, depending on how the engine was run.

Looks like an extra zero there Ken. $800/cyl is plausible but lower than typical, especially if the shop does the R&R and sends the cylinder out.

And there's a break in the R&R cost/cylinder if you're doing all the cylinders on one side.

 

[gismo]

I've never paid for a whole top overhaul, but when I have replaced cylinders piecemeal you get up there. I'm sure you're right in that it wouldn't cost 8K per if you were doing all of them. That would be a lot of redundant labor.

Hmm, so you really meant $8k for one cylinder eh? A lot depends on how crowded the engine bay is. On some airplanes, removing one cylinder can take as little as a couple hours so maybe 5 hrs @ $80 plus another 4 and parts if the cylinder work is done in house. You might make it out the door for well under $1500, less if you do the grunt work.

 

[Ted]

I've never paid for a whole top overhaul, but when I have replaced cylinders piecemeal you get up there. I'm sure you're right in that it wouldn't cost 8K per if you were doing all of them. That would be a lot of redundant labor.

The top overhaul on the left engine on my Aztec cost me probably about $9,000 total, including the 6 new cylinder kits. To me, that's a top overhaul. Doing it piecemeal it will be significantly higher because of all the redundant labor.

However, I have very cheap labor costs and also got a discount on the cylinder kits. So I would expect someone else to pay more, but certainly not $48,000.

We're going through figuring out major overhauls on the 310 right now. We're budgeting roughly $70,000 for complete parts and labor out the door for both engines (300 HP IO-520s).