Maintenance standards are VERY important with the Thielert engines - have them looked after by people who know what they are doing (e.g Bristol Flying Centre or Aviation Maintenance at BOH) and they are fine.
If they are "looked after" by people who don't know what they are doing then you have trouble.
There are some badly abused Thielert powered PA 28s that give nothing but trouble to their new keepers - just don't ask me who used to run them!
There are supply problems with 1.7l engines in general (i.e. you can't get them) and 2.0l engines for some types. These are actually as much problems with the Diamond specific parts as with the Thielert engines (in fact more so).
People forget that there is a certain degree of compensation to be had from the fact that fuel costs are 75% lower than AVGAS powered aeroplanes.
Last edited by moggiee; 7th February 2008 at 22:19.