Maximum Age for Engines.

[Treadstone]

Hi

Can anyone answer me these question please.

1. What is the Maximum age for single, piston engines on training aircraft?

2. Maximum hours including any extentions..

3. Lycoming or continental..

I am led to believe that Continentals are the more expensive to operate?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Treadstone]

Come on lads and lasses, give me a clue....

[toolowtoofast]

Huge question, with an equally huge answer. It's like asking what's better - Holden or Ford!

What engine in particular are you talking about? I have seen C O200's go 4000hrs when looked after, and 40hrs when not.

Likewise, a L O230 should easily run for 2500-3000hrs in a C152 or similar small trainer.

Bigger engines, especially turbos may be a little more fragile, however even a properly looked after TIO540 should still have good compressions and make full power right up to the day it is is pulled for overhaul

[Treadstone]

Thanks for that,

Sorry i didn' make myself very clear,

I am asking with regards to the age limit on a single engine, (C172), for training purposes, i have been told 6, 8, 10 and 12 years, a wide range of answers i agree.

I know they are limited to 2000 + Extension bringing it up to 2400hrs, so if i bought a C172 with say 700hrs left.. but how old is to old for training...Engine wise.

[Bus429]

Try this for example:
http://www.tcmlink.com/serviceBulletins/pdf/sil98-9.pdf

[toolowtoofast]

Well if you flew for 1 hour a week every week, for a 2400hr tbo, that's, um, 46 years between overhauls. Or 24000 6 minute circuits .........

[Treadstone]

This is proving harder than i thought, i will leave it.

I will register with womans weekly, perhaps i may get a proper answer there.

[still-learning]

Engine lives

Regardless of the hours accrued, isn't there a calendar life (12 years springs to mind) listed somewhere in CAP747 ? As for the better engine, thats horses for courses. Lycomings eat cams and lifters but spares and product support are easier to get, not that Contis are that hard to get bits for and dont have weaknesses (starter adaptors and crankshaft counterweights spring to mind).

[Mr.Brown]

Hey what about Triggers brush. Didn't he have the same brush for 20years or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfool.../quote11.shtml

[smarthawke]

Depending on the age of 172, it may havea Continental or Lycoming fitted.

Lycoming O-320s have a TBO of 2000hrs.

Lycoming recommend the engine is overhauled in its 12th year regardless of hours.

Under CAA/EASA regs (CAA CAP747 Generic Requirement No.24 you can extend these periods a maximum of 20% depending on certain criteria and continue to use the aircraft for flying training and PPL hire (what used to be classed as Public Transport Category Certificate of Airworthiness).

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP747.PDF

This means a max hours of 2400 and calendar time of 14.4 years.

Continentals are more complicated (more parts!) therefore potentially there is more to go wrong. There are more Lycomings powering GA aircraft then any other....

Early C172s had Continental O-300 145hp 6 cylinder engines. Lycoming powered variants up to 172M had 150hp Lycomings. 172Ns had 160hp but an O-320H2AD which is best avoided. Different construction and a camshaft which doesn't tend to last too long (far worse than a standard Lyc). IIRC Continental will be 1800hr TBO (+ 20%).

172Ps were the last of the old school 172s, the newer ones are either 160hp or 180hp (SP).

There is no reason why a 172 engine won't go to 2400hrs as long as it has been maintained correctly. Best to avoid 172Ns though....

Sometimes you might find more help on GA stuff at:

http://forums.flyer.co.uk/

Good luck!

[Treadstone]

Excellent, thank you very much