Used Engines

by Corey Bonnell in General Tech Discussion 13 years ago

Have opportunity to purchase used 912UL run on Drifter. Has new high performance cylinders that get it to 92HP. Seller, a reputable aviation business owner, says there was not a requirement to maintain a logbook with the engine given the category of aircraft. Hours were taken off of Tach (324 hrs). Seller states all ADs are complete. Price $10K. Is this engine viable without a complete workup or overhaul? Run away or go for it? Thanks!
Corey :unsure:

Re: Used Engines

by Roger Lee » 13 years ago

Roger Lee

128 5.28k 4.98k

Hi Corey,

This is my personal opinion and you'll have to come up with your own.

This is a very good question and could be a tough one? Keeping poor or non existent logbooks has cost many an aircraft owner thousands of dollars in loss and cost new owners thousands of dollars to get things repaired. This is the exact reason everyone should be keeping good records. Some owners feel if they don't log something that it makes their engine look better in the long run. It really is just the opposite. If the records are poor then I think things were done without authorization, cheap parts, no SB's complied with and poor over all attention to maint. details. It opens the door for someone to be a little more liberal on the true facts of an engine or aircraft. You have no way of knowing the true history. Yes books can have anything written in them, but it is usually less likely. Poor records may give a hint as to how the engine was truly kept or how detail was attended to. The person that keeps good records isn't working as hard at telling untruths as a rule. Usually high performance after market parts can make the original engine less reliable. Why were hours taken off the tack time? If they didn't keep records how do you know if all the AD's or SB's are current and how does the owner know? This could be a buyer be ware as you will have no recourse if the facts aren't what is represented and you are paying top dollar here for an engine that has been altered. I have worked on many an engine that was misrepresented with poor records. So the choice is yours to make, but do it with your eyes wide open and don't be afraid to loose some money if it doesn't work out as advertised.

For me personally I would give him $5K with the idea I'm going to have to spend more money to bring it up to par and I'm a little more willing to risk $5K over $10 and with the understanding you may not be able to resell it and have to part it out?

Maybe another way to approach this buy is make sure every detail the owner says is in writing and guaranteed by him and notarized so if you find out different you have legal recourse. If what he states is factual he shouldn't have any heart burn over such a document.

Tough question only you can decide.

Everyone should keep good records and if you are congratulations, if you aren't then today is a good time to start. It's never too late to start.

Roger Lee
LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
520-349-7056 Cell

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Re: Used Engines

by bill martin » 13 years ago

bill martin

10 757 0

Corey,

It's always been my experience that good record keeping, whether necessary or not, is usually an indication of good maintenance practices.

Bill.

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Re: Used Engines

by Roger Lee » 13 years ago

Roger Lee

128 5.28k 4.98k

I'm 100% with Bill.

Roger Lee
LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
520-349-7056 Cell

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