I know this has been kicked around here, and elsewhere, before, and have read most of those older posts.
Some reputable and knowledgable folks say that (assuming you have the cash available) it makes sense to sell your old engine while it`s good and running, and buy new.
Depending on which of those folks you read some recommend doing that as low as 600 hours, some at about 1000, etc.
Our 912UL has perfect compression, runs clean plugs, idles and runs smoothly with full power, and on oil changes barely detectable metal on magnet or on dissecting filters. All factory recommended notices complied with (there was once expesive one a while back.)
Every reason to imagine it has a lot of life left in it.
And ours is on an experimental LSA so we are not compelled by regs or other agreements or expectations to overhaul it (and many 912`s have gone to 5000 hours without overhauls.)
So in that sense worth keeping even if we put what from our perspective unexpectedly early preventative big dollars into it.
On the other hand it could be coming up on some expensive service, not so much due to any indications, as routine preventative care at about 600 hours and 10+ years of age:
For example:
Carb rebuilds that will probably run $300?
$3500 full rubber replacement? (per opinions in an other post here)
Gearbox inspection... maybe $300?
So yes, in the long run it might be better to try to sell it while it`s on the plane and demonstrably running well and in good condition. And selling before doing that not required but likely looming work could be thought of as giving us over a $4000 head-start on buying new.
This raises questions that maybe some here could take a crack at:
# A new 912UL is going to cost about $16,000.
About how much should I figure as cost of removing the old one and installing the new one?
# What`s the price range I could reasonably expect to get for my old engine,
given that I stated about it?
Is there a glut of used 1500 OR 2000 hour used Rotax 912 engines out there for sale and depressing used prices because owners of 912`s on non-experimentals are compelled to make their `overhaul vs replace` decision at that point and are putting them on the used engine market?
# Any thoughts on a third alternative: Instead of doing the $4000+ worth of possible preventative maintainance do a reputable full overhaul (which, _if_ I understand right, should be about $11,000)?
Does that sort of overhaul price include removing and replacing engine on aircraft, or is that just the overhauled engine arriving in a crate? If so what`s range of labor to remove and remount on aircraft?
Al
Some reputable and knowledgable folks say that (assuming you have the cash available) it makes sense to sell your old engine while it`s good and running, and buy new.
Depending on which of those folks you read some recommend doing that as low as 600 hours, some at about 1000, etc.
Our 912UL has perfect compression, runs clean plugs, idles and runs smoothly with full power, and on oil changes barely detectable metal on magnet or on dissecting filters. All factory recommended notices complied with (there was once expesive one a while back.)
Every reason to imagine it has a lot of life left in it.
And ours is on an experimental LSA so we are not compelled by regs or other agreements or expectations to overhaul it (and many 912`s have gone to 5000 hours without overhauls.)
So in that sense worth keeping even if we put what from our perspective unexpectedly early preventative big dollars into it.
On the other hand it could be coming up on some expensive service, not so much due to any indications, as routine preventative care at about 600 hours and 10+ years of age:
For example:
Carb rebuilds that will probably run $300?
$3500 full rubber replacement? (per opinions in an other post here)
Gearbox inspection... maybe $300?
So yes, in the long run it might be better to try to sell it while it`s on the plane and demonstrably running well and in good condition. And selling before doing that not required but likely looming work could be thought of as giving us over a $4000 head-start on buying new.
This raises questions that maybe some here could take a crack at:
# A new 912UL is going to cost about $16,000.
About how much should I figure as cost of removing the old one and installing the new one?
# What`s the price range I could reasonably expect to get for my old engine,
given that I stated about it?
Is there a glut of used 1500 OR 2000 hour used Rotax 912 engines out there for sale and depressing used prices because owners of 912`s on non-experimentals are compelled to make their `overhaul vs replace` decision at that point and are putting them on the used engine market?
# Any thoughts on a third alternative: Instead of doing the $4000+ worth of possible preventative maintainance do a reputable full overhaul (which, _if_ I understand right, should be about $11,000)?
Does that sort of overhaul price include removing and replacing engine on aircraft, or is that just the overhauled engine arriving in a crate? If so what`s range of labor to remove and remount on aircraft?
Al
