“that all engine O/H shops are substandard” Evidently ALL OF THEM ARE NOT, because if they were the FAA wouldn’t allow them to operate.
“”if you are thinking of becoming a "Repair Station," “ Not my intent that is why I am attempting to point out that the FAA needs to handle the ANTIQUE PISTON POWERED AIRCRAFT differently. Just as Supposed top notch Mr. Big Radial engine overhaul FAA APROVED REPAIR STATION, can assemble JUNK. Why can’t Mr. simple simon Engine Guy, that actually cares about the job and how the parts are handled, and has experience on 3350’s 2800’s 1830’s, and who knows how many other automotive/ industrial class engines, be given the chance? Just as you have certain standards to adhere to in your small aviation engine shop, there is no reason that I can not do the same. And what I am saying here, what is the difference who does the overhaul, if that newly overhauled engine fails just as those FIFI engines did? Like you said it can happen. Us nit picky germo phobes just seem to do things a bit more fussy than the average joe mechanic and it usually takes us way more time and we are proud of that, but we never seem to have to redo the same project over again.
I have a couple of questions for you. You say you operate an engine overhaul facility, do you ever have machine work done? And have you ever had a crankshaft reground?
I know these are off the wall, I will elaborate at a later post.
“They are a large, very heavy radial engine with many variants that not that many people are overhauling, same with 4360's. “ Is it the weight thing? I’ve overhauled engines that weigh near 40,000lbs.
“tools, test rigs as well as been doing this for year” This is what Machinists do.
“Rebuilding these 60 year old engine's is a lot of work. Parts are getting harder and harder to come buy. How willing are you going to be to warrant a part that is sixty years old and that you really have absolutely no idea what it's history is? “ Yes a lot of work, so if the customer is getting a very good cost labor wise, and just like the big outfits I’m sure they have 60 year old parts clauses and exclusions, I could not warrant parts that I have no manufacturing control over, and if they want a great warranty you have to price the work accordingly.
“Well, I have this brand new NOS part, I'll use it. OK, sometime's new is worse than used, it has NO history (other than it is in cosmoline in a factory box) and is an unproven part. It's a tough road to try and navigate. “ I agree, I have seen new piston rings with porosity holes break. Its not always an assembly error that causes a failure. And again, that part was made by someone that most likely didn’t care, he’s just making parts and, collecting a paycheck. He may have had an insert go bad, and over heated that part, and caused localized heat stress and altered the heat treat and sructure, but after a nice polishing and deburring job, it is not apparent, and as long as it is dimensionally good, it flys through inspection. I have seen it many times before, and its usually the boss or owner of the company that makes sure it gets out the door. Yeah believe it or not.
“You never have enough tools or parts, and the rebuilds these days are much more involved than they used to be. I wish you well on your endeavors and we'll see where your at in a few years.” The tools part is easy for a machinist. Rebuild is the most misused word on the internet these days. In the old days, even the good old P&W manuals say “overhaul” to do a “rebuild” you had better have all the equipment that the manufacture had. And I feel to do a rebuild all cycle stressed parts should be replaced with newly manufactured items. In that respect I would just want to do overhauls.
It all depends of gaining approval to do this work to see where I’m at in a few years.
Hope its not like a good friend of mine that just passed away from an acccident, sad days here.
Hmmm this is like telling your kid don’t bother dreaming about being a Doctor or a pilot or a? And saying it just ain’t gona happen. No I’m not a kid.
And thank you for the nice post
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