How Long to Prop Overhaul

[jimluper]

Here is the question. My 3 blade prop is now 19 years old and has 1100 hours on it.

 

Should I have it overhauled? It works great and show no sign of problems.

 

Maybe I could replace it with a newer low time prop.

 

I own a 1975 E model and they replaced the original 2 blade prop with the 3 blade in 1994.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions? I I were looking for a low time prop to replace it where would you look?

 

 

Thanks, Jim

[triple8s]

I flew a C with the HC-CY2K/F7666, and when I had the eddy current done they said I oughta have it overhauled because it had been quite a while so I flew it till next ECI and sent it to them. Turned out that even though it had been years the prop was actually I excellent shape and cost very little to overhaul. That being said, read up on propeller failures. Made me want to get it done.

[Cody Stallings]

13 yrs past it's Calender recommended O/H time. I would want to have a couple Service Bullitens complied with. Defiantly the SB to have the "pitch change knobs" shotpeened. There have been a few shear off in flight.

[Jeff_S]

One thing you should consider is, if/when you send it in, you ask instead for an I-RAN (Inspect, Repair as Necessary) instead of an overhaul. If you ask for an overhaul that is what they will do, and you will pay the full cost of it. If instead you ask for an I-RAN, they will determine what if anything really needs to be fixed. If it does need an overhaul, well, so be it, but otherwise they can fix it up and you can come away with less cost.

[jetdriven]

An IRAN in the prop business is also known as a reseal. We did that and got it static balanced and repainted. Of course, a large percentage of shops never saw a prop that didn't need overhaul. One of them that isn't like that is San Antonio Propeller.

[aaronk25]

So question what necessitates the need to have a prop IRAN or overhauled. If it's not leaking and there only is 1,100 hours on it why not run it. Aluminum doesn't get old, right?

[jetdriven]

It can get corrosion inside which can get expensive to remediate.

[Wildhorsesracing]

It can get corrosion inside which can get expensive to remediate.

I would think that since it is full of oil and flown regularly then that would never happen? No?

[N601RX]

19 years is a long time especially if it has stayed outside a lot. A reseal not very much and may prevent the prop from being scrapped later due to undetected corrosion.

[jetdriven]

I would think that since it is full of oil and flown regularly then that would never happen? No?

Props have gotten moisture in the hub and had corrosion bad enough to scrap the hub and or blades.  Opening it up periodically to reseal and check it all is pretty cheap. 

 

McCauley props have oil and a red dye in the hub. Hartzell's have grease.  I'd swag a guess that hartzells have the corrosion problem more than McCauleys, because grease doenst coat everything as well as oil sloshing around. But after a dozen years I'd have a look in side. Not grind down the blades and go all crazy on it, but check it out,  repaint, and reseal.  our 1200 SNEW 12 year old McCauley prop was fine. But its nice to know for 600$.   W required it anyways because our engine ate itself making metal.

[Awful_Charlie]

Phone around a few prop shops first - I tried to get a re-seal but my nearest shop would only do an overhaul as it was due by calendar time, they said they would only do a re-seal if an overhaul wasn't due. 

[jetdriven]

Send it to San Antonio propeller.

[NotarPilot]

Do they do anything to the blades themselves during a reseal? I'm curious if they smooth out the leading edges to get rid of small pitting.

[N201MKTurbo]

If you get it overhauled they will completely strip and re-profile the blades. On a repair, maybe not. Every time the blades are ground you loose some life from the blades.

That being said a freshly reprinted prop sure looks good!

[Lood]

Here in SA, our props get a midlife inspection every 5 years or 500hrs - whichever occurs first and a complete overhaul at 10 years or at the props' suggested TBO.

[jetdriven]

Do they do anything to the blades themselves during a reseal? I'm curious if they smooth out the leading edges to get rid of small pitting.

Ours they dressed out a major rock nick, painted the blades, inspected the parts, and reassembled with new seals and static balanced it for 650$ .  San Antonio Propeller.

[NotarPilot]

Wow! Might be worth the trip to Texas just to get that done. How long did it take?

[jimluper]

I would like to THANK everyone for their input. After reading this, I called San Antonio Prop Shop and Hartzell tech support. Because the plane spent most of the past 20 years in the SW USA where it's dry we felt that corrosion would most likely not be a factor. Now on the other hand if the planed lived in Florida for the past 20 years corrosion could well be in the hub.

 

Hartzell tech support gave me the minimum width on the last 5 stations on the blades and how to locate and measure them. They said that while my method of locating a station (point on the blade from center hub) is an estimate that it would give me an idea of how the blades measured up against standards. Too my surprise they had a lot of meat left in them.

 

I contacted Aircraft Propeller Works in central Florida about 60 miles away. After talking to Art one of the owners I decided to go for the Zero time overhauled prop. My A&P pulled the prop last Monday and it now in many pieces. I spoke to them by phone yesterday and so far everything looks good.

 

Art quoted me $2195 for the overhaul. That includes new bearings and seals from Hartzell. Once the prop is reinstalled on my plane one of his tech's will come to my home field and Dynamic balance it for an additional $250.

 

I will let you know how everything turns out next week.

 

Jim

[fantom]

Jim....where are you based?

[jetdriven]

How do you zero time a prop?

[John Pleisse]

Typical TBO prop times for two blade McCauley is 5 years or 1500 hrs. They all vary. If it sits outside, I'd inspect it annually. Probably not an issue unless you sell the plane, then the buyer will make you OH it.

[John Pleisse]

Oh.....and let's pay extra-special attention to the 4-t-h Commandment.

 

 

http://www.mccauley.textron.com/von_klip_tip_10_commandments_of_prop_care.pdf

[jimluper]

It is referred to as Zero time since Major Overhaul and I am based at X05 - Pilot County 20nm north of Tampa.

 

I fly over to North Perry - KHWO sometime to visit friends.

 

 

[Marauder]

I thought I would comment on this thread since I personally have been touched by an accident related to an issue related to a prop. The pilot in this accident is a friend. He is a mechanic by trade and is very detailed conscious individual.

I talked to him after the accident about his experience and it was scary to hear the violence he experienced in the plane before he was able to shut it down. He told me that he could not reache forward to pull the mixture. Instead, he had to run his hand down his leg to reach the mags.

Because of his accident, I have my prop looked at routinely and overhauled on a regular basis.

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/GenPDF.aspx?id=NYC99LA202&rpt=fa

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[fantom]

I fly over to North Perry - KHWO sometime to visit friends.

 

Give me a heads-up when you're headed over this way.

 

We can compare props