Engine Rebuild Shop

[JayP]

I plan to have Pinnacle Aircraft Engines out of Alabama rebuild my engine.  I’ve spoke with them and they are real friendly, have fair prices and a great warranty.  Does anyone have experience with them that can support my positive impression of them?

[carusoam]

Jay,

You might rethink your title...

This one doesn’t seem to attract any responses...

Best regards,

-a-

[67 m20F chump]

I used Gann Aviation but I’m in Georgia so it was close and has a good reputation.  I dont know the shop you are looking at.  Sorry I can’t help.

[ArtVandelay]

Search POA, it’s mentioned there, good pireps at a quick glance.

[GeeBee]

2 hours ago, 67 m20F chump said:

I used Gann Aviation but I’m in Georgia so it was close and has a good reputation.  I dont know the shop you are looking at.  Sorry I can’t help.

 Gann is the bomb when it comes to engines. Nobody does better. I had an 0-320 done by him, 1/2 gram balance, flow matched cylinders etc, the thing dyno'd 10% over the data plate.

 

 

[A64Pilot]

Mine is a Gann “performance engine” too. He is big with the Maule crowd and my motor I believe does in fact run better than most. He also apparently has the fuel servo set to run a little richer than stock as mine runs a little over 19 GPH on take off. Mine will run so lean and still be smooth, but so down on power it just about won’t fly

You have to like red powder coat though, because a whole lot of the motor is.

However he doesn’t use new cylinders on the angle valve motors but does on the parallel, not sure why, but I have heard of no issues with the overhauled cylinders.

‘Quite a few around here will go with a Gann motor over a factory zero time motor

https://www.gannaviation.com/engine-overhauls

Edited June 8, 2021 by A64Pilot

[jwilcoxon78]

5 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

Mine is a Gann “performance engine” too. He is big with the Maule crowd and my motor I believe does in fact run better than most. He also apparently has the fuel servo set to run a little richer than stock as mine runs a little over 19 GPH on take off. Mine will run so lean and still be smooth, but so down on power it just about won’t fly

You have to like red powder coat though, because a whole lot of the motor is.

However he doesn’t use new cylinders on the angle valve motors but does on the parallel, not sure why, but I have heard of no issues with the overhauled cylinders.

‘Quite a few around here will go with a Gann motor over a factory zero time motor

https://www.gannaviation.com/engine-overhauls

I didn't know about his affection for red either.  However, my plane has red on it as well so it "worked".  I joked that the engine looked better that the plane.  I'm at about 430 TSOH from Gann and she's running just fine. 

[GeeBee]

He will give you any color you want. He offered to match my yellow, but I went with red too.

[Niko182]

I was looking at doing the overhaul at Gann. Every one seems to like his work, and even though he is in Georgia, and I'm in California, I feel like its worthwhile going to a good engine shop to not have to deal with the hassle down the road. @GeeBee How are you liking the Lycoming he did? did he do the TCM in 2JK as well?

Edited June 8, 2021 by Niko182

[GeeBee]

No, I bought 2JK with a 400 hour factory new engine. I sold the PA-18, but I flew that engine about 300 hours and it was a solid as a rock. I went to have the prop balanced after changing to a new prop, and no weights were needed, it was that tight. Carlus Gann is also the engine advisor to Bill Elliott Race Team. He builds NASCAR engines too. The man is a genius when it comes to engines.

 

 

[Niko182]

Just now, GeeBee said:

No, I bought 2JK with a 400 hour factory new engine. I sold the PA-18, but I flew that engine about 300 hours and it was a solid as a rock. I went to have the prop balanced after changing to a new prop, and no weights were needed, it was that tight. Carlus Gann is also the engine advisor to Bill Elliott Race Team. He builds NASCAR engines too. The man is a genius when it comes to engines.

 

 

Did you do the performance package. Was there a noticable difference? From what ive heard powermasters and gann are the 2 best. 

[GeeBee]

When I had that engine done, it was an "ah la carte" system. I had the mains pegged and o-ringed and new Lycoming cylinders ported, polished and flow matched.