TOP on Acclaim

[NewMoon]

Have an Acclaim in pre-buy and some jug work is maybe in the cards. 

Got an IRAN price for just cylinders, remove,  inspect, repair as needed and remount $17,000.

Has anyone recently done a TOP with either new or O/H jugs? What kind of pricing.

thx Scott 

[M20F]

What are the compressions on the cylinders currently, how many hours, why do you think you need to top it (i.e. replace all the cylinders). 

[NewMoon]

8 minutes ago, M20F said:

What are the compressions on the cylinders currently, how many hours, why do you think you need to top it (i.e. replace all the cylinders). 

600TTEA, 2 below 50, some corrosion on 4 of them. Unfortunately lots of downtime on the engine. Might be able to replace a few exhaust values, hone them, new rings and keep flying.

Maybe lap a  couple of valves, go fly it hard for 10 hours and re-check compressions.

[MikeOH]

If I understand correctly the shop wants $17K to R&R the existing cylinders (with any honing/valves/guides), NOT new?

That seems kinda steep to me; hopefully the real A&Ps with shops will weigh in on how fair that price is.

[exM20K]

Disuse is the death of engines. If there is corrosion on the cylinder walls, then expect oil consumption to be elevated, if it is not already.

If you can get a $17,000 concession from the seller, you should be safe financially.

Mine was topped 800 hours ago, and I’ve had no issues since. There was a history of disuse and corrosion on all six jugs. IIRC, the top was $2000-2500 per cylinder six years ago, and that was with a re-honing of the cylinders, not replacement.

LOP/SOP/ATT since, and compressions, borescope, and oil consumption are all good.
-dan

[A64Pilot]

6 NIB cylinders are $12K?

Verify these are the correct cylinders because I have not, but it’s of course everything new, pistons rings etc. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/ep/superior_millenium_continental_o550/superiormillenium08-11208.php

That leaves 5K to R&R?

I guess that’s about right.

I don’t own a shop or anything but believe I could R&R cylinders in a week, that’s a grand a day. I don’t know what you could run into with turbos etc.

But surely a week would do it?

But as I was buying I’d want new cylinders and would price for that.

On edit, If new cylinders aren’t possible then I would want the old ones overhauled by an engine shop, not just honed by an A&P.

Very often corrosion pits are too deep to clean up honing.

Having done this kind of thing myself often it’s the stuff you discover that runs into more money than you were considering, exhaust repairs, maybe new ignition harnesses etc. 

Edited July 22, 2023 by A64Pilot

[LANCECASPER]

The new cylinders are much closer to $3k each new for the TSIO-550-G which is the engine in the Acclaim, but they are backordered. Probably the reason for wanting to IRAN the current cylinders.

https://www.airpowerinc.com/resources?id=4

 

Personally I would try to negotiate for the price of new cylinders plus labor into the deal, put that money in reserve and fly it 25-50 hours and see what the oil consumption is.  I've had success a couple of times running a Microlon treatment in engines with good valves but just light surface corrosion on the cylinder walls. (https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/microlon.php?clickkey=7595)

[NewMoon]

4 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

The new cylinders are much closer to $3k each new for the TSIO-550-G which is the engine in the Acclaim, but they are backordered. Probably the reason for wanting to IRAN the current cylinders.

https://www.airpowerinc.com/resources?id=4

 

Personally I would try to negotiate for the price of new cylinders plus labor into the deal, put that money in reserve and fly it 25-50 hours and see what the oil consumption is.  I've had success a couple of times running a Microlon treatment in engines with good valves but just light surface corrosion on the cylinder walls. (https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/microlon.php?clickkey=7595)

Yes, that's exactly what our plan is going to be. Fly in hard for 3 hrs and check to be sure no oil on the lower plugs. If there is then O/H these. if no oil, go fly it and check in 25 hrs. And yes I don't think new ones are available.  

[MikeOH]

3 hours ago, M20Doc said:

2000 each for an overhaul 3000 for new, 50-60 hours of labour

Ouch! I didn’t realize it took 10 hours to R&R one cylinder.

I’m glad I only have 4 cylinders

[A64Pilot]

1 hour ago, MikeOH said:

Ouch! I didn’t realize it took 10 hours to R&R one cylinder.

I’m glad I only have 4 cylinders

I have yet to have anyone complain when a job comes in at less than estimated cost, but buddy let it go a couple hours longer and your expected to eat that time.

To quote Scotty on one of the Startrek episodes “ You didn’t tell him how long it would actually take did you”. Found it

[LANCECASPER]

7 hours ago, M20Doc said:

2000 each for an overhaul 3000 for new, 50-60 hours of labour

Labour (Labor) is a little more expensive in Canada since they put that extra "u" in the word. 

[Danb]

19 hours ago, NewMoon said:

Have an Acclaim in pre-buy and some jug work is maybe in the cards. 

Got an IRAN price for just cylinders, remove,  inspect, repair as needed and remount $17,000.

Has anyone recently done a TOP with either new or O/H jugs? What kind of pricing.

thx Scott 

I purchased a2016 Acclaim this year had the top done, my compressions were all around 40-42 with one at 50. They were replaced with new cylinders which were available in April, they were overnighted to Maxwell. It was part of the PPI the previous owner paid for the top. I’m just about done break in still using mineral oil. Good luck, I’d tell the seller to pay for the replacement or walk away.

DB

[keithmiller]

On 7/21/2023 at 6:25 PM, NewMoon said:

Have an Acclaim in pre-buy and some jug work is maybe in the cards. 

Got an IRAN price for just cylinders, remove,  inspect, repair as needed and remount $17,000.

Has anyone recently done a TOP with either new or O/H jugs? What kind of pricing.

thx Scott 

I just replaced number 4 due to crack in cooling fin , ordered cylinder from continental and it ran another 2800 $ back in June .