Engine Overhaul Price 2025

[MikeOH]

3 minutes ago, toto said:

If I remember correctly from the earlier discussion, a recent IRAN was only like $23k, and a six-week turnaround.  It might be worth doing just for the turnaround time, even if there was no cost savings.  I'd rather have the plane in the air than sitting on the ground waiting for a solid gold factory OH to arrive in three years.

Even better!  I was adding around $5K for the R&R on top of $30K for the IRAN.

[N201MKTurbo]

You keep saying IRAN, but I think you are describing the difference between an overhaul and a factory reman. For part 91 there is no requirement to ever overhaul an engine. For part 135 there is a requirement to overhaul according to the factory recommended schedule. There is no requirement anywhere to do a factory reman. 

[toto]

5 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

You keep saying IRAN, but I think you are describing the difference between an overhaul and a factory reman. For part 91 there is no requirement to ever overhaul an engine. For part 135 there is a requirement to overhaul according to the factory recommended schedule. There is no requirement anywhere to do a factory reman. 

I think @hammdo had mentioned an IRAN done for about $23k in lieu of an overhaul 

[N201MKTurbo]

So, what are skipping in this IRAN that would keep it from being an overhaul? 

[Andy95W]

6 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

So, what are skipping in this IRAN that would keep it from being an overhaul? 

The word “overhaul” in the logbook entry.  The shop where I worked 25 years ago had liability insurance that covered what we did.  The agent was blunt and told the owner, “if you say the word ‘overhaul’ I have to raise your rates”.

[N201MKTurbo]

12 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

The word “overhaul” in the logbook entry.  The shop where I worked 25 years ago had liability insurance that covered what we did.  The agent was blunt and told the owner, “if you say the word ‘overhaul’ I have to raise your rates”.

So you are saying they would charge more for the exact same work just to use the word overhaul? I would find another shop.

[PeytonM]

Based in Chicagoland area, firsthand suggestions for IRAN?

[Greg Ellis]

18 hours ago, PeytonM said:

I paid a 10% deposit to AirPower for IO360A3B6 factory rebuilt in April 2024, with a scheduled delivery November 2025. Delayed to May 2026. Just found out there is another delay to April 2027! No credibility for even THAT date. 4200TT, 2000 SMOH. Using a quart/6 hrs. Compressions and borescope all good. Not sure what to do. 

You may have said but why were you getting a "new" engine?  You are well within the maximum allowable oil usage on a Lycoming (they have a formula to calculate this; 0.006 X BHP X 4 / 7.4 = qt/hr).  You also say your compressions and borescope are good.  Are you replacing just because of it being at 2000 hours?  This sounds like it is still a healthy engine and there are no requirements as we know to overhaul due to meeting 2000 hours.

[Andy95W]

18 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

So you are saying they would charge more for the exact same work just to use the word overhaul? I would find another shop.

Exactly.  We had an engine guy that did beautiful work, did everything IAW the Lycoming overhaul manual to include stripping and paint work.  Farmed out all the machine work to DivCo.  “Overhauled” cylinders himself with all new parts.  But when it came to the logbook entry, everything was an IRAN for insurance purposes.  I guess the insurance companies didn’t want to be on the hook for the next 2,000 hours because our shop did an engine overhaul.

[N201MKTurbo]

I'm glad I haven't paid a shop to work on my plane in 30 years or so.

[Bolter]

18 minutes ago, PeytonM said:

Based in Chicagoland area, firsthand suggestions for IRAN?

If being close was an important criteria, what about Poplar Grove?  Good reputation.

[hammdo]

Yep $23k 3 week turnaround… with new cam, DLC lifters, plungers, pushrods, push rod caps, cylinders, bearings, rod bolts, gaskets, labor, annual, ifr cert, electric step… IRAN ~$20k

-Don

[A64Pilot]

I’ve never heard of an insurance difference between a repaired and Overhauled engine, the actual difference is for it to be an Overhaul, the Overhaul manual has to be followed as in if there is a list of parts to be replaced, they have to be replaced, where a repaired engine they don’t have to. I’ve even heard that some mechanics may even put on the beer googles and only replace what failed and not measure the other parts to ensure they meet serviceability requirements.

I do know that when it’s time to sell that an aircraft with a recently overhauled engine vs one that past TBO and has been repaired will sell for a lot more.

Edited April 3 by A64Pilot

[MikeOH]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I do know that when it’s time to sell that an aircraft with a recently overhauled engine vs one that past TBO and has been repaired will sell for a lot more.

True. But my contention is that you will take less of a dollar loss when selling the IRANed aircraft.

[T. Peterson]

On 4/2/2025 at 2:11 PM, PeytonM said:

I paid a 10% deposit to AirPower for IO360A3B6 factory rebuilt in April 2024, with a scheduled delivery November 2025. Delayed to May 2026. Just found out there is another delay to April 2027! No credibility for even THAT date. 4200TT, 2000 SMOH. Using a quart/6 hrs. Compressions and borescope all good. Not sure what to do. 

I am picking up my airplane this coming Monday. It has been in work for about 6 weeks, but that is due to other factors beyond the engine installation. Without those factors I would already have the plane. I ordered the engine from Western Skyways about 9 months ago. I continued to fly until the rebuilt engine arrived in February. It’s not a factory rebuild but I am not having to wait 3 years either. Might be worth checking out Western Skyways.

[201Steve]

After Jewel f’d up my engine, I asked Zephyr to re-overhaul it, he said “I can do whatever you want but I’d just be taking your money if you ask me to overhaul it again”. So they did an IRAN, basically doing all core engine work without fooling with the accessories again (Jewell sent those items to someone else anyway). To include line boring the case, overhauling the cylinders, new cam, new lifters. What else is there if everything else had been inspected and determined GTG?

[N201MKTurbo]

23 hours ago, MikeOH said:

Exactly!  My point was you can do all that stuff as an IRAN for $35K, getting that 'zero' SMOH logbook entry is going to cost you another $35K

But that extra 35k isn’t buying you an overhaul, it is buying you a factory reman. Apples and oranges.

[N201MKTurbo]

53 minutes ago, 201Steve said:

After Jewel f’d up my engine, I asked Zephyr to re-overhaul it, he said “I can do whatever you want but I’d just be taking your money if you ask me to overhaul it again”. So they did an IRAN, basically doing all core engine work without fooling with the accessories again (Jewell sent those items to someone else anyway). To include line boring the case, overhauling the cylinders, new cam, new lifters. What else is there if everything else had been inspected and determined GTG?

Nothing. I think a lot of shops are deathly afraid of something that rarely happens, or they are just trying to rip you off.

[toto]

4 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

But that extra 35k isn’t buying you an overhaul, it is buying you a factory reman. Apples and oranges.

Do we have current numbers on field overhauls? Seems like most of the numbers thrown around on here are about factory remans, which tbh have almost no appeal for me after reading Mike Busch’s writings on the subject.

[N201MKTurbo]

21 minutes ago, toto said:

Do we have current numbers on field overhauls? Seems like most of the numbers thrown around on here are about factory remans, which tbh have almost no appeal for me after reading Mike Busch’s writings on the subject.

Even the term “field overhaul” is kind of suspicious. Does that mean any overhaul not done by the factory? So the best overhaul shops in the country do field overhauls? Or does that mean any overhaul done by a not famous shop? What exactly is a field overhaul? 

[MikeOH]

38 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

But that extra 35k isn’t buying you an overhaul, it is buying you a factory reman. Apples and oranges.

Not sure what you’re debating here?

My point is you can save a ton of time and money doing an IRAN like @hammdo did! And end up with an engine good for as much time as the more expensive and time consuming options.

[toto]

4 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Even the term “field overhaul” is kind of suspicious. Does that mean any overhaul not done by the factory? So the best overhaul shops in the country do field overhauls? Or does that mean any overhaul done by a not famous shop? What exactly is a field overhaul? 

Yes, a field overhaul aiui is done by anyone other than the manufacturer. So an overhaul at a big name shop is still a field overhaul. 

[toto]

3 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

Not sure what you’re debating here?

My point is you can save a ton of time and money doing an IRAN like @hammdo did! And end up with an engine good for as much time as the more expensive and time consuming options.

Yep, it’s an intriguing option - but I’d be interested to know what the same shop charges for an IRAN versus an overhaul. It sounds like the only real difference is mandatory replacement parts that would be deemed “serviceable” in an IRAN. 

If a shop said it’s $10k extra just for the liability associated with the word “overhaul” in the log, I think I’d go elsewhere. 

[N201MKTurbo]

1 minute ago, toto said:

Yep, it’s an intriguing option - but I’d be interested to know what the same shop charges for an IRAN versus an overhaul. It sounds like the only real difference is mandatory replacement parts that would be deemed “serviceable” in an IRAN. 

If a shop said it’s $10k extra just for the liability associated with the word “overhaul” in the log, I think I’d go elsewhere. 

From everything I’ve heard here, the difference between what is described here as an IRAN and an overhaul is maybe a few hundred dollars. 
 

The only things that are on the mandatory replacement list they may have overlooked are the Vernatherm and the fuel pump push rod.

 

[MikeOH]

2 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

From everything I’ve heard here, the difference between what is described here as an IRAN and an overhaul is maybe a few hundred dollars. 
 

The only things that are on the mandatory replacement list they may have overlooked are the Vernatherm and the fuel pump push rod.

 

Well, @hammdo had his IRAN done for $23K and seemed to include most everything. The cheapest OH option appears to be a whole lot more than another “few hundred dollars”!