…Rebuild Shops Benefit

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Depending on the engine and the defect, the chargeback can add 25 percent or more to the cost of the engine replacement. On four-cylinder engines, a rejected crankshaft will result in a $3,500 chargeback and an unserviceable crankcase will set you back $3,000. On the sixes, a bad crank is worth $4,500 and a faulty case $4,000. Eight-cylinder cranks and cases each cost $12,500. Not surprisingly, perhaps, enforcement of the policy is predicted to change the dynamics of the engine business. Allen Weiss, of Certified Engines, of Opa Locka, Fla., predicted that cost-conscious owners would look at the field-shop alternative more carefully because of Lycoming’s stand. “We’re assuming it’s going to be a big boon to the overhaul shops,” he said. “It’s good for the engine overhaul business but, it’s a shame, I don’t think it’s good for the industry.” But Howard VanBortel, of Air Power Inc., which claims to be the world’s largest distributor of Lycoming factory rebuilds, said the exchange route is still a good deal. He said field shops simply incorporate the costs of replacing or repairing unserviceable parts into the overall bill, rather than as a chargeback, and he would hate to see a significant shift away from the factory engines because of the perceptions created by the chargeback policy. “I just really believe in these factories. They really do an unbelievable service to the aviation industry,” Van Bortel said.

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