Our $30,000 Airplane Just Got A LOT More Expensive! 

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I owned 3 helicopters in my life. The absolute scariest calls I ever received were from my mechanic saying I needed to look at something.

Dude, your meticulous and careful engine management probably prevented a more serious in-flight failure, with your family onboard. I believe $16k and peace-of-mind is waaaaay better than an off-airport landing in a field that might total the aircraft, and cause injuries or worse. I had a valve break in flight, punched through the top of the piston and into the crankcase. I was lucky to make it to a nearby runway.

Some perspective here might be helpful. From someone who has been in the maintenance industry for some time, your pro-active approach paid off! You found the problem before it became a failure. This is one of the two primary goals in maintenance, the other being to schedule your downtime rather than encounter it. So while I understand your disappointment, and concern with the expense, in truth your efforts really paid off. And they will continue to pay off in the future. Bad luck with one set of components will not necessarily translate to better luck next time, but a superior maintenance approach will ALWAYS yield better results over time. So take heart!

I experienced the same issue with my IO-520bb 10 years ago. New cam shaft and lots of money spent but ended up with a solid engine that has lasted ever since. Better to find it on the ground than in the air for sure.

Man, I gotta say, you are a good plane owner that takes care of their plane!

I’ve been working on aircraft for the last 25 years and was employed at an engine overhaul shop for about 10 of those years. There isn’t much you can do about the cam problem. Lycoming has had cam problems since they went away from full lead in fuel. The engine and components were designed with that lubricant in mind and they didn’t work as well without them. The new lifters are an improvement and you can also look into the centrifuge-lube camshaft STC that gets oil to the cam and lifters as soon as you have oil pressure.

Great data about GA aircraft’s. And the delivery is very informative and fast to comprehend.

Bummer! I can totally relate to your situation having spent thousands in maintenance last couple of years! Thanks for sharing!

This is Mike from Mission Flight. We are based at KEMT and use the same mechanic for many of our needs. Eric, I see your plane in the hangar. Is it OK to give a shout out to Andres, the owner of Bill's Air Center? Andres is a not just a great mechanic, but an amazing person inside and out. I really like his whole crew. Good people!

I feel your pain! I just had the engine in my 182 overhauled and less than 200 hours later I found metal in the filter - turns out several lifters were spalling. I do the exact same things as you to try to avoid corrosion, including an engine dehydrator. The only thing the engine shop and all the mechanics I talked to could come up with is there was a bad batch of lifters sent out and I probably got some of them. Luckily the camshaft was ok and they threw in new lifters but at this point no one is sure if the cam will eat the new set or not. It’s super frustrating, stressful, and expensive - but I wouldn’t trade all the adventures and memories we’ve made with the plane.

A $16K repair is far better than 16K feet engine failure that results in a crash! Well done on your meticulous care of your aircraft. Look forward to more adventures with your family!

I am sorry to hear about this but am super impressed about how meticulous you are and also appreciate you sharing the information. It encourages me to continue supporting your channel which hopefully makes a contribution, even if small.

I completely understand your pain... I am going thru it right now. I just did a compete overhaul due to a bad cam put 280 hours on the new engine and just had to send out my brand new cylinders for overhaul. Extremely frustrating! If flying wasn't so much fun it wouldn't be worth it! Hang in there!

Great video. My c206 is in annual and I had an unexpected trim tab issue. Luckily, it's not too expensive. We all talk about being emotionally prepared to replace/overhaul an engine at any time. Unless you can be financially prepared to replace that engine at any time, I don't know if we are ever emotionally prepared for that bad news.

Dude, that sucks. I’m right there with you. No cam issue (as far as I know!) but I have valve and ring troubles and am going to have to pull cylinders. Sigh. Good luck! Hope it’s back together soon.

Wow. Sorry to hear., That sucks. My annual was a lot more than expected this year too.

Tough break Eric! Hope it all works out at the engine shop so you can keep making the great flying videos. 🤞🏻

Great video and really bummed for you. I know from watching your channel you are a very involved and conscientious owner and pilot. Don't be discouraged, it's GA, the technology is 50 years old and some parts just fail regardless of your efforts. I have unfortunately experienced similar situations in the 12 piston singles I have owned. Be thankful it's not a complete O/H. Hope they get it done quick and you are back flying soon. Keep us posted .

I have followed your channel for a while and have really enjoyed your content. Its been interesting to watch you from the start 5 years ago, going through the process of purchasing a plane that was cheap and then pouring all the money into the upgrades and maintenance, to get the plane in the shape it is today. Keep up the great videos. I've been in the airline business for 25 years (flying the airbus for the last 16 years) , I have learned that its not bernoullis principal that makes airlplanes fly its Money. 😄 Which I'm sure you are very aware of. Good luck on the engine!

Sorry to hear about the engine issue. I hope the new hardened lifters don’t cause even more cam issues.

I was actually expecting a bigger bill than the $19k you ended up with. I like the Cherokee 6 - real family truckster.

I've been an airplane owner now for a little over 2 months. I REALLY need to stop watching these kind of aviation videos! Lol😂

cheers to thousands more hours of adventures with your family!

bummer. it also illustrates all those ancient technologies that are aircraft engines. It is great you found this in an annual rather than a failure and still you have the bonus you started 5 years ago...that same plane before you got started on the journey today.... hope this puts you in good shape for many years.

Sorry to hear that man! Glad you caught it though

Don’t worry!! You just started to go through the pain that everyone else will experience at any point in time! This is what my buddy told my last May, when I had the same issue on my plane. Be happy to own a Continental engine, where parts can be found. I own a plane with a 6 cylinder Franklin Engine. No joke: just today I got quotation for a new camshaft after nearly 9 month of intensive search around the globe!! So fingers crossed and your plane will be in the air again this spring (and mine hopefully too) BR! 👍👍👍

As an A&P of almost 20 years. Sometimes you just get an "it is what it is" when it comes to failures like this. At least it was caught and you didn't burn that cylinder completely.

I had a similar experience. I purchased a Piper Cherokee 180 with about 1200 hours on the engine. I thought we had plenty of life left in it. First oil change we noticed metal in the filter. We decided to run it longer thinking maybe it had just made some metal due to the plane sitting for awhile before i bought it. But same thing came up at the annual inspection. 1300 hours on the engine. We pulled a cylinder and sure enough the cam was wearing off so we sent out the engine and got a full overhaul done.

I'm hoping the quote after teardown is inline with the estimate! The metal in oil can get bad in a hurry. Crank, bearings, Accy drives, etc. You have a good channel, we have the same AP and I'm always trying to learn more about the Aerocruze.

Oh man… sorry to hear that. I feel your pain, my Beech Sierra is in the shop now for annual and I got the surprise 20k annual year myself. I understand where you are coming from on ownership. I have the same thoughts… I absolutely love flying, but the cost at certain times makes me step back and ask if it is worth it.

Don’t get jaded! Aircraft need maintenance, that’s how the cookie crumbles. Keep up the thorough inspections man!

Tough one. However you’re doing the right thing. As a pilot I have sweated over very minor in flight issues that have caused anxiety all the way back to the hangar. I couldn’t imagine anyone doing anything different if they were in your shoes. Good luck with the project. KAPF

you are right -- you have to be prepared for the unexpected costs of airplane ownership .. doesn't make it any easier.. -- but i think you should be feeling glad rather than sad .. glad that you found the problem on the ground way before it was an emergency in the air.

I used to build Import and Euro vehicles for track racing. I was extremely particular about maintenance and monitoring engine wear to catch issues before they became a massive liability. However, on a few occasions, I encountered engine issues (especially with the Euro vehicles) that would occur for no particular reason besides potential parts failures. Thus, there would have been nil preventative maintenance that I could have completed which would have prevented these issues (cam lobe wear, chipped valves, etc). Manufacturing issues occur period. There is nil reason to beat yourself up over issues beyond your control.

So sorry that happened to you. Cherokee at VNY needs to run if you want to stay current

Sir, I have recently become interested in private small airplane aviation and just discovered your channel. I must applaud you for your maintenance ethic. I have a 40 year experience of high performance automotive engines and have experienced the disappointment of a low mileage, broken engine myself, a number of times. Nothing is more important that the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Whatever the cost in monetary terms, your safety is paramount. I have learned myself, that the joy of having done the job properly lasts many time longer than the pain of paying the bill. Fly safe! ( I've subscribed to the channel.)

I feel your pain, we're borescoping on Thursday and I'm expecting to see a CAM that looks worse than that. Already looked into pricing and it's crazy out there both in cost and time most shops are three months out minimum. I'll say it and take the ratio but you have to wonder about the quality of parts these days.. My A&P said don't buy a new engine they're all made in China these days and it does make you wonder. I think you're on target definitely a case of a bad lifter that just destroyed a good engine. Just look at the fan blade issue with the company out of England, these days there isn't a corner someone won't cut.....

Been there done that..I totally get your frustration. I did put another 400 hours on the plane and then sold it. I go back and forth about diving in again regarding ownership. Uggh..

That sucks! I’m working my way through my second IO-520BB (factory reman) without any problems so far. The last one needed number 2 cylinder replaced, but nothing else. It does seem to be kind of random. I don’t use Camguard, but I change oil every 25 hours. Like you, I try to fly it at least every couple of weeks. Sometimes I have longer idle periods.

LOL @ 2:03 in the background is the Sportcruiser I'm training in.

Appreciate your in depth analysis on the plane. Im interested in getting my private pilot, but also ride snowmobiles and motorcycles. Unfortunately, an engine is a mechanical device that can and will eventually fail. Everything with an engine has become incredibly expensive to own and maintain. A real bummer that it happened to you when you such good care of the engine.

I feel your frustration...I had engine failure (thru a rod) few years ago had local, well known engine shop do a SFOH and got a 0 time engine...all for 1.5x what I originally paid for the aircraft. 130 Hours later, had an oil filter full of aluminum...took back to engine shop and they replaced piston pin and pin caps in #4 cylinder. 65 hours later, and same issue. It makes me question ownership, quality of our engine overhaulers, and quality of parts. Just dropped the engine off this morning at the engine shop, hopefully, they find the root cause this time and stand behind their product.

I have so much respect for how thorough and cautious you are. Your family’s safety is paramount.

Dude $16k is a very good price. On a Piper Saratoga II HP, during the annual last December, the mecanic found corrosion on the camshaft. I receivre a $80k quote to take the engine out and do the overhaul... IO-540-K1G5.

Wow, I’m sorry to hear about this. How long is the plane going to be down for? I’ve heard some horror stories about year-long waits for overhauls in the last few years.

Don't skip getting the prop / prop governor and the oil cooler flushed out.

I have a 1977 Cessna 206G. It’s got 1450 hrs. Engine. I read that prior to2019 Continental engines don’t have exhaust vv seats that can handle unleaded fuel .i think there will be quite a few overhauls coming when 100 unleaded comes out.

It’s been rough for me too. A new DA62, now 1.5 years old, has already had both engines replaced. Since then multiple cam sensor failures resulting in extremely poor dispatch reliability. This was a brand new plane.

Fellow 6 owner for almost 20 yrs. I’ve been through a “top end” when I acquired the plane, a planned full overhaul at TBO, a “partial” teardown/repair (stuck valve) and most recently an “IRAN” 1 1/2 years ago due to metal from a gear in the accessory case. I hope $16k holds up for you, but brace for more …

Uggh! My biggest fear with owning a plane and I’m closing on a Cherokee 180 at the end of the month 😳. My first plane so I’m praying for no serious issues.

Sorry to hear about the lifter problem. Glad you discovered it on the ground. When does it become more efficient to get a rebuilt or new IO540?

Sometimes shit just happens sadly. Same thing with car engines. Like everyone is saying, just be glad you caught it before it took even more parts with it.

I want something like a hairdryer behind the nose gear pointed up into the engine that I can turn on remotely before I drive to the airport. I'm no mechanic, but I feel that warming up the crankcase before starting the engine would do a lot of good.

I just bought a Piper Arrow in Sept. We had to do the wing spar AD on purchase and it passed, but man... this has made me EDGY for that first annual this coming year.

My friend said that he has seen new lifters go bad after 200 hrs. Some of the new engine parts are low quality and they are made who knows where. I worked on piston engine aircraft in the 80's and never had to replace lifters but that's not the case today.

Just hopped on the same boat as of Friday - 5 years and 700 hrs and a failed camshaft. Compressions were not great which is why the cylinder was pulled and the camshaft inspected. I'm opting for new cylinders - that makes a total OH/factory rebuilt most likely in my case. Haven't completely determined the cause of the camshaft to fail, but will be adding an engine dehydrator to my hangar just to make sure I'm doing everything to prevent corrosion. I think you got a deal at 19k - I'm looking at several times that...and months without an airplane!

Well that's a bummer! No matter how hard anyone does good preventative and regular maintenance, they are all nuts and bolts and things just break. It is even worse when it is something that was just installed and it gives up the ghost on you. But as the old saying goes with the 3 F rule, " if Flies, F----'-, or Floats rent it. Keep us updated on your progress and don't throw in the towel just yet, their are much more expensive hobbies out their.

Did you buy new lifters at your last rebuild or recertify the old ones? Also, did you check the valve lash? What were those numbers?

Boy it's a good thing you are meticulous with your maintenance and you and your A&P found this issue on the ground rather than in the air.

I own an airplane and a 39’ Trawler. The boat maintenance cost is at least triple the airplane. Marina fees, bottom cleaning, general maintenance. I spent 20k on an engine rebuild ( insurance paid another 20) after a storm forced water up the exhaust and into the engine. You got to pay to play. My attitude is you can’t take it with you, so spend the money and don’t agonize over it.

Watching your video was like a repeat of the exact same thing that just happened to my engine. I have a 1975 Cessna 180. I do the exact same things you do for engine, maintenance, and operations. I had my number five exhaust lifter fail, and destroy the cam this last winter on a four year old, 209 hour engine. The engine was hooked up to a dehumidifier that turned out not to be working. The hangar that it was in was extremely humid, which is why I purchased the dehumidifier in the first place. After several months of investigation, I realized that it was pumping moist air into the engine all winter long. $16,000 seems pretty expensive for a cam and lifter replacement. Mine was $10,000+ removal and replacement. Sorry to hear about your woes, I feel your pain! It would be great to chat with you in depth about this. Get in touch if you would like.

Total bummer, I had to do a OH on my O-470k at the tune of 52k after 4 years of ownership, it stings but I’ve never shed one tear on money spent on my bird. Luckily you had a hangar, I did mine on a remote strip in Alaska in January in -20. It could alway be worst..cheers

I have rebuilt literally hundreds of engines, mostly non aviation, diesels etc. and there is no engine out there that is free of this kind of failure. It is usually down to a flawed hardening of the parts but can also be triggered by improper valve lash / hydraulic lifter failure causing the lifter to “slap” the cam. I watch my IO-360 continental like a hawk but i do know there is nothing you can do about mechanical wear and tear. We have to accept the hits to play this game. It is ironic that your video posted today as i am currently changing a camshaft in my daughters chrysler 300 for exactly this failure. Two lobes gone on right head camshafts. It sucks but caught early as you have saves a much more expensive engine failure.

Generally, cams are lubricated by splash/fling, and with the Lyc, the cam is above the crank. Idling lubrication is the worst in this case, and there is a lot of idling going on with small aircraft, so you are kind of screwed there. Starting an engine is what kills it, as there is less oil where it needs to be, and it takes a moment to arrive there as it is thick from being cold. Some Lycs use a single lobe to operate a valve on each side of the engine, accelerating wear, but I don't know if that is the case on your engine. Good luck!

Joining your Patreon for moral and $$ support! I’m about to send my Cessna Cardinal in for my first ever annual in 3 weeks and scared for anything like your news. Good luck with the rest of your annual and your engine work. To clear skies and following winds from SoCal!

Had a thumbnail size chunk of aluminum come off the accessory case and found in the oil screen. Off to Divco. No idea why. But that's what annuals are for

Hi Eric, greetings from New Zealand. I have the same PA32 IO540K1A5 engine. I had my engine: shop rebuilt 2007. I have since completed 2200hrs all LOP. I installed an oilamatic pre oiler. My engine rebuilder Gary Blythe has an STC for the Lycoming camshaft he used for my engine, called "camshaft pressure lubrication". Unfortunately FAA don't recognise this STC. Gary has done over 800 cams for NZ and Australia. The STC involves blanking off both ends of the hollow cam and drilling a hole in each lobe. The cam receives oil through the bearing journal. Cam wise I have the best of both by pre-oiling the whole engine before cranking plus the cam STC. Gary thinks it maybe possible for your pt91 to achieve a sign off for his cam mod. The oilamatic company was sold after my purchase and I understand the new owner did not get the STC's. Peter

Yeah this is absolutely wonderful to be caught by your excellent mechanic now instead of later. Thats a small price to pay before it got worse or caused you to end a trip in the middle of nowhere. You should be happy for the way this went. Yes i think whoever rebuilt it should've put te new style lifters in but now youll have them on a new cam.

Sorry to hear Eric.. Don is finishing my turbo now so I am sure you are next..

Lifters go bad for no reason all the time in the automotive world. My dad and I rebuilt a 1974 Corvette with a 454/TH400 combo back in the mid 90’s. Not soon after the engine was rebuilt we started getting some noise. Turns out one lifter went bad and the engine had to be gone thru. Luckily the lifter manufacturer warrantied it at no cost to us. It just happens I suppose.

Curious what the oil analysis also came back with. Did it all happen within 50 hrs

Bummer, my friend.... I had a cracked valve back about 2003. They wanted $9000 for the work. We negotiated them down to $6K something. Still, that was nothing compared to what this will cost you. Everything has gotten so expensive, I doubt I can keep flying much longer. Good luck!

The acronym of Boat applies here!! When it comes to Boats and Aircraft Bust out Another Thousand If you don't have Thousands u shouldn't have a Boat or plane!!❤😂

Bright side is it was found! Repair/Replace and the sooner you’re in the air the sooner the smiles come back.

Repair costs of mechanical systems tend to be based on their MSRP. It doesn't matter how cheap you get it, repair costs don't go down.

Would these things happen less on modern fadec engines? And would they be cheaper to maintain?

I think this is true no matter whether it’s a plane, boat or some other recreational vehicle. I remember how my heart sank when I heard my 300 hp outboard was shot, and the only option was to rebuild or buy a new engine. I did quite a bit of soul searching. I had to weigh my long term savings goals against the fun my family had in the boat. I elected to buy a new engine, because my kids were teenagers and we just enjoyed the boat too much. The boat brought us together just like your plane does for your family. So, I hit up my 401-K for 25k and repowered the boat with a new engine, and told my kids I was spending their inheritance. 😁 We got the boat going again and went back to boating, fishing and diving together. It was a decision I have never regretted. The kids are all grown now with their own families, but the memories we got from the time we spent together on the boat can never be replaced.

Hey! I just had my cylinder need an overhaul in October as well! Then when they were done or thought they were they were still losing power so they dug further and found my mag harness was bad on the one side....so, replace BOTH sides! Hey...ugh Then they checked the air intake housing and it was broken needing to hit up an aluminum welder. My bill was 6300 for all of that. I got it back at the end of october, didn't get to fly it until the end of December and first flight in I lost my audio coming in so it just went in for a new audio panel, harness and while it was there get the Prop eddy current done and the bi annual IFR certification. I would guess I'm in the 4k range to be fixed now. It hurts and I only have a 4 cylinder plane. That's 10k plus in just 3 months. It's definitely the life of the plane and if I wasn't debt free I would seriously be hurting!!! You will get through it, one repair at a time.

Was it a re-ground can and lifters at the overhaul ?

Curious, what are the common warranties (months and/or hours) on a rebuilt engine?

Did you get a new cam at overhaul or was it reground? Ive heard people say re-ground is just as good but I insist on a new cam and lifters... Too much expense in an overhaul not to, IMHO.

As someone who has a brain that makes me dig deep in to why things happen, I get your frustration, Even more so when i have 20+ years experience with engines and mechanical equipment It can be hard to just sit back and accept that bad things happen, But on a positive note, the bad cam/ Lifter was found on the ground, not in the air. Just sit back swear a bunch (if thats your thing) or crank some music.

We have the exact same situation going on with our PA32-300. It had 150hrs on a 10year old engine. We chocked it up as sitting too much prior to our ownership of around 2 years. I'm interested in this new coating I'll have to ensure our engine shop is using these new components. Thank you for your devotion to the general aviation keeping viewers like me amazed with your skills every video you post!

bought a absolute mint piper archer in march overpaid because of a zero time engine low airframe hours perfect paint. annual was in June, they found cracks underneath the wing walk area which mind you requires to take the whole wing off! hurts my first annual was close to 40k! mind you I also had a prebuy, still navigating how he missed huge cracks that couldn’t have happened in the 45 hours I flew lol

I don’t really buy into the belief system of babying your engine at low rpm and low manifold pressures. The engine was designed to run at full rpm at altitude to make 75% power. Running at a lower rpm while not outside of the limits technically isn’t what the engine was originally designed for. I can’t say I always run full throttle but at altitude where I will be making 75% or less I definitely am. I also run marvel mystery oil to help prevent valve deposits. Only time will tell if I will regret my engine philosophy, but I’m willing to take that bet.

Was it a new or reground cam when you overhauled the first time?

How often do you fly more than 2 people? if basically never, maybe a sleek fast composite LSA would cut your cost by 80%. Could even have a ballistic parachute.

I bet your cam shaft was not new when they rebuilt the engine. If they inspect your old one and it checks out OK, THEY PUT IT BACK IN! The problem is the old one might be about to go bad (with the outer coating barely thick enough to go on). Even a factory overhaul often has used parts reinstalled with thousands of hours on them. It’s a real shame when you do everything right and the engine doesn’t get close to TBO. Really sorry to hear it.

The quality of the legacy engines from TCM or Lycoming is appalling! My factor reman O470 had to go to an 15.000$ top overhaul due to bad valves. The oil thermostat was faulty as well and the lifters had pittings after 250 hrs. Very bad for the whole GA.

That is a bummer. 16k is not bad though!

Does this engine accept roller lifters?

Great video! Ouch! I am so sorry for the unexpected cost of the engine overhaul. This is the biggest anxiety I have about airplane ownership and maintenance.

Just curious what the previous oil analysis might have shown. You definitely caught this early. At least a spalled lifter isn't going to make the engine stop running.

I know it's for the views, but calling it a "$30,000 airplane" is a wild stretch. You've put a lot of money into the plane, and that's why it's so nice!

Oh no, im sorry this has happend to you. I am a beginner Private Pilot who is renting, and i wonder if including events like these, the cost still break even with ownership. I dont know what the prices are for renting in California, but here in Germany its about 230$/h including gas, maintence, hangar and everything else. I guess the Factor of having the Aircraft available to you at any time rather than beeing dependent on rent availibility is priceless though. Greetings! And love your videos!

There have been a rash of bad cams and lifters with the angles being wrong since Covid and the labor and supply shortages. At the time your engine was rebuilt, it was likely destined to fail.

Even though we have engine monitors, borescopes and advanced maintenance techniques, our planes have 40-plus-year-old engines which are 50-60 year old designs (or more). As long as the processes like STCs are so expensive, we'll be dealing with this old technology.

16k? Way less than i expected. Please share this Overhaul shops info!

Your mechanic definitely knows what he's doing, glad this wasn't "discovered" in the air. Surprised to see this type of damage since your motor doesn't get "beat on" like a training plane... but over time aside from the cash flow hit the numbers will all even out... Seems that $100k for motor+unscheduled maintenance over 2000 hours TBO for a 6cyl is a good number these days.