FLYZONE
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2017
- Messages
- 949
- Reaction score
- 272
I'm an older gent with maybe about 5 years of flying left in my 1972 180 which I've had for 35 years. It is in very good condition with 3875 total and almost 1700 on the engine, a factory overhaul in 1993. I believe the engine block has seen its last overhaul with now over 5000 hours on it. The engine compressions are all in the 70s but I did have to replace a cracked cylinder last year. I am wondering if I can get in front of lurking maintenance issues and avoid flying to TBO or later. I did that with my original engine (2200 hrs) and that was fine, but it was a first run engine with a lot less calendar time on it. The paint and interior are 5 years of less and avionics (except autopilot) are modern. I still fly IFR.
I have been thinking about a top (3 cyl) and an IRAN for the rest of the block. I'm not sure if this is economically rational or not but I'd like to be flying with a margin of safety as well as be able to get a decent price down the road. Does this make any sense? I could just fly it and sell it later with a runout engine later, but the cracked cylinder spooked me a bit such that I wonder what else might be lurking. I have time to wait until things get a bit more sane in the supply chain. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I have been thinking about a top (3 cyl) and an IRAN for the rest of the block. I'm not sure if this is economically rational or not but I'd like to be flying with a margin of safety as well as be able to get a decent price down the road. Does this make any sense? I could just fly it and sell it later with a runout engine later, but the cracked cylinder spooked me a bit such that I wonder what else might be lurking. I have time to wait until things get a bit more sane in the supply chain. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
