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Engine rebuilding

D

dan carley

Well Known Member
Has anyone done business with don George
In Orlando fl? He had my engine for 18 weeks I’m very disappointed

Danny carley
 
I was quoted 16-24 weeks from the shop that has an engine of mine right now.

Currently about about 22 weeks and counting so I don't think your experience is all that unusual.

I know that parts availability is very difficult right now.
 
Just finished an engine in July. The process started in January. About 3 months to get the crank & rods back from Aircraft Specialties and about 5 months for the cylinders to come back from Gibson Aviation. Assembled in a few hours.
 
Mine's been gone since May. Don't expect it back until after the new year. Divco is running three months behind right now. The days of the 8 week engine overhaul turn around are long gone.
 
Last edited:
AN23 said:
Mine's been gone since May. Don't expect it back until after the new year. Divco is running three months behind right now. They days of the 8 week turn around are ling gone.
Click to expand...

Ouch...have a crankcase that just shipped there for inspection. Was told a month if case is good, another month if it needed repairs. Hopefully they're catching up. If not may have to find a plan b for getting a serviceable crankcase.
 
Don George and expedited case?

I sent my case to Divco last year and they offered expedited service for $300. Not sure if that is still an option.

I have known Don George fro many years and think him to be a strait shooter and builds very good motors.
 
Expedited service

Yes. Always choose expedited with Divco and ACS. If not it will be months til you get your parts. I had some sent in and they came back in a couple weeks.
 
I have a friend who works for a well respected engine shop. At the end of october he told me they were waiting 8 to 12 weeks for new cylinders; and often they do not show up and need to re-establish the order.
 
The world has changed - as evidenced by what is happening with Vans Aircraft. As an A&P/IA I don’t give estimates anymore, either time or cost estimates. I’m always wrong so it’s a loosing proposition. I’m fair and honest and will work diligently without taking on too much work. It’s Time and Materials for me - the old fashioned way. Communication and reasonableness by both parties is the key to a happy transaction these days. Good luck with your engine rebuild, anything measured in weeks instead of months seems pretty good to me and I don’t see things going back to the way they were. Not in aviation anyway and if they do, not for a long time.
 
I went to a fly-in at Poplar Grove and got a great tour of their facilities. They had a room full of engines in a waiting queue to be worked on. I don't remember the exact time they mentioned but it was months. This was as of this past summer. Hope you get your engine back soon.
 
There are many factors in the engine rebuilding world. I will discuss a few of them. A little background. I owned a Porsche repair shop for 40 years. I have overhauled a least two hundred engines. Have done ten aircraft engines.
1. There are almost no young people going in to auto or aircraft maintenance. It takes at least five years to get the basics to be a decent tech.
2. The shops that do exist are staffed by older techs. They are worn out.
3. The pay is bad. I payed my techs 60$ per hour. That is twice what most shops pay
4. The only machinists I know and trust are in their late 70’s or in their 80’s. To start a machine shop you need a million in machines and a building. I know no young machinists.
5. Most customers have never fixed anything and occupy a chair for a living. They have no idea how hard it is to work on a complicated device. The ones that you get to know and hang out for awhile do get some idea of it
6. I can no longer trust the parts that I get from the original manufactures. They outsource and do not inspect them. You have to inspect all parts you buy for size, hardness, material source. I have had engines fail from incorrect manufacturing process and the OEM’s will not warranty you. I get to pay for the repair.
7. There are still good shops out there. They are usually months behind. I was upfront about time and cost. Do careful research on what others are paying for overhauls. Prices double every seven years now. Possibly every five. Expect up to a year in time. Most shops that I know refuse to do engines. Too many issues and no profit.

Bob Grigsby. Building 3B. Going backwards. Flying my Cub Fun. (I did the engine.)
 
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