SR 22 Continental 550N

Guest Discussion
1

My partners and I have position #102 and are discussing the details of our LLC. Does anyone have some numbers on engine overhaul costs for the 550? We are trying to come up with cost/hour for engine reserves.

Thanks

2

I’m projecting around $30K for a factory or major shop overhaul, components (alternators, etc), prop overhaul, and labor. My history with this is it’s hard to guess because you assume that it makes it to overhaul in a certain timeframe. If that’s ten years, which is possible, then you’ll need an inflation factor. If it’s six years and 950 hours (also quite possible), the budget won’t mean much.

Also - you won’t like your interior, may not like the paint, and your avionics will be ‘dated’ in the same ten year run. You’ll need an engine but you’ll want the other stuff, too.

My partners and I have position #102 and are discussing the details of our LLC. Does anyone have some numbers on engine overhaul costs for the 550? We are trying to come up with cost/hour for engine reserves.

Thanks

3

The factory is very pricey but some people feel more comfortable with it.

For the rest of us , a new set of Millenium

cylinders (arguably better than factory)can be purchased for about $7500 and the rest of the overhaul should cost $10k to $12k.

If you want to spend more send the cylinders to Capehart for porting and polishing, add roller rockers, and iridium plugs, it will cost you less than a factory overhaul and wll be a significantly smoother, efficient, and powerful engine.

I did this converting a C182 to 520 ci (P.Ponk STC) for less than a factory overhaul of the o470.

What a difference.

By then though, you may want to swap it out for a deisel - by then it may be the way everyone does it - no other option may make sense.

Again, by then, maybe it will be a 350 hp turboprop will be economically feasible.

Accrue $15 per hour but don’t count on how you will spend it.

If I had an SR22 coming I’d consider trading positions out for a period of time to get the FADEC system. And maybe even pick up enough of a premium to pay for it.

That’d be easier to do if you already were flying a SR20.

My partners and I have position #102 and are discussing the details of our LLC. Does anyone have some numbers on engine overhaul costs for the 550? We are trying to come up with cost/hour for engine reserves.

Thanks

4

I’m projecting around $30K for a factory or major shop overhaul, components (alternators, etc), prop overhaul, and labor. My history with this is it’s hard to guess because you assume that it makes it to overhaul in a certain timeframe. If that’s ten years, which is possible, then you’ll need an inflation factor. If it’s six years and 950 hours (also quite possible), the budget won’t mean much.

Also - you won’t like your interior, may not like the paint, and your avionics will be ‘dated’ in the same ten year run. You’ll need an engine but you’ll want the other stuff, too.

Thanks Chris. That’s roughly what we felt was a reasonable number for engine rebuilds with the trimmings. We will probably plan for major engine surgery at 1700 hours which works out to around $17.50 per flight hour. If we get beyond that (wishful thinking) then the remainder is bonus money. My experience with the big bore Continentals is that reaching TBO is unlikely without at least a top job.

Patiently waiting…

My partners and I have position #102 and are discussing the details of our LLC. Does anyone have some numbers on engine overhaul costs for the 550? We are trying to come up with cost/hour for engine reserves.

Thanks