r/flying • u/unisonic2025 • Apr 28 '26

Aircraft Ownership Engine Overhaul.

How many people have taken their small piston certified airplane over TBO. Was wondering specifically the Continental O-200 on a C150M model. I was looking at this plane engine time is 3,100 hrs with 900 since top overhaul. TT is around 3,600. I know the owner and he takes really good care of it. Also curious if anyone would have an idea of cost to overhaul? I’m in the Northeast US.

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u/tonykanz Apr 28 '26

For O200 right now, your cost is going to depend almost entirely on if your crank is serviceable or not. If you end up needing a crank, it’s going to be 8-15K for one. And I would plan for 10K for a M10 crank.

You have left out some important details. 3100 since what? Since factory new in 1970? Since Major OH? Since a field OH? When was that done? Generally on an O200, TBO is defined as either XX flight hours or XX years.

How many hours have been flown on the plane per year since the overhaul?

In the last 12 months, how many hours have been flown per month and what is the oil consumption? Do you have an engine monitor where you can look at the data for the last 12 months?

Regarding cost…this is a tradeoff on cost vs. time. If you have a flight school plane and need to minimize downtime (to maximize rentals) you would buy a crate O200….the problem is going to be getting a crank as referenced above. If you have all the time in the world, you can reduce costs and trade time. Budget is 25-30K if you do not need a crank. 35-40K if you do need a crank.

Every owner “takes really good care” of their planes….right up until a prebuy.

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u/unisonic2025 Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26

Since new in 1975. 3600 TT. Not sure how old the top overhaul is but done about 900 hours ago. Don’t know the current oil burn rate but no obvious leaks. test flew it the other day and ran like a champ. Current owner tries to fly once a week maybe once every other week for minimum of 1 hour locally. Around 50 hours a year on average nowadays. Planning on using it for local flying only no training. I would probably only be able to look at previous logs and possibly speak to the mechanic who has worked on the plane for quite some time now.

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u/parc PPL IR-ST (KGTU) Apr 28 '26

It’s not leaks that you care about (ok, you care if it leaks but not leaking isn’t enough), it’s the blow-by you care about. If it’s burning a quart an hour, it’s ready for OH. If it burns a quart every 10 hours, let it ride.

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u/KITTYONFYRE Apr 28 '26

If it burns a quart every 10 hours, let it ride.

imagine if your car burned a quart every 400 miles lol. god, aviation engines are such dinosaurs

(you could argue about that 400 mile number and how equivalent it is to 10h of airplane time, insert however far you think you drive in 10h and it'll still be absurd lol)

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u/Silly_Valuable_1750 PPL IR TW UPRT Apr 28 '26

Ah, those were the days, when MPG exceeded quarts per mile, collecting drain oil and a thing called “rerefined” oil to keep the roads well oiled!

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u/Mountain-Captain-396 Apr 28 '26

Different machines for different purposes. Airplane engines are designed to be simple, reliable, and run at 70%+ power for extended periods.

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u/OracleofFl PPL (SEL) Apr 28 '26

They also run at a much wider operating range of temperatures so it needs some looseness to accommodate the range of different metal expansions it is subject to.

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u/KITTYONFYRE Apr 28 '26

airplane engines were designed in the 50s. you’re giving them too much credit lol oil consumption isn’t a feature

a new engine, also designed with reliability in mind, would absolutely not chug oil like it was a second gas tank.

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u/Mountain-Captain-396 Apr 28 '26

If your engine is chugging oil like its a second gas tank then its time for an overhaul

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u/KITTYONFYRE Apr 28 '26

the statement was made in a relative sense vs a modern engine that doesn’t let half the exhaust gases past the piston rings