learning curve on engines...

[killbilly]

Your basic Cessna has a reciprocating 4-cylinder engine, right?

How different is working on one of these to working on a car? I mean, I'm comfortable tearing apart my car all day, and I've wrenched on a lot of shoebox Chevies and Corvettes over the years. Are automotive engines more complex than aircraft engines? Are they that hard to work on? Just curious as a man who has never taken a wrench to an airplane motor.

[Ian J]

Are you just pondering a hypothetical, or are you really considering doing some engine work? Before everyone jumps on you... you know you have to be an A&P to do that stuff, right?

[averyrm]

Well, they're basically the same thing. Aircraft engines are slightly more simple just because of the lack of liquid cooling, EFI, or any type of computer (though the shoeboxes don't really worry about that either). I'd say it's most like a harley engine.

The biggest difference is the attention to detail, and having to worry more about wires rubbing, fireproofing lines, etc.

[DE727UPS]

I think my 152's engine is WAY more simple to work on than my Corvette's engine. Once you get the cowling off, that is...

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by ChinookDriver

Are you just pondering a hypothetical, or are you really considering doing some engine work? Before everyone jumps on you... you know you have to be an A&P to do that stuff, right?

Pondering a hypothetical. But I thought if you were an owner you could work on your own plane. I didn't know you needed an A&P to wrench on a 152.

[averyrm]

If you're an owner you can do some preventative maint. no heavy wrenching. You may, however, be able to get an A&P to let you help do things that he signs off on, good way to lower some costs too!

[DE727UPS]

Look up preventitive maintenance in part 91.4??

It's very limited what you can do. However, as an owner, you could do much more under the supervision of a mechanic. I once knew a guy who overhauled his own engine and had an A and P "check" his work at regular intervals and then sign it off in the end. Not sure that was legal but it happened. Not sure the FAA spells out how much supervision is required to meet the "mechanic supervision" language.

[USMCmech]

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

Look up preventitive maintenance in part 91.4??

It's very limited what you can do. However, as an owner, you could do much more under the supervision of a mechanic. I once knew a guy who overhauled his own engine and had an A and P "check" his work at regular intervals and then sign it off in the end. Not sure that was legal but it happened. Not sure the FAA spells out how much supervision is required to meet the "mechanic supervision" language.

"Preventative Maintence" as defined by pt 43 apendix C can include a lot of maintence tasks that the owner can do themselves.

Turthermore any person can do ANY maintence task provided they are supervised by an A&P. An owner overhauling their engine under an A&Ps supervision is perfectly leagle.


Aircraft engines are VERY simple, basicly they are identical to VW bug engines and very similar to Harley engines.