Aircraft Engine Overhaul in Northampton

Aircraft engine overhaul

Swift Aero looks after piston engines for general aviation aircraft at Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton — Lycoming and Continental types, and Thielert engines on Diamond aircraft. Whether yours needs a top overhaul, a major overhaul or a repair, tell us the type and hours and we'll confirm what we carry out in-house and what we arrange under approval.

When an engine is due

Piston engines carry a recommended time between overhaul, published in flying hours and in calendar years, and most engines reach one of those before the other. Hours alone are a poor guide: an engine that flies rarely can age out long before it wears out.

The signs that usually start the conversation:

The hours limit or the calendar limit, whichever arrives first
Oil consumption climbing, or an oil analysis trend that moves
Compressions falling away across successive checks
Metal in the oil filter or on the suction screen
A long spell parked up, where corrosion is the risk rather than wear

None of these on its own means the engine has to come off. Together they usually mean it is worth looking properly. Most of them first surface at an annual inspection.

Top overhaul vs major overhaul

A top overhaul deals with the cylinders and what sits above the crankcase. Cylinders come off to be inspected and either overhauled or replaced, valves and guides are attended to, pistons and rings renewed. The crankcase stays shut. It is the answer to compression and oil-burning trouble in an engine that is otherwise sound.

A major overhaul takes the engine off the aircraft and strips it to pieces. The case is split, crankshaft, camshaft, bearings and accessories are measured against the manufacturer's overhaul limits, worn parts are replaced, then the engine is rebuilt, run and set up again.

Which of the two your engine needs is decided from what an inspection finds, not from the hours in the logbook on their own.

Engines we work on

Lycoming and Continental piston engines, the two families that power most of the general aviation fleet in this country, on the singles and light twins we see day to day. If yours is something else, ask. Give us the type and we will say plainly whether it is work for us.

Diamond aircraft and Thielert engines

Diesel powerplants run to their own maintenance programme, with component replacement intervals that look nothing like a Lycoming's.

Swift Aero holds a Thielert engine approval for Diamond aircraft — ask us for the current scope.

Propeller work at the same time

With the engine off, the propeller is already half removed, so it is the natural moment to deal with it. Propellers run to their own hours and calendar intervals, set by the propeller manufacturer rather than by the engine's schedule. See propeller overhaul, or the full range of maintenance services.

Common questions about engine work

Does an engine have to be overhauled the moment it reaches TBO?

TBO is the manufacturer's recommendation, published in hours and in calendar years. What it obliges you to do depends on how the aircraft is operated and on the maintenance programme it follows, and that is not the same for every owner. Give us the type, the hours and how it is flown, and we will go through where you actually stand.

What does metal in the oil filter mean?

It depends what the metal is. A light ferrous fuzz is common and often means little by itself. Flakes, bronze, or a sudden change from one filter to the next are a different matter. The filter is cut open and examined, oil analysis usually follows, and the engine stays on the ground until the source is understood.

Should I overhaul my engine or fit an exchange unit?

Both are normal routes. Overhauling the engine already on the aircraft keeps its history and its logbook continuity. A factory-new, factory-rebuilt or exchange engine is usually a question of availability and of how long the aircraft can be down. Tell us what you have and we will set out how the options compare.