The Trouble With Overhauling Components

Let’s face it — the whims of the aircraft owner are rather interesting, if not comical. On one hand, aircraft owners think nothing on spending untold sums of money for new avionics.

This owner smiles with pride as his 40-year-old aircraft has better avionics than Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing fighter. A look under his cowling reflects a different story. Everything from the voltage regulator to the engine hoses look like they belong in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. This same owner then freaks out when you explain to him that he needs to consider planning for an impending engine overhaul once it comes up the end of its serviceable time. Wisely, the I.A. mentions that the engine mount should be sent off to be inspected. New engine isolators need to be purchased. The muffler and exhaust shroud have seen better days as well. In a hyperventilating panic, our illustrious aircraft owner runs out of the office in a state of despair ,yelling at the top of his lungs, “Woe is me!”

For our aircraft owner, and for many aviation maintenance professionals, the first consideration is to overhaul a part. Clearly, in an industry where every penny counts, overhauling components is often seen as the first and only response to an aircraft owner in shock. However, as we will discuss here, sometimes there are better deals to be had in our industry for new parts if you take some time to communicate with your parts supplier. First, many of my fellow A&Ps think that all overhauls are alike. I love how certain overhaul shops claim to have special “tribal knowledge” that the manufacturers themselves don’t have. I often see accessory shops selling manufactured overhauled parts procured from distributors like Chance Aviation, because they often find that many items are just not cost effective to do in house.

The trouble with overhauls

The trouble with overhauls is that there is a wide variation in what different accessory shops will do for an overhaul. If you look at FAR 43.3a, the language states that a person performing the work must perform it in conjunction with manufacturer maintenance directions or other directions approved by the administrator. In other words, one repair station may overhaul something according to the original manual, while another may simply repair it if they have provided their overhaul criteria accepted by the FAA.

In preparation for writing this article, I was talking to a friend about a shop here in Alaska. A customer sent in his starter for an overhaul. This customer received the starter back several days later with a shiny new coat of paint. Upon reinstalling the starter, this customer attempted to start his engine to no avail. Upon removing the “repaired” starter, the A&P determined that it was just a bad Bendix drive. As the A&P removed the Bendix drive, a large amount of sand fell out onto the floor. It would appear that our local shop merely sand blasted the exterior of the starter. Upon replacing the Bendix drive, it was discovered the starter was not torn down for a overhaul. The “shop” simply painted the starter, lubricated the troublesome Bendix drive and issued an FAA 8130-3 tag.         

Before we go further, I in no way want to communicate that repair stations are less than desirable. I wholeheartedly contend that both FAA repair stations and FAA PMA parts are almost single-handedly responsible for keeping aviation affordable. My first job out of A&P school was rebuilding starter generators and commuter airliner brakes. I have been in the trenches and can attest that the repair station model is vitally important to the safety and well-being of the civil fleet. What I am discussing is the unreal expectation that we can keep trying to rebuild 30- and 40-year-old aircraft components with the expectation that these aircraft parts can perform like new. I have noticed that, by and large, the field service life of overhauled parts seems to be getting smaller. Fortunately for us, many of the large FAA PMA overhauled component companies have seen the handwriting on the wall, and are beginning to introduce new components to replace previous offerings of overhauled ones.

Besides the ongoing successful efforts of PMA suppliers to offer an increasing array of new accessories, the reality is that each DOM will have to navigate the overhaul market for some time. This is often due to the fact either they cannot find an exchange unit at a reasonable cost, or there simply aren’t any units available out there for sale. Recently, I had to ship in a customer’s Piper Navajo fuel sending units from Israel for a customer property overhaul, simply because nobody had any exchange units available for sale.

If you find that you are going to send in your units for overhaul, may I suggest two easy but often overlooked steps that will make your life easier. First, document the serial numbers and part numbers of your units going out for overhaul before they leave your hangar. Document this either electronically, or in your designated folder. Additionally, always record the tracking number for the parts sent in for overhaul. I have witnessed several customer property overhauls that became difficult when they repair station claimed them never received it. Fortunately, my records dictated serial number XYZ arrived on Feb. 4, and Barn E. Stormer  signed it via tracking number 007. Amazingly, the unit shows up somewhere else in the building. Once received, make sure the repair station emails you or faxes you a quotation on the overhaul or repair work to be done. This is a good way for you to keep control of the situation. More than one overhaul was prevented from getting out of hand because I insist on this control measure.

Overhaul exchanges

Lastly, the one “big item” that continues to trouble DOMs is that of overhaul exchanges. Overhaul exchanges can be a good thing, provided your core is fine and you have a fairly normal exchange scenario. Cores are getting increasingly difficult to find. As a result, core charges continue to climb in price. This has, in turn, made fewer exchanges available. I have a few suggestions to facilitate your exchanges.

Firstly, be 100-percent positive about what core part number you have on the aircraft. I have witnessed many A&P technicians that have ordered an overhauled airborne fuel pump for a Commander 690, only to find that there was an old Weldon pump still in the plane. Weldons are not considered an acceptable core for Airborne fuel pump exchanges. I have also seen people order overhauled exchange flap motors for a Beechcraft, only to find that the old unit off their aircraft was made by a manufacturer who was no longer in business. Their core unit was also unfortunately not acceptable.

Secondly, when you send in your core for evaluation, make sure to request an immediate evaluation. I have had many repair stations try to come back two and three months later, after they decide they didn’t like my core. This is clearly not acceptable. There is no legitimate reason why your core cannot be evaluated within 14 days of receipt.

Finally, the best case scenario for overhauls is a flat-rate exchange. This means that as long as your core is in reasonably good shape, the overhaul price at the time of the purchase is firm. The biggest benefactor for flat-rate exchanges is in brake overhauls. I have blogged about this before because I have seen more well-meaning people bit by this from a few distributors. I was nearly the recipient of this disaster once. The scenario goes that XYZ parts distributor advertises brake overhauls cheaper than anyone else by $200 to $400 per brake. In this case, it was a Cleveland 30-162 internal high float brake on a King Air. They bid lower than the manufacturer to get your business. Then, three to four months later, you get a letter from them stating your core units need $1,000 each worth of work. This is after several emails and phone calls to the sales rep who still claims your core is just fine. This is called a “bill back” and is a common tactic. You must state on your purchase order that your vendor has 14 days to evaluate your core. If your notification has been received in 14 days, you should expect that the matter is resolved.

My main message when navigating overhaul purchases is to think about the big picture. Can you and should you buy a new part instead? If not, facilitate the overhaul with your eyes open and keep complete control on what happens to your unit. 

Norman Chance is President and CEO of Chance Aviation, an international aircraft parts distributor headquartered in Indianapolis. He has a degree in aircraft maintenance from Vincennes University and a degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle University. He holds an FAA A&P certificate.