Slowly making progress. Managed to get the fuselage into Kenmore.
Current engine flow times are about 6 months and Kenmore thinks they will have the airframe ready much earlier so I am looking for other opinions. Maybe just tear down inspect the O470?
Also looking for 182 rigging for eco 2870s or 2960s.
Oh and anybody in the PNW with an English wheel interested in trying to refurbish a lower engine cowl.

PNW Flyer wrote:So this thread will be my attempt to log the rebuild of a C182P that had a little nosewheel "incident". Hit a ditch and folded the nosegear.
Shipping, New firewall, float mod, engine rebuild, new cowl, floats ... What could possibly go wrong?!

Happy to hear, and hopefully heed any advice.

Yes, I am re-reading pilotryan's thread from a couple of years ago.

This is a fun thread!

Smart decision on going with a reputable shop like Kenmore. If I were to redo everything, one thing I think I would do differently would be having the airplane at a reputable shop here in the Midwest. I had very little control over the project when it was in Idaho and me in Minnesota. It was also disheartening to find out I was paying for labor when nothing was being done and paying for things that were never purchased. Honesty is a big huge part of aviation maintenance and hopefully the guys at Kenmore will steer you right.

What O-520 are you going with? Northpoint? Texas Skyways?

Also, I think I speak for everyone when I say "pictures please"

My Seaplanes West Kit, yes some disassembly is required.

I am happy Kenmore can get us in. Both because of their reputation and I live a block away so can check readily.
The engine is the next big challenge. We were going with a LYCON rebuilt O-520 but are hearing the lead times are 6 months. So I have a bid for a XP470 rebuild of my core with new Millenium cylinders for less money and 6 weeks. Anyone have any PIREPS on Pro Aero in Kamloops, BC?

This airplane appears to have had an IO-550 installed? Did I miss why you wouldn't stick with that? Installing a carbureted engine on an injected airframe would be weird.

Kenmore does good work but it ain’t cheap! Keep us posted on the updates.

Kurt

The jury is still out but best guess from Kenmore looking at photos is that the cost to rebuild from the 550 fuselage is much greater than from the base 182 fuselage. More will be know once the 550 fuselage arrives. Tumbling into the water hard enough to break wings does a lot of airframe twisting according to the guys at Kenmore.

Most of the modifications to a stock 182 to accept an injected engine are adjacent to the firewall. If you're planning to use the firewall from the donor plane this would be as easy as it's ever going to get to transplant the injected innards over, you'd have a much more valuable airplane when it was done. Especially as the donor firewall has most likely been modified in the process of making it an injected airframe.

There might be some challenges involved with moving whatever STC was used to installed the IO-550 over to the other airplane, but would be totally worth it in IMO.

I agree with Halestorm. If you can go with the 550 you would have much more value after.
As for Pro Aero, I use them a fair amount and they have always been great to deal with.

Big decision time XP470 or IO-520? The IO -550 is not totally out of the question but is a lot more money and weight. I am hoping to have some payload left, not to mention CG.
But it turns out a complex combination of installation, propeller and engine cost.
Some say the XP470 (Pponk) produces more power at less noise than the IO-520?

I have the Air Planes IO-550 STC so an IO-520 “seems” relatively easy.
At this point it may be cheaper to go with the fuel injection since many of those parts are installed in the forward fuselage that will replace the bent one.
The best build time quoted so far is 6 weeks. The worst 4 months with some saying expect 6 months. I need the detailed engine number, STC, propeller combination to order the engine.

Anybody looking to upgrade to an MT? I would buy your used C401 or Hartzell Scimitar?

I would definitely go with the IO-550, its about the same weight as the IO-520 and produces noticeably more power than a 520. A 520 produces 300hp at 2,850 RPM, a 550 produces 300hp at a quieter 2,700 RPM. 550 will be so much better for your application. There is value in the extra expense.

Kurt
Multiple 520 and 550 owner.

Hey if you ever wander down to the KPLU area let me know. I’ll give you a ride in my 182P. Have you flown behind an IO-550? If not I think I can change your mind! The airframe and engine make an awesome combo. Also, since the airframe had the Air Plains STC, if you have any questions about it, give Eric at Air Plains a call and I know he would be more than happy to talk to you.
Cheers!

550 would be the ultimate for sure. If you can't swing that I would stay injected and go with the 520.

If I could have managed an injected engine for my 182 I definitely would have, the airframe mods were just too expensive at the time.

Pponk is a great compromise but it is very much a compromise. You’ll never get the even temp spreads of an injected engine and the carb ice can be a real pain, especially right here in western Washington at sea level.

I wasn't aware that the IO 550 was much if any heavier than the IO 520. I can tell you that it is a significantly better engine. That engine loves to run LOP. I routinely ran 13 GPH in one, and the engine stayed cool and just ran and ran. As noted above, the IO 550 also makes all that power (and in fact, they all make MORE than rated power, due to the different rating criteria) at MUCH lower rpm. Your neighbors will like you a LOT better with a 550 on that beast.

MTV

All the explanation you need in these two videos:

https://youtu.be/wnauON0UevA

https://youtu.be/LUSLsZUcTuo

For all you visual folks.
The floor boards removed. Looking closely you can see where the pulley supports and "tunnel" doublers are bent. This was expected given the nosewheel "removal". Now to sort out which parts are cheaper to source new vs remove from the donor fuselage. The donor has the firewall and the SPW kit parts.

Apologies for it coming out upsidedown.

I’m curious, what is your all in budget for this project when all done? What are you trying to stay under?

Kurt

Ah, the B word.
The original goal was $135K, more realistic is $150K.
And yes it might go higher, but for me, more important than budget is value.
Which is why I am struggling with the powerplant (engine, prop, motor mount) problem.
I have an IO motor mount and Air Plains STC for the fuel injection (and all the parts). However adding the fuel injection adds labor.
So it is a trade of labor, engine vs propeller against new engine mount, engine and propeller and resulting value in the end. I like fuel injection and understand that trade but there is a lot more to the discussion.
If I had good numbers, both cost and performance, for the set of possible combinations it would be pretty easy. But as most of you know, getting such numbers is never easy and right now it is especially challenging. Prices are swinging wildly.

And of course aviation is full of opinions. The consensus here seems to be IO-550 hands down but many others don't like the cost (purchase and rebuild)and weight hit for the performance on a 182P. Especially one that will be on edos during summer and wheels winter.
If I was going aerocets full time I think the IO-550 wold be the clear choice.

Is overhauling at 550 really that much more than a 520? I wouldn’t think so unless the 550 you pick has cross flow cylinders.

IDK if it would be compatible but I have a Cessna seaplane engine mount for a C185 I’ve been meaning to sell.