Some friends are looking at a Seabee with a GSO-480 installed with the simuflight stc. Does anybody have any experience operating this engine? Fuel burn, performance etc...

I’ve heard lots of stories over the years about geared lycoming, they seem to have a bad reputation. It sounds like most of this is derived from mishandling. Also if there’s gearbox problems ones options for repairs are limited.

Halestorm wrote:Some friends are looking at a Seabee with a GSO-480 installed with the simuflight stc. Does anybody have any experience operating this engine? Fuel burn, performance etc...

I’ve heard lots of stories over the years about geared lycoming, they seem to have a bad reputation. It sounds like most of this is derived from mishandling. Also if there’s gearbox problems ones options for repairs are limited.

The only one i know about would burn gas at close to 65gal / hr with the fun lever forward. But it was good in cruse at altirude with the rpms way back and the mp up. Made lots of power.

No experience with the GSO but I am quite familiar with its sibling, the GO-480. It also happens that the GSO is covered in the same manual as the GO so I have that handy reference.

Fuel burn at take off in a 340hp GSO-480 should be about 54 gph. That is at a rocking 48" MP and 3400 RPM!! 75% power, which is 240hp is listed as 22gph and 65% (208hp) is listed as 17gph. I would guess a seebee, which only had 215hp installed from the factory, would be near Vne even at 65% power. From the charts, 55% power, 28 squared, looks like it should burn about 15gph.

I love my GO-480, it is smooth, incredibly powerful and is a complete torque monster. It made TBO with nothing but routine maintenance, no new cylinders, no gear box work, nothing but oil changes and mag timing really. A thrust test on a Helio showed some 1600lbs + of static thrust. Seebee has a shorter blade, but with the extra power I am sure it would be similar. That thing must really pull! There are still a few shops that work on the GO/GSO-series motors. Central Cylinder and Colombia are two big ones. They have parts and can repair things should it be needed. The gear box is quite stout, and flown correctly, should last TBO with out any major problems. If the box is still tight after a few hundred hours of operation it has probably been flown correctly.

Overhauls are expensive, at least the GO-480 is. Prop overhaul should be resonable as long as your dont need a hub. The baldes are cut down from a Helio (I think) and so should be available. Also MT has certified a new prop for the GO/GSO motors and could help if needed.

I wish my plane had a GSO. That extra power would be amazing!

Helio295 wrote:No experience with the GSO but I am quite familiar with its sibling, the GO-480. It also happens that the GSO is covered in the same manual as the GO so I have that handy reference.

Fuel burn at take off in a 340hp GSO-480 should be about 54 gph. That is at a rocking 48" MP and 3400 RPM!! 75% power, which is 240hp is listed as 22gph and 65% (208hp) is listed as 17gph. I would guess a seebee, which only had 215hp installed from the factory, would be near Vne even at 65% power. From the charts, 55% power, 28 squared, looks like it should burn about 15gph.

I love my GO-480, it is smooth, incredibly powerful and is a complete torque monster. It made TBO with nothing but routine maintenance, no new cylinders, no gear box work, nothing but oil changes and mag timing really. A thrust test on a Helio showed some 1600lbs + of static thrust. Seebee has a shorter blade, but with the extra power I am sure it would be similar. That thing must really pull! There are still a few shops that work on the GO/GSO-series motors. Central Cylinder and Colombia are two big ones. They have parts and can repair things should it be needed. The gear box is quite stout, and flown correctly, should last TBO with out any major problems. If the box is still tight after a few hundred hours of operation it has probably been flown correctly.

Overhauls are expensive, at least the GO-480 is. Prop overhaul should be resonable as long as your dont need a hub. The baldes are cut down from a Helio (I think) and so should be available. Also MT has certified a new prop for the GO/GSO motors and could help if needed.

I wish my plane had a GSO. That extra power would be amazing!

Thanks!

This SeaBee has a Hartzell prop with 93” blades cut down by the factory to 89”, nice wide cord and it’s also reversible.

How do those fuel numbers you posted compare to the numbers in your non-boosted 480?

A cut down 93" blade may not be the same then. The Helio cuts down a 101" to 96", I assumed it was cut down again for the Seabee guess now I have something to research tomorrow if I get bored at work

Fuel burn on a GO-480 is pretty comparable to other motors of similar power. 27-28gph wide open for take off (limited to 5 minutes). Books lists 75% power at 18.5 and 65% power at just about 15gph even. I typically fly 55-60% and it comes out at 11.5-12.0gph. That is 21" 2600 RPM. It seems when I am in a hurry and running at 72% at 24" 2600 it burned about 15.5 gph, but according to the book that is low. Perhaps my carb is set a bit on the lean side? The motor seems happier with the RPM higher, I don't know anyone who operates a GO-480 any slower than 2400. I do know people who are happy with it though, I am certainly one.

Hi,

I own and operate an AM3C which has the Lycomming GSO480. I've attached the POH's Power Settings which also has the associated fuel burn. I find the fuel burn to be in accordance with that depicted in the table.



Safe Flying

I have 2 GO480 that came from a T-Bone, Have parts, will deal!!

I have 2 GO480 that came from a T-Bone, Have parts, will deal!!

M6RV6 wrote:I have 2 GO480 that came from a T-Bone, Have parts, will deal!!

What-# are the 480s and what are you asking for them?

Im also interested in the GO480 and or parts. Can you pm me. Thanks

Tantric Air wrote:Im also interested in the GO480 and or parts. Can you pm me. Thanks

The chances of the poster seeing this and PMing you are slim to none unless they browse daily and see this thread, and I haven't seen M6RV6 around here lately.

You have to PM the person you're trying to communicate with.

If they don't visit the BCP site, that might not do any good.
Unlike the other aviation website I frequest, I don't get an email notice from BCP when someone sends me a PM.
I seem to recall that I used to, but no more.
I just checked my profile options/preferences --
I do have email/onsite notifications marked for PM's,
but don't get them.
I've had the same email address for several years, so don't know what might be wrong.