Wondering about people's experiences with Pponk'd O-470s. In C-180s or otherwise. If you've done one, what changed? Would you do it over again?

Thanks,

-DP

Found this O-470-50 thread that was started by Bub. It's been six years since then, so if there's any updates, let's have em.

Thanks

340 hours on mine and so far yes I would do it again. just flew it over the rockies at 15.5k and it is a preformer.

Short answer - Yes, in a heartbeat.

Comparable price to factory O/H, rebuilt carb and new starter included. Many of the same props are compatible meaning you may not need to upgrade that. Same exhaust, same engine mount, same fuel system, same compression, basically everything the same just more displacement. Rumor has it a Pponk will even run fine on auto gas in a pinch.... Very little weight gain. Plus if Pponk rebuilds it for you themselves they give great customer service and attention to detail, turning out a very smooth running engine. Plus you get 300 extra hours before TBO. May not be a huge deal to someone who operates 50hrs a year but to a commercial operator it's money on your pocket.

It does burn more fuel. I went from 12gph to 14gph at the same settings. Easy to drink a lot more fuel than that, like 16-18gph running 24-25 squared and not leaning. But it does pick up 5-10kts in cruise, and you can run side by side with a stock O-470 machine in cruise burning the same amount of fuel if you are throttled back. But who does that? I don't think that I gained the extra fuel mileage that the factory claims, but I did not lose any either. Burn more, go faster. And I'm sure a case could be made for less wear and tear on the airframe - not only because it takes less time to make a certain trip, but also the engine runs smoother that most O/Hs.

Having said that, a stock O-470 powered 180 is a great machine and while I love the extra power, it's probably not worth it for a lot of missions. But if you operate floats, skis, or heavy loads from short strips it is a very worthwhile upgrade, at a very reasonable cost.

100% without question I would do it again! I cannot say enough good things about Steve Knopp and his product. The O470-50 is the way to go. It was a HUGE increase over the old O470. I had a "K" core. I believe the K and or the L are your best cores to convert but could be wrong. After lots and lots of research and comparing with all of the other manufactures availabe I kept coming back to Pponk. The guy was honest, prompt and everything else you can say positive. The engine upgrade and the MT prop are some of the best upgrades I have done.

Just take your current engine off and put it in a box


And 6 weeks later she comes back looking like this...


AKT

Very much in line with akt on this one...

The one in my 180 is only about half through TBO now, but I will do it again in a heartbeat. Having said that I'll offer some considerations I'd make personally...

Like akt, I think if weight conscientious means anything, I'd do a K or an L... Still the 4 counterweights you need, without the extra beef...

If I was putting a Pponk in a later model airframe, or weight was not high priority, I'd probably go with the Bendix injected IO520, or the 550... these are two less known Pponks, because they add weight and complexity, but there is no getting around the fact that they add horsepower as well... For the money we are talking about here, it wouldn't make sense to me to have the same airframe as a 185, and not make at least the same horsepower...

IMHO choosing an extremely meticulous builder means more than building a bigger engine... Just because an engine is built to 'industry standards' does not mean it is built as well and well balanced as it could be... When I drop my 180 off for annual, it goes to a really good mechanic, and I fly his 182 home. I routinely ask myself on that first take off in his bird "what's wrong with this thing.... did I leave the carb heat on or something?" and of course... nothing is wrong with it, it just shakes, and produces less power than Steve's engine IMHO people really underestimate this piece until they get behind one of those really good ones... I have flown behind engines built by 4 different certified Pponk builders, and the two that stood out the most were Steve's and Kenny's (Lycon). That doesn't mean that anyone else's were not to standards.... And of course this is not to suggest there aren't others that build to the same quality, or perhaps even better, this is just what little I've experienced. YMMV

Take care, Rob

Thanks for the responses guys. It's certainly sounding like a pretty good option. Has anyone ever heard of a bad job coming out of a Pponk-authorized shop? (Don't necessarily need to name names here. Maybe PM me if you have anything to share in that regard.

Thanks

I am very happy with mine. I have about 75hr on it since it was built last year. It is installed in a 1973 C182 not a back country rig, has wheel pants and small tires, just a traveling machine. I went with the hartzell 82 inch prop, that is my only complaint...it sucks up a lot of crap on the ramp! I'm based out of a small crop dusting airport, so there is debris everywhere even in my hanger!

Steve Knopp built the engine up in Washington, and I think it was on the line with AKTAHOE's engine as well since we were neck and neck getting them back in the air. I had the engine removed and installed by Graham up at NW air repair in McMinneville OR. and I will be going back to him for a long time...he did a great job on the plane, and Steve did one hell of a job building the engine, its balanced and all that good stuff. I have been extremely happy with the temps on the engine, I have seen CHT hit 390 one time in climbout 103 degree day in central valley, they are pretty consistent at 330-340 in cruise no matter what the scenario, easily managed with the cowl flaps.

You will not be making a mistake going with a PPONK engine, It has exceeded my expectations in every area! My plane can go 150kt if I want it to now, easily climb out of hot and high strips, and about 3 weeks ago going into truckee I had a nice tailwind I clocked my highest GS ever in the garmin...188KTS!! pretty awesome in a 182!

Not a single maint. item on the engine in that time period, oil analysis is perfect, I cant say that it is burning oil whatsoever after the initial break-in, I do the oil changes, and I just cant get a measurable difference in the oil on the stick, whats going in and whats coming out. Not a spot of oil anywhere on the engine, or on the belly either.

I have had to learn how to mind my manners when descending, because its hard to slow it down now!

These engines dyno out at between 270-300hp depending upon what you do with them, that is from Steve Knopps mouth when he was building mine...I believe every word of it after flying behind mine for a year now...



Mike

I purchased my airplane with 26 hours on newly installed P-Ponk 0-470-50 and paid a bit of a premium for it.

I now have about 200 hours on the engine and have had no problems. I simply can not imagine life without it now. No regrets!!

No firsthand experience running the engine (yet) but I will say that I had a nice long chat with Steve at the Airman's show and he sold me on the idea.