Cylinder Kits on EBAY

[MikeB]

I'm going to have to install new cylinder kits on the 0200 engine for my L16. I pulled one and there is rust on the walls, etc. after sitting for some 30 years. What I can see of the crank and cam and lifters look OK but I'll probably go through the engine anyway just to be sure of what I've got. Seems like the logs say around 600 smoh, but that was 30 years ago. Right now new cylinder kits run somewhere between $800-1000 each.
I've been 'eyeballing' a set of 4 cylinders for sale on EBAY. They're .015 over with new pistons, rings, gasket set, etc. Looking at the tag, the AD regarding cracked rocker bosses has been accomplished. No piston pin that I can see. Yellow tag is signed off by a A & P for whatever that's worth. Starting price $800 with no bid yet (Item: 160316224699) and a few days to go. I'm not as familiar with the 0200 as I am with the A65's.
One thing I don't like is the statement on the tag "valve work accomplished as necessary" because I don't know exactly what that means. The "rebuilt" engine I bought for my Champ was supposedly 'rebuilt to zero time' specs' and when I pulled one cylinder for low compression it had standard rings on a .015 over piston and the valves wobbled all over in the guides .

I'm sure these cylinders will probably go a lot higher but if they were rebuilt and servicable the price probably isn't that bad when all is said and done. Right now I'm leaning toward forgetting about it.................opinions needed, I guess.
Thanks,
Mike Berg

[Roger Anderson]

I've been 'eyeballing' a set of 4 cylinders for sale on EBAY. They're .015 over with new pistons, rings, gasket set, etc. Looking at the tag, the AD regarding cracked rocker bosses has been accomplished. Thanks,
Mike Berg

Reference the rocker boss issue, my hanger neighbor, with a beautiful Luscombe 8E, C85, was putting along up around BWG, Ky recently when he had a major power loss. He limped into BWG barely. He started pulling the valve covers off. Pulled one and the components dropped out on the ground. The rocker boss had broken in half.

[joea]

Mike,

Part of what you get when you join the NAA or post like you do on the bulletin board is the "Joe A detective service!"

http://www.cessna120-140.org/forum/view ... 0796b783df

Randy Thompson in Olinda CA is the A&P who signed the cylinders off in the Ebay auction, and sure that you can track him down through the Cessna forum and find out what all he did with the cylinders. He is an A&P/IA who has a STC for putting O-200's on the C-120/140 aircraft, so works with this engine a lot.

Hope this helps.

Joe A

[Paul Agaliotis]

Mike,
It looks like Thompson Air up in Anderson CA did the work. No body in Northern California has any issues with their work. At a couple of Ben Franklin's each it looks like a good deal. Just keep in mind it's Ebay. Most of the stuff sold there is trash.
Paul

[MikeB]

I'm thinking about it. I have a basic price in mind if I decide to go ahead. Usually the stuff I bid on goes higher than I'm willing to pay anyway but that's the nature of an auction. Also, have to keep in mind that the shipping from California will be sustantial. The auction has four days to run yet.

Off the subject but shows you how things work sometime: my brother had a 1954 Fender stratacaster guitar that he bought in about 1964 for $125 (used). Had it for many years and wound up selling it for over $7000. I'm sure they go for well over $20,000 now. With my luck, I'd pay $7000 and sell it for $125..... .

Thanks for the input, guys.

Mike Berg

[gusc]

Mike,

I'll give you odds the cam lobes are rust pitted, Continentals are well known for that even when used more often than once in 30 yrs!!

Lifters are probably rusted as well. The rust pits are often hard to see except under magnification,

[MikeB]

Could be, Gus . Like I said, what I can see looks OK, but I'm probably going to split the case and replace what I need to. I'm always in the process of gathering parts (I think it's an illness ).

Mike

[CptKelly]

I don't know what is going on with the cylinder auction. I have emailed the seller three times, and he doesn't bother to answer. I am beginning to suspect that something is going on other than auctioning cylinders.

Mike

[Nathan K. Hammond]

I got burned on eBay when looking for engine parts. It's too easy for a seller to peddle a piece of junk and/or not communicate with a buyer. And then the buyer doesn't have a chance of getting justice.

Buyer beware.

nkh

[joea]

I don't know what is going on with the cylinder auction. I have emailed the seller three times, and he doesn't bother to answer. I am beginning to suspect that something is going on other than auctioning cylinders.

Mike

Mike,

My question is, why does it appear that he is selling a complete engine, but in bits and pieces? Why not put it together and get more money for it?

Something funny about this auction.

Joe

[WWhunter]

I am EXTREMELY hesitant to buy any engine parts off ebay unless I have to oppertunity to inspect them beforehand. Recently I was looking for an O-320 for the Murphy Rebel I am building. I was in Hawaii at the time and saw one listed on ebay as a "currently flying" engine. Well, to make a long story short. I noticed the N-number, went to the airport and looked at it. The plane had oil all over it, checked inside the cowling and one cylinder had the bolts busted/pulled out. A mechanic told me he had been flying and the engine hatched out.
This guy was quite a piece of work...I emailed him to ask him questions on this engine and he ASSURED me it was a great engine and had no problems. It was running fine and he was just replacing it with an upgrade. I was friggin pissed he would be so devious. I tried to contact the other bidders to warn them but there was no way of doing so.
Some-one got very burned on that sale!!!

[Paul Agaliotis]

There have been a few creative sellers on Ebay. One person advertised an item with a yellow tag and had a blurry picture of it. when the item shows up it has a very official yellow piece of paper wired to it. So I guess it WAS a yellow tag. The other scam I've seen was the picture of a high dollar item, this one was a crankshaft with a proper yellow tag and a clear picture of it. They included a Buy it Now for a real bargain. BUT the item description was for a yellow tagged CAMSHAFT. The photos had the disclaimer of "not actual item".
If you do buy items be sure to have them checked before installation. There are a bunch of obsolete items being returned to the parts chain.
I'm amazed by the fact that people will install a $3000 Cleveland brake set-up, for safety, and top it off with a $10 Ebay tailwheel.
Paul

[Dennis]

I have been burned twice. One guy from north California sold me a set of tripacer wheels "no corrrosion, in excellent condition." One wheel was a tripacer wheel and was eat up with corrosion. The other wheel looked like a cessna wheel and was warped. He was an A&P/CFII/ATP. There is no doubt in my mind that he knew he was screwing me.

The second guy was from Fort Worth. He sold me a Century controller head which was frozen, could not select AP mode. He would only give my money back AFTER I gave him a good feedback.

Hey MikeB, I operate on the principle of buy high and sell low.

[CptKelly]

I finally did hear from the seller. I asked about a method of payment other then paypal. He stated that he would ONLY accept paypal, and not a postal money order... what is that? I would much rather have a postal money order than paypal. I am thinking that the money order would have the potential to charge mail fraud, and he is deliberately shying away from that potential. I don't get it though. Something is shady here, my hackles are up....

Mike

[MikeB]

I kind of wondered why "the or a" engine is being sold in bits and pieces. I see the price is still $800 but I'm going to pass. It might be a good deal or it might not. I've been 'hooked' a couple of times and I'm a mechanic by trade. One on a 'rebuilt' engine that looked good on paper and log entries (and I can damn sure read a log book) and another on a prop hub that I was assured serviceable and was bent and cut with a torch (the only thing I could use was the nut).

I think the saying is "Let the buyer beware".

Mike Berg