Prop Overhaul Costs

If you’re close to calendar time, the concern is less hours, and more corrosion. I know a few low time Hartzells which have failed corrosion at overhaul. If you can make this work for you, fair enough, but know that the two “limits” are there for different reasons….

I have my Hartzell 2-blade CS Prop on an extension program. Had to really discuss on that with my examiner and was close about to give up. I think I had offers for around 6k to 8k for overhaul 3 years ago. Asked around for IRAN and got even shouted at on the phone from a shop in southern Germany for asking. It’s overhaul or nothing.

But then I was backed up enough here in the forums that I convinced him and the prop is still there up front. We check the prop very very closely every year and file a special extension report, but other than that keep it that way. The prop works flawlessly, as does the governor.

Pilot_DAR wrote:

I know a few low time Hartzells which have failed corrosion at overhaul

May be that once I decide to send the prop in that the bill for overhaul could be higher. I tolerate that. But other than that for a prop that is even fairly regularly used (say max. every 3 weeks) there shouldn’t be any risk of prop failure due to corrosion.

No recent experience as such, but paid 7.5KCHF for my 2 blade Hartzell overhaul by RUAG some 8 years ago.

Recent experience with both Bavarian MOH facility=>

The *Southern one,
First we presented our prop which suffered 1-2 mm deep stone marks from LDSH
They made initial machining, than reported that the prop is within tolerances.
Later the prop is rejected because of hub corrosion. The hub was not painted from inside.
The machining and all after is charged at full price!
We pay our education there quite well.

One trial to purchase new prop in USA, miserably failed with missing 8130-3 and the
second with lead time of more than 8 months. Expected cost 7-9 k euro.

Later we agreed with **North facility to perform second opinion for free on the our old prop,
on which we made some hub X-ray photo session, in the mean time.
The result was rejection again, with non official opinion, that the prop may be still usable for experimental aviation.
To be on the safe side, we procured the second prop, with known history and some 200 h remain, out of calendar,
which passed all with EASA Form One and now have full hour and calendar resource.
On the second attempt the cost was much less… and we was quite happy with gratis diagnostic on both props.
In total we spent approx. 5 k euro for the whole journey & including 3 time traveling by car 9A to Bavaria and
two and half months AOG.
Now have one nice prop on the wall and one good performer on the plane.

*South first letter in name H

**North first letter in name M

I just had a reseal and IRAN rather than an overhaul on my McCauley C406. It was $1800 plus a few hundred for pickup and delivery. If the IRAN indicates an overhaul is necessary, it would probably triple the price.

You might want to see what Mr. Busch says about prop overhauls. As you might guess, he’s not a big fan of doing them, and points to the dearth of accidents related to prop failures as justification for running “on condition.”