Has anyone overhauled a big block PT6 recently?

I see some flat rate prices for overhaul in the 600k range but I'm wondering what it actually costs. Just doing an HSI is an option as is going on the M.O.R.E program. The M.O.R.E program will require more frequent inspections and we still need to HSI it and overhaul the accessories. It's cheaper than an overhaul but also devalues the airplane.

Any advice?

I’m interested in this topic as well. Just doing a hot inspection does not look at the front end gears. I think it is prudent to look there as well. What is your long term plan for the plane?

Looking at purchasing one but it only has 200 hours until a decision has to be made. The seller deferred a lot of stuff so I need to go on eyes wide open and know what I'm getting into.

Standard Aero In Canada is great

Another option is the Blackhawk conversion if your timed out

The engine hoses are expensive also .


GB

I would expect at least $800k but right now it is impossible to predict. We just finished a -67 for a PC12 that went north of $1M

Unless, something changed recently, there is no M.O.R.E. Program for the -64 engine. You can buy the STC from M.O.R.E. and get it approved by your FSDO, but it is individual and will not transfer.

You can do the HSI and operate past TBO, as long as it will not be 135, and this makes more sense than the M.O.R.E.

Be warned that big Pratts don't seem to hold up as well as the smaller ones that were approved for the M.O.R.E.

Looking at purchasing one but it only has 200 hours until a decision has to be made. The seller deferred a lot of stuff so I need to go on eyes wide open and know what I'm getting into.

Tom would you mind giving a ballpark number? What is an eye watering annual on a TBM 850? $250k?

Unlike a lot of people, I didn't keep detailed OPex data.
But, I just pulled up one invoice from a 2014 e-mail and it is $163,623. In today's dollars yeah, probably $250k.

They weren't all like this as I recall. The landing gear actuators were OH that year. But the point is those kind of numbers even in a 10 year period don't happen in piston world.

Keep in mind, this is a "squawk free" airplane, not a heavily deferred airplane.

Contact Jeff Holdrige for the best PT6 advice and service. Great guy, super knowledgeable.

https://www.jrhaerosupport.com

Looking at purchasing one but it only has 200 hours until a decision has to be made. The seller deferred a lot of stuff so I need to go on eyes wide open and know what I'm getting into.

Looking at purchasing one but it only has 200 hours until a decision has to be made. The seller deferred a lot of stuff so I need to go on eyes wide open and know what I'm getting into.

TBM

Takes Buckets of Money

Those would water my eyes and I own a Citation.

Is this at a service center?

Mike C.

My 850 is now at 3492 hours, so next week I will be flying past TBO.

I considered overhauls, a replacement engine, and MORE but settled on an HSI.

One key difference in my situation and yours is that I have flown this plane for over 1,000 hours in the last 4 years and have lots of data that I will use to make sure I am comfortable for the next 1,000 hours. I also know that its performance has been stable, reliable and operated consistently. That is harder to gauge buying something new to you at TBO.

Overhaul costs were projected at $450-550k when I bought the plane (2021) and are now in a huge range of $700-1200k with no clear answer until the engine is torn down. I did a lot of research on discussions here, talking my maintenance shop and others, people on MORE, other TBM pilots with engines right behind mine in hours, etc.

A further complication is that the plane would be out of service for up to 6 months during the overhaul. Rental engines are available, but scarce and expensive.

I've heard that there are 2 PT6A-66Ds in a test program for a flat rate overhaul currently. Depending on how that turns out, if I am still eligible over TBO, I might give that a go. Doesn't solve the downtime issue but at least provides a little more certainty on the cost. That said, flat rate overhauls aren't always flat rate, as has been discussed here previously.

Ultimately, there were no good options. The HSI was about $65k and resulted in some warranty parts replacements and a clean bill of health, everything in tolerance.

To continue flying safely, I built an engine health trend monitoring system that tracks rolling regressions on ISA corrected ITT and fuel flow, and performance. Speeds are compared to POH expected performance during stable cruise segments of every flight (converted raw data logged by the G1000). If anything starts to trend hotter, perform worse or use more fuel for the same performance I'll get notified and start doing inspections similar to MORE, or something more aggressive depending on the condition.

One specific thing I would be looking at if I had a run out 64 would be the Blackhawk upgrade program. XP66D https://www.blackhawk.aero/upgrade/tbm- ... ies-xp66d/

This solves several of the overhaul-related problems like unknown cost and long downtime while giving you more power and resale value when the process is complete.