The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

What's the consensus around whether to send tappet bodies and hydraulic units in for inspection or buy all new? The A&P I'm working with is suggesting buying all new as a general practice, not because there's anything particularly wrong with the ones I have. He has a lot of rebuild experience on Lycomings, but I'm not sure he's all that familiar with small Continentals.

Gary
Stockton, CA

Gary, the lifter bodies and the assemblies ( the innards) are not cheap! I am an A&P with IA and when I OH a small Continental I always send all the steel parts, including all the lifter bodies and assemblies to Aircraft Specialties in Tulsa for them to do their magic on them. I have been doing this for about 50 years and have never had any kind of complaint. I have always found them to be honest, dependable, and timely. Really, when I OH an engine is all I do is take it apart and put it back together!
Steve Jawley

I agree with Steve.
Send them in for inspection and have the experts determine if they are airworthy.
A waste of money to just replace them.

Rick

Thanks for the input. I've been working with Aircraft Specialties on everything else, and these are the last parts to go in. I'll send them Monday morning, along with the rocker arms.

Agree, Aircraft Specialty Services (A.S.S.) is the way to go, not only can they redo the lifters but they will match the leak down flow rates in sets so you probably won't get your originals back on those. Their prices have gone up considerably at machine shop since 2017 when I last overhauled an O-200, I just got another O-200 crank and cam done... $2150.00 w. shipping . The crank was rusted/pitted at flange area, they were able to chrome and save it.