Process

Engine Overhaul/Repair Process

After approval of the engine repair/major overhaul estimate, an onboarding document will be emailed to you that will request pertinent information such as engine model/serial number, engine total time in service, etc.
Once the onboarding document has been returned, a work order will be generated belonging to your specific engine. For twin engine overhauls, each engine will receive a unique work order.
A 50% down payment will be requested electronically, and can be paid via paper check, wire transfer, ACH/bank transfer, or credit card (a 3% CC fee will be added for all CC transactions). The balance of the invoice is due at work order completion.
We can also arrange for round-trip (there and back) crate shipping, directly to your hangar! Our crates are sturdy, well-built, and will keep your engine safe during the transit process!

Upon arrival at our facility, an incoming inspection is conducted to assess current condition and identify any major unforeseen issues.
Engines are carefully torn down, cleaned, and visually inspected.
Components slated for reuse (crankshafts, crankcases, connecting rods, etc.) are visually inspected, NDT inspected, and measured to verify the items are within tolerances and meet “factory new” specifications. Our engines meet or exceed factory new specifications and tolerances. All parts requiring replacement at major overhaul as per Lycoming MSB240W and Continental SB97-6B are automatically discarded regardless of condition.
A holding shelf with your engine's work order number attached is used to store all components not being replaced or sent out for repair. This ensures that no engine parts are ever mixed together with others. As components return from repair processes, they are placed on the holding shelf and staged for engine assembly.

Any components requiring outside repair are prepped for shipping in double-walled cardboard boxes, and sent out for the repair process to begin. Watson Aero uses only the best outside vendors in the industry for component repair with the best track records of quality work and warranty coverage.
A build list is created for your specific engine, and applicable parts are ordered and staged on the work order holding shelf.

Engines are reassembled to exact standards and new components (OEM or PMA parts), in our insulated, sealed, temperature/humidity-controlled engine assembly room.
The engine is assembled by one A&P/IA mechanic, and inspected for Quality Assurance prior to release for testing. Every engine is assembled according to the current revision of the manufacturer’s approved Overhaul Manual. A library of current revision, paper edition and digital overhaul manuals are kept on file at our facility.
The assembler’s work is inspected by the Chief Inspector throughout the build process, following detailed checklists. Only then does the engine move to the testing phase.

Finally, to ensure the engine will perform better than new and meet our high standard of quality, we test it thoroughly on our in-house test cell. Our testing helps to ensure correct piston ring seating, and measures engine RPM, temperatures, and pressures so we can confirm the performance and conformance to Factory standards. Each engine receives an average 60 to 90-minute test run.
Once satisfactory test runs are completed, the engine is loaded into one of our crates, or placed on a transport pallet for local customers.
Our extensive documentation process will be compiled into a 3-ring binder and sent with the engine. This binder will include the following information: warranty information, engine break-in instructions, an oil change guide, original copies of all applicable yellow tags/8130's, a serialized part spec sheet, a current engine AD compliance sheet, and a new logbook with the engine overhaul log entry as the first entry in the book. Watson Aero keeps copies of all of this documentation on record at our facility.