Fairchild Club Forum

'Hi All,

I'd love to purchase an antique aircraft but I'm afraid of the older
engine designs. Are there some engine types that the Fairchilds
normally use that are more reliable and less troublesome than other
engine types? Or am I just being a scaredy cat?

Thanks, Eric Te'

' Rangers are really great if done properly!   Gene Lehman'

'Eric,
I love the Ranger engine! I have flown over 500 hours in 4 years on my
PT-19. Of that over 400 is cross country time. I would trust one of these
engines over any other piston engine. Even if they start to get weak, the
engine will let you know long before it ever gives out. Considering the age
of the technology, they are terrific engines.
Go for it! You will never regret it.
Richard Smith'

'Thanks for the encouragement.

Eric'

'Thanks for the info. Is there a shop that specializes in rebuilding Rangers?

Eric'

'BTW. Is there a shop that specializes in overhauling and rebuilding Rangers?

Eric'

'-----Original Message-----
From: eteet@aol.com
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, February 12, 2001 6:44 PM
Subject: Re: [fairchildclub] Old engines.

John Ferro is rebuilding my tailwheel right now, he also does ranger engine
overhauls.
Robert Hensarling
http://www.mesquite-furniture.com
Uvalde, Texas

>Thanks for the info. Is there a shop that specializes in rebuilding

Rangers?

>
>Eric
>
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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>
>
>

'

'If I were going to have someone do an engine I would talk to Joe Denest in
Philadelphia. If you are on the west coast, my engine was built at Classic
Air -

clasicair@classic-air.com.

There are shops who do cylinders and accessories so you can also have an
engine done locally by someone who has a good sense of rebuilding engines.
They are very easy and very dependable. There are almost no "tricks" to
building a ranger.

Richard'

'Oops. Didn't mean to sent the same message all over the world three times.
Sorry.'

'--- In fairchildclub@y..., eteet@a... wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> I'd love to purchase an antique aircraft but I'm afraid of the

older

> engine designs. Are there some engine types that the Fairchilds
> normally use that are more reliable and less troublesome than other
> engine types? Or am I just being a scaredy cat?
>
> Thanks, Eric Te

Eric,

I maintain Ranger, Warner, P&W, Franklin, LYC, Cont, Menesco, and
Gypsy Major engines. I much prefer the older engines, better quality,
more mass and just good design. The old engines will take abuse and
in almost every case let you know when there going to fail if you
listen. As for maintenance, do you homework and ask around, word of
mouth in this small aviation world will save your butt and pocket
book. As for flying behind a 60 or 70 year old engine, if it is
rebuild and maintained correctly you have little to worry about. I
sometimes think about flying behind the old Ranger and think about
the age, I then think about having a new powerplant up front, then I
think about all the AD notes and broken crankshafts, soft Camshafts,
soft gears and so on, I will take my chances with the old stuff.

Jamie Treat'