A Piper pilot’s aircraft problems are only beginning when the en¬gine fails, and the consequences of mismanaging the emergency landing can be considerably more severe. For that reason, and engine reliability is one of the pri¬mary concerns of many aviators. TBO can be a major consideration when operating an aircraft, but an equal¬ly important measure of an engine’s ability to continue running in adverse conditions is how many times it has to visit the shop between overhauIs.
The Lycoming O-320 and O-360 series aircraft engines are almost universally regarded as perhaps the most bulletproof of powerplants.