From Jerry Stark:
“My partner and I took our engine to BPA based on several recommendations I had gotten over a three year period. I talked with Monty Barrett at airventure the year before we took our engine to them. This also reinforced my decision as he is a very knowledgeable person. When the engine was finished we picked it up and took it to the IA who was to do the installation. When we first fired the engine, the IA remarked how good the engine ran. After checking for leaks, etc. I took the plane up for about an hour. The engine was quieter and ran much smoother. The rate of climb increased as well.
Oil consumption seems to be about 1/2 pint in 20 hours. The only problem we have had was a fouled plug on the left mag after about 15 hours; Cleaning the plugs solved that problem. I suspect it was due to the initial break in of the engine. I am glad we chose BPE to rebuild the engine. The engine was balanced which obviously contributed to its smoothness and power. BPE breaks the engine in on their dyno for an hour and provides a copy of all the data points taken at one minute intervals. I think it is a measurement of their commitment to a quality product.”
From Bill Gill:
“I called BPA many times during the FWF process and flight testing and spoke with Allen Barrett to get my questions answered. BPE even shipped miscellaneous parts at premium shipping to supply needed material/hardware. I can’t say enough…they do what they say and they are there for the customer…period! The 390 is a beast when it comes to speed & power, yet extremely smooth. No regrets here and already thinking about the next project and a BPE engine…HRII maybe.”
From Michael Sausen:
“I spent a fair amount of time looking at the various engine builders out there and you can safely pick any one of them and probably never really have to worry. ******* was probably my second choice but I have a problem with sending money out of the country if I can support a company in the US without sacrificing quality or service. At the time I was shopping I also knew of one builder that had some problems with a rebuilt engine from *******, having mismatched parts and they ended up going with a “new” experimental from them. But I’m sure that is the exception more than the rule. BPE’s workmanship is absolutely top notch and they are always willing to answer your questions.
When I looked at the engine builders out there, and compared the prices, the prices usually averaged out once you took what was included from one compared to what was extra from another. Don’t just look at the sticker price, look at exactly what is included. Besides having an excellent reputation, Barrett will give you an honest answer to any question even if it might not be in their best interest. They also build competition winning engines for several big names so you know they can take a beating. Any of the 6 shops that are authorized to build a new Lycoming “X” engine will be a good choice, but Barrett won out for me.”