Aircraft Engine Cylinders
The cylinder is the single most consequential part on a piston aero engine — it determines how much longer the engine runs before a top or bottom overhaul. At American Aviation Parts we stock new and overhauled cylinders for the full Lycoming and Continental GA engine catalog.
New vs overhauled cylinders
- New cylinders — shipped direct from the PMA holder or OEM with 8130-3, no prior service time. Choose new when you need a known-zero-hour assembly and when cost premium (typically 30–50% over overhauled) is justified by the time you plan to keep the aircraft.
- Overhauled cylinders — disassembled, inspected, valves re-lapped or replaced, returned to service limits. Good overhauls are indistinguishable in service from new; poor overhauls fail early. Known shops: Penn Yan, ECi, Western Skyways.
Cylinder families
- Lycoming OEM — steel, Cermi-chrome, or ECi-licensed. Direct from Lycoming parts.
- Superior Air Parts Millennium — PMA cylinder for Lycoming O-320, O-360, IO-360, O-540, IO-540. Widely installed.
- ECi Titan Nickel — PMA cylinder for Lycoming and Continental engines; now owned by Continental Motors.
- Continental Motors new — OEM cylinders for IO-470, IO-520, IO-550, TSIO-520, TSIO-550 families.
- Continental Motors Gold / Platinum overhauled — factory-overhauled cylinders with a Continental 8130-3.
Top overhaul vs bottom overhaul
- Top overhaul — cylinders off, bottom end left alone. Used when one or two cylinders have failed compression and the rest of the engine is healthy. Not a substitute for TBO.
- Bottom overhaul — cylinders often stay on; the crankcase is split and the crank, bearings, cam, and accessory case are inspected and replaced as needed.
- Major overhaul — both ends addressed, the engine is zero-timed.
Ordering a cylinder
We need your engine make, model, and serial number. Some cylinders are eligible only above or below certain engine serial cutoffs. We confirm eligibility before we ship. Contact us.
