Mike Busch on Engines

What every aircraft owner needs to know about the design, operation, condition monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting of piston piston aircraft engines

By: Mike Busch

Narrated by: Justin Smallbridge, Michael Busch

“The risk of engine failure is greatest when your engine is young, NOT when it’s old. You should worry more about pediatrics than geriatrics.” (Mike Busch, A&P/IA)

Mike Busch on Engines expands the iconoclastic philosophy of his groundbreaking first book Manifesto to the design, operation, condition monitoring, maintenance, and troubleshooting of piston aircraft engines.

Busch begins with the history and theory of four-stroke spark-ignition engines. He describes the construction of both the “top end” (cylinders) and “bottom end” (inside the case), and functioning of key systems (lubrication, ignition, carburetion, fuel injection, turbocharging). He reviews modern engine leaning technique (which your POH probably has all wrong), and provides a detailed blueprint for maximizing the life of your engine.

The second half presents a 21st-century approach to health assessment, maintenance, overhaul and troubleshooting. Busch explains how modern condition monitoring tools—like borescopy, oil analysis, and digital engine monitor data analysis—allow you to extend engine life and overhaul strictly on-condition rather at an arbitrary TBO. The section devoted to troubleshooting problems like rough running, high oil consumption, temperamental ignition, and turbocharging issues is worth its weight in gold.

If you want your engine to live long and prosper, you need this book.

©2018 Michael D. Busch (P)2023 Savvy Aviator, Inc.

Need for maintaining engine

Made me aware of things to keep track of regarding engine health, also companies to go to for assistance

Fabulous

Mike knocks IR out of the park as per usual. So great to see the tip of the hat to George Braly in the Epilogue. Honestly, I doubt I’d have finished the book without the Audible format. Congratulations!

Teaches how to keep ancient engines alive.

Book almost exclusively focuses on Lycoming and Continental engines and goes into great technical depth, component by component, on how to 1) evaluate an engine's condition (during annual or pre-buy) and keep it running for decades to come.

For me however the takeaway was to avoid such "legacy" engines and really find a way to afford an "experimental" but much, MUCH newer engine, which will work better, be much more efficient, AND more reliable. Will also be cheaper to maintain since it won't need so much archaic maintenance done every 100, 250hrs etc. Ly and Co engines do require it because they are build using 1950s tech and designs. Engine tech in general has progressed dramatically and it's very unfortunate that GA engines lag behind by half a century. My takeaway is that it's unwise to get involved with relying upon, and needing to maintain, such archaic tech, in 2025 and beyond.

Sound advice for important decisions

Sound practical advice based on decades of experience and pertinent data analysis.
All Mikes advice is backed up by his years of personal experience as an A&P, Owner, Pilot, CFI and business owner
Well written

If Agatha Christie wrote about engines..

I'll start by saying I'm not the engineering type, I did not grow up fixing or building anything, but I do love flying, and I do own a small airplane. I wasn't sure what to expect, but pretty early into the book it became a page-turner for my ears. Yes there is a lot of detail, but you don't need to be a mechanic or an engineer to learn the many lessons that Mike intersperses in the book. And, in particular, he just writes so well! There is a chapter in which he goes through an accident and the lawsuit that emerged from it, I felt like I was reading Agatha Christie, but about an engines!! More than one time I have stayed in my car after having arrived to destination just to listen a little bit more.

if it's your thing I could not recommend it any higher!