We'd love to put ceramic apex seals in our engines.  It would take a monkey
off my back, so to speak.  But they would add a good $1,000 to the cost of
our engines... and a few people, you know... some guys here and there...
have already commented that, if Mistral Engines seemed good, they weren't
precisely cheap...  BTW, it's true, they are very good and worth their
price!  Be it known!  ;-)

What would be your choice, suppose you were to buy one of ours, if I
presented you with the following hypothetical deal:

- 1000hr warranty on the cast-iron seals (parts and labor) for a selling
price of $xxx

- or 3000hr warranty on ceramic seals (parts and labor) for $xxx + 1200?

Francois

Easy.

If you're talking about a $20K to $30K engine, gimme the $1200 ceramic
seals and extended warranty every time.

Now for the $5K - $10K Mazda engines some of the homebuilders are using,
I'd have to think it through.  I'd base my decision more on reliability
improvements than the $1200 cost alone.  I'd probably *still* do it.

Keep in mind many of us are looking at *replacement* costs (rebuild,
repair, maintenance, etc.), not just initial costs.

FWIW.

--
Thanks,
-Vince Orton

 
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