A true story of smart maintenance management.
When aircraft owner Mark received an oil analysis showing elevated iron levels, he feared the worst. His maintenance shop recommended an engine teardown to inspect the camshaft and lifters—work that could have cost tens of thousands of dollars and grounded his airplane for months.
Before committing, Mark turned to SavvyMx, Savvy Aviation’s managed maintenance service, for a second opinion. “We’ll help you take the least invasive path first,” said Jeff Simon, Savvy Account Manager, who took the lead on the case.
Savvy’s team reviewed the oil analysis, confirmed the oil filter was clean, and noted the absence of operational symptoms—signs the issue might not be catastrophic. Rather than rushing to disassemble the engine, Savvy recommended a measured, data-driven approach: inspect and photograph the cam and lifters, verify damage, and only then decide on action.
“You literally saved your engine. This is exactly why we do this work.”
— Jeff Simon, Account Manager, Savvy Aviation
Under Savvy’s guidance, Mark’s mechanic confirmed pitted lifters while the cam appeared serviceable. Savvy advised a targeted repair plan:
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Polish cam lobes with crocus cloth.
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Replace all lifters with new ones.
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Flush the oil system and switch to Phillips 66 X/C 20W-50 with CamGuard.
The result? Smooth power, clean filters, and excellent follow-up oil analysis. At the next annual, the cam showed no additional wear. Instead of spending $40,000 and losing months of flying, the aircraft was back in service in days—at a fraction of the cost.
A good maintenance manager doesn’t just fix things, they know what not to fix.