Lycoming IO-540

The Lycoming IO-540 is Lycoming Engines's piston powering general-aviation aircraft, where simplicity and overhaul cost dominate the economics. First run in 1959, it is a legacy design with decades of accumulated service history. It produces 300 shp of shaft power.

The Lycoming IO-540 is a naturally aspirated, fuel-injected, horizontally opposed six-cylinder aircraft engine producing 235 to 350 hp across its many variants. It is one of the most popular piston aircraft engines in general aviation, used in a wide variety of single and twin-engine aircraft. The IO-540 features direct fuel injection for improved mixture distribution and altitude performance compared to carbureted alternatives. Its applications include the Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Piper PA-34 Seneca, Piper PA-44 Seminole, Cessna 182 and Beechcraft Bonanza, among others — and an engine's installed base matters commercially, because a widely flown type means deeper parts availability, more shop options and better residual liquidity.

For a piston engine, the decisive numbers are time since major overhaul against TBO, the quality of the overhaul shop, and consistency of use — an engine flown regularly usually presents better internally than a low-time engine that sat. Condition, documentation and programme status are what separate two otherwise identical engines — request a quote above and we'll set out the options by condition: new, overhauled, serviceable or core.