How much does a magneto overhaul cost? Slick and Bendix prices, and when it is due
November 7, 2026 · Chris van Eijk
A piston engine's magnetos make the spark for its plugs, and they have their own maintenance schedule next to the engine's: an inspection every 500 hours (every 250 for pressurized Slick magnetos), and, for Slick magnetos, an overhaul that Champion ties to the engine overhaul. Many shops quote by phone. We collected the magneto prices printed on shops' and sellers' own websites on 6 November 2026 and set them next to what Champion (Slick) and Continental (Bendix) say about when the work is due.
Short answer: at the one shop we found that prints a price for overhauling your own magneto, its average pricing is $1,250 to $1,600 for a Slick and $925 to $1,800 for a Bendix. An overhauled magneto in exchange for yours costs $1,200 to $1,765 for a single magneto plus a $250 or $300 core charge, and $4,184 plus a $1,000 core charge for a Bendix dual magneto. A 500-hour inspection is about $500 for a Slick and $525 for a single Bendix, $1,500 for a dual, plus parts. A new Champion Slick 4300-series magneto lists at $2,088 to $2,482 at Aircraft Spruce and a new Continental 10-500556-3 at $2,462; PowerUP's PMA replacement for the Bendix S6LSC-200 is $1,413. Champion's manual says its Slick magnetos "must be overhauled at every engine overhaul", and Continental says its Bendix magnetos "have to be inspected at 500 hours".
What does a magneto overhaul cost?
There are four ways to deal with a magneto, and they are priced differently. A 500-hour inspection is the periodic check the makers prescribe; parts it finds worn are extra. An overhaul of your own magneto sends it to a shop and back. An exchange gets you an overhauled magneto from the shop's stock, with a core charge until your old one comes back. A new magneto replaces it outright.
What magneto work costs: published prices
| Magneto | Price | Core charge | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500-hour inspection | |||
| Slick (Champion)4300 / 6300 series | $500 | — | Poplar Grove Airmotive |
| Bendix (Continental)S-20 / S-200 / S-1200 | $525 | — | Poplar Grove Airmotive |
| Bendix (Continental)D-2000 / D-3000 dual magneto | $1,500 | — | Poplar Grove Airmotive |
| Overhaul of your own magneto | |||
| Slick (Champion)Slick magneto | $1,250–$1,600 | — | Precision Air Power |
| Bendix (Continental)Bendix magneto | $925–$1,800 | — | Precision Air Power |
| Overhauled magneto in exchange for yours | |||
| Slick (Champion)Slick magneto | $1,400 | +$300 | Precision Air Power |
| Slick (Champion)PowerUP rebuilt 4301-OH (Slick-type, PowerUP parts) | $1,765 | +$250 | Aircraft Spruce |
| Bendix (Continental)Bendix magneto | $1,200 | +$300 | Precision Air Power |
| Bendix (Continental)S6LSC-200 (10-600616-9), PowerUP Value Overhaul from stock | $1,203 | +$250 | Hartzell Aviation |
| Bendix (Continental)Bendix dual magneto (10-682555-16), PowerUP overhauled | $4,184 | +$1,000 | Aircraft Spruce |
| New magneto | |||
| Slick (Champion)Champion Slick 4300 series, 19 models (4310 to 4392) | $2,088–$2,482 | — | Aircraft Spruce |
| Bendix (Continental)PowerUP PMA replacement for the S6LSC-200 (ES-600616-9), not a Continental part | $1,413 | — | Hartzell Aviation |
| Bendix (Continental)Continental (TCM) 10-500556-3 | $2,462 | — | Aircraft Spruce |
Read what each price covers. Precision Air Power in Woods Cross, Utah, says of its Bendix overhaul: "Complete overhaul of your magneto with all factory new parts! any unserviceable components billed additionally", and of all its prices: "This is average pricing, price will vary depending on condition, age, and last time serviced." Its exchange is available only when it has one in stock: "If we have an exchange available, the charge is a flat 1400 plus a core charge of $300" for a Slick. Hartzell Aviation sells a PowerUP Value Overhaul S6LSC-200 in exchange for $1,203 plus a $250 core charge, or a new PMA replacement for $1,413. Aircraft Spruce lists PowerUP overhauled replacements for Slick 4300-series magnetos at $1,412 to $1,765 plus a core charge, and 19 new Champion Slick 4300-series models at $2,088 to $2,482. PowerUP parts are FAA-PMA replacements, not Champion or Continental parts — and Champion's manual says of its own overhauls: "NON-CHAMPION FAA/PMA OR USED PARTS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE".
What does a 500-hour magneto inspection cost?
Poplar Grove Airmotive prints its "Approximate costs for 500 hour inspections": $500 for a Slick 4300 or 6300 series, $525 for a Continental/Bendix S-20, S-200 or S-1200, and $1,500 for a Bendix D-2000 or D-3000 dual magneto, each "*Plus Additional Parts". The inspection is the regular cost. For a Slick, Champion requires an overhaul at least at every engine overhaul, or after 12 years, whichever comes first. Champion's manual adds an inspection every 250 hours for pressurized magnetos: "250-HOUR PRESSURIZED MAGNETO (ALL)".
When does a magneto have to be overhauled?
For Slick magnetos, Champion's 4300/6300 Series Maintenance and Overhaul Manual L-1363J (revision J, 20 April 2021) is direct: "The magnetos must be overhauled at every engine overhaul. The magneto Time in Service (TIS) allowance is the Time Before Overhaul (TBO) or 12 years when maintained in accordance with this manual." It adds that "the magnetos must be overhauled after a lightning strike on the aircraft, a sudden engine stoppage, prop strike, or immersion." Champion's own product page says "Slick magnetos can also be economically serviced at 500-hour intervals." We could not find the manual on Champion's own site; the copy we read is the one published on qaa.com, so check with your shop that revision J is still current.
For Bendix magnetos, Continental said in a press release of 22 April 2026 that, under its Magneto Service Support Manuals X42001 and X42002, "all Continental-Bendix™ magnetos have to be inspected at 500 hours." We could not read those manuals on Continental's site, so we give no Continental overhaul interval here. Lycoming's engine TBO instruction, SI 1009BF, leaves accessories to their own makers: "Engine accessories and propellers can require overhaul prior to engine overhaul."
What do magnetos add per engine hour?
Take an engine with two Slick 4300-series magnetos and a 2,000-hour TBO. Three 500-hour inspections at $500 a magneto come to $3,000, and overhauling both magnetos with the engine to $2,500 to $3,200: $5,500 to $6,200 over the engine run, or $2.75 to $3.10 per engine hour. That assumes the engine reaches its TBO within 12 years; an aircraft that flies less has its magnetos due for overhaul at 12 years, and pays more per hour. Parts found at an inspection, and the labour to take the magnetos off and put them back, come on top.
Two magnetos over one engine run: inspections and overhaul
| Work | Share of the total | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 inspections × 2 magnetos$500 each, parts extra | $3,000 | |
| Overhaul of 2 at the engine overhaul$2,500 to $3,200 | $2,500–$3,200 | |
| Per engine hour | $2.75–$3.10 |
A magneto is a small item next to the engine overhaul itself: see Lycoming engine overhaul cost and Continental engine overhaul cost for those prices, aircraft cylinder replacement cost for the other repair that comes between overhauls, and aircraft maintenance cost per hour for how such costs add up. The aircraft ownership cost calculator puts maintenance next to fuel, insurance, hangar and the engine reserve.
Planning magneto work in a club or partnership
In a shared aircraft nobody flies all the hours, so a 500-hour inspection is easy to lose track of. In Pilot-Next every aircraft can have maintenance plans with an interval in hours on the aircraft's Tacho (or its Hobbs if it has no Tacho), in calendar months or both, so a magneto inspection every 500 hours can be one of them; each plan shows OK, Due Soon or Overdue against that reading and today's date — see aircraft maintenance tracking. To pay for it as the aircraft flies, a reserve can be a second hourly rate on the same aircraft, shown as its own line on the flight invoice; a member with a personal hourly rate is billed only their own rate, so build the reserve into it.
Sources
Read on 6 November 2026: Precision Air Power; Poplar Grove Airmotive (page updated 5 January 2026); Hartzell Aviation, Bendix S6LSC-200; Aircraft Spruce, new Slick 4300 series, rebuilt Slick 4300 series, PowerUP 4301-OH, new Continental magnetos and PowerUP Bendix dual 10-682555-16OE; Champion Aerospace, Maintenance and Overhaul Manual L-1363J (revision J, 20 April 2021) and Slick magnetos; Continental Aerospace Technologies, 22 April 2026; Lycoming Service Instruction 1009BF. Prices change; check the shop's page before you send a magneto.