MooneyMaint

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About this blog

Let’s talk about tips, tricks and things that help us know our airplane better ... from the inside out. This is a ‘basics' BLOG where engines, avionics and owner maintenance are discussed and stories are told.

About me: I own Van Allen Airmotive, a new aircraft maintenance and management operation in Allentown PA at Queen City Airport KXLL. I’ve been pilot since 1982, with instrument and twin ratings and I own a 1996 Mooney M20M Bravo.

My early background was in engines (non-aircraft), turbocharging and racing. I later enjoyed years of electrical engineering work, including audio processing and RF transmitter and antenna design. The last 20 years has been in Internet security, cloud hosting and SaaS technologies - for the most part I have been a serial entrepreneur and the founder/CEO of a public Internet company. I am a paramedic and cardiac care instructor, and I fly for Pilots n’Paws as often as I can.

I am an avid promotor of the aircraft owner being an integral part of the maintenance, and if possible, doing his or her allowable maintenance all the time. I think Mike Busch at Savvy Aviator is helping to change the way we think about maintenance and repairs, and George Braly and the folks at GAMI are pushing the industry out of the stone ages by using science and testing to disprove ol’ wives tales and prove how you can be safer and save money by understanding your engine a bit more.

Finally I’m a big fan of the way Jason Schappert of MZeroA teaches airmanship and promotes continued education for pilots.

So what do you like? What do have to share?

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TLS Bravo Power Settings

I have updated the following with some more specific information, mainly due to some questions raised here on the M20M power output and on what MAP is required for takeoff. TL;DR The TIO-540-AF1A/B is making more power than most people realize; the AF1B is NOT a detuned version of the TIO540, it is turbo-boosted up-tuned version (per Lycoming). The MAX MAP of 38” is the high-limit on the density controller, normal Full Throttle takeoff MAP should be 35-36” if the densit

DVA

August 16, 2016

Lean of Peak (here we go again) TLS Bravo

Hi! I hope this will help other Bravo owners who struggle to run the TIO-540-AF1B at Peak or LOP TIT. But first, in full disclosure I am not an A&P and this is not advice. I am simply illustrating my experience with this engine, and it or may not apply to you. Always follow the POH when you are not sure that your deviation from that document is in your best interest. I am a lean of peak fan, always have been. It comes back from my days of working on non-aircraft internal combustio

DVA

August 16, 2016

A primer on hard starts with a hot fuel injected engine

Vapor lock comes in varying degrees, so a single technique to purge the fuel lines of “gas air” won’t necessarily work. I break it down by short heat soak (about 10 min or less) and long soak (about 30-60min) and yes, there is that charlie foxtrot area in the middle ~15-30 minutes where anything can happen. This discussion is for a fuel injected engine. During a short heat soak the likely culprit will be the upper fuel lines to the distribution device and the injector lines to the cy