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Hi, everyone! I'm a new Mooney owner -- I recently bought and ferried N201XG, a 1978 201, from its last owner in Texas to my base in Seattle. I decided to buy a plane back in September of last year and settled pretty quickly on an M20J. I did a little bit of looking at Bonanzas and Super Vikings but, as I'm sure you know, the M20 (and in particular the J model) had a really attractive mix of efficiency and speed and features. It also fit my mission profile pretty well, which was generally 0-2 passengers for quick flights within a 400nm radius. The fact that the M20 isn't immensely popular also appealed to me. I daily drove a Porsche 914 for years and I like something that's a little quirky and unusual. I was really methodical about selecting a 201, and have a spreadsheet filled with details on every M20J I found on the market in the last few months, organized by a scale of 1-3: "1" planes were exactly what I was looking for, "2" planes would do if I couldn't find a suitable "1" plane, and "3" planes you probably couldn't pay me to take. I did pricing workups on most and ended up with analyses of varying levels of 68 aircraft in all. N201XG was one of 8 aircraft I took a really close look at, and after spending a lot of time with remarkably patient and helpful selling broker, I bought the plane and moved it from its last base in Texas to its current home in Seattle. It turns out that N201XG spent 16 years in the Puget Sound area, from 1983 through 1999. Some of the maintenance logs show entries from Galvin Flying, the local flight school (and MSC before they got out of the repair business) where I met my insurance minimums in a rental M20J, N161MP. After that, N201XG spent 17 years in new England and 2 in Texas. This plane has a recently overhauled engine with the Firewall Forward 225hp STC, which was previously installed in the plane in 1987, then removed in 1999, before being reinstalled in 2017. It's an amazing plane and I've had a blast on local flights. I'm looking forward to expanding my radius as the weather warms and I work through the small list of remaining minor maintenance issues. Feels pretty neat to have an aircraft that has such a long history in my neighborhood.

Just a follow-up since I originally posted and had the loss of power event. I received the order from Amazon and even ordered some Prist from Spruce. After a sudden power loss and you have had time to reflect you are willing to try any and ALL suggestions. To say I over ordered and took everyone's advice is a understatement. Neil is fairly local and gave me a call the day I posted this and gave me his reasoning and background about the water in the fuel theory. I bought some of the ISO-HEET the next day and put a bottle in each tank. I also did a very thorough pre-flight fuel test and drain..much more than I normally do. Everything appeared good. I'm happy to report I've had about five separate 1/2 hour to a full hour of flights with no engine issues and all gauges are reading correct. Hopefully that was a once a lifetime event, but at least I now know what that type of situation feels like and I feel slightly more confident knowing under a minor emergency I remembered procedure...for the most part anyway. The landing leaved a lot to be desired. I was just glad to be on the ground. Thanks for all the info and input. -Tom

Hell I'm 40 and it hasn't been fun in years.

Foremost, because I am not an expert on the sealant, the prohibition on Prist pertains to the current production aircraft - so its just as applicable to modern sealant. My limited understanding is that the non-modern sealant is the dating back to the vintage Mooney's. I believe all the mid-body's such as our K's since the 80's were sealed with "modern" sealant or material which is equivalent to todays but I can't factually say, except that is also about when the prohibition on Prist began by the factory as far as I know and continues in today's production aircraft. I personally have never used it, and I've only very seldom used IPA, but I am also anal about keeping the cap o-rings in good shape and use the more modern longer lasting material. But I know I have gotten a little water into the fuel system every time I remove the caps when they are soaked despite trying to mop up the water first with a towel. But I have never experienced the condensation issue flying in the flight levels for past 15+ years either. But through Savvy I see a lot of fuel contamination issues, so I am certainly not implying aircraft shouldn't need it. Many clearly do on occasion, especially since our fuel system is particularly vulnerable to it, but luckily I have managed to avoid any.

And I don't hate my job I hate what my company has turned it into. I still enjoy what is my real reason for being there. To serve my customers both internal and external. In all the years there are almost no two jobs with the same solution. The work can be very challenging and often very gratifying when the work is done. Regardless I am looking forward to the future and even though it's just around the corner I don't know how many months weeks and days it will be but that knowledge will be soon in coming.

Fun? I have always worked to Iive NOT lived to work. Good for those of you that are in a career/profession that you are passionate about and enjoy. For me, NEVER have I identified my “self” with my employment...

I love MooneySpace. In the end we found two smoking guns, and fixing both together solved the problem. Long writeup below for future searches. My A&P and I pulled off the cowling last weekend and found major problem #1. There was a fairly major leak at the intake flange for the right front cylinder. Blue 100LL dye was all over the intake, cylinder, and had even sprayed onto the inside of the cowling. Closer inspection found that one of the bolts securing the intake flange had backed out, and contributing to the problem was a cracked gasket. My A&P says a leak like this will cause the cylinder in question to run excessively lean, which likely explains the majority of the engine roughness. @kortopates gets credit for that one. What was interesting is that this was not the cylinder with the single EGT probe, and a subsequent test flight showed a smoother engine but still high temperatures. So we pulled the cowling again and focused on the cylinder with the probe, the left rear. As many of you suggested, we found significant lead deposits on the bottom plug. We elected to pull all eight plugs for a very thorough cleaning and gapping. The following test flight showed the temperatures were back to normal and the engine felt better than before. A few lessons learned- Next time I'll at least pull the cowling off before spooling up the experts at MooneySpace. It didn't take a rocket scientist to find the intake leak. My A&P suggests I clean/gap the plugs at each oil change, rather than at each annual. I'm in talks with my local avionics shop to install a used EDM-700. The quote I got for install was more reasonable than I expected and it is worth the piece of mind. It would have really helped in this situation.

Congrats on your purchase!! Would love to see more pics when you can post them. Also, I am curious to hear your opinion on the 225HP STC.

Congratulations!

Bennett, You and I think so much alike. I bought 133DB for $95k almost 5 years ago. First I started working on the airframe to make sure it was perfect. I then added a GTN 750, 1 tube aspen, and a JPI830 (this was a mistake on my part as I ended up wanting primary and had to put in the JPI900). Then I zero timed my engine at Airmark in Ft. Lauderdale. Now I bought the plane with really nice interior (no quite as nice as yours, but for sure 8 or 9 out of 10). Then came a 1 piece belly, new landing gear pucks, new glass throughout. The. I had a new panel designed 3 tube aspen, JPI900, G5 so the vacuum system is gone. ADSB in and out, LED all around. Then off to Hawk for a tremendous paint job. Mine is probably a step below yours but it is one of the nicest I have ever seen. I probably have $200k in it. Will I ever get that back? No, but I have basically a brand new Mooney that I can fly for many years (I am 56). I am going to add more. A Garmin GFC500 or 600 when I can. Speed brakes and passenger side brakes this annual. Point is, for let’s say $225 you can have every bit as much Plane as what would cost $500 or $600 to build new Today. We need to take our planes to the same place someday just to see how they compare

I think it’s a great program. There are many young kids who drive by the airport in their parents car, with noses stuck to the glass just itching to get on the other side of the fence( I was one of those Kids). I had the opportunity to participate in a YE event a few yrs back, an it was very rewarding. I have not had the opportunity to volunteer lately, so I haven’t had to deal with the background check. But, its to be expected. Just look at what goes on in this world these days With Children, you can’t ever be to safe. so a little extra paperwork won’t make leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Some years ago I was landing at -32C in Iqaluit on a ferry flight. The aircraft was parked outside that night. At departure next morning the temperature was -35C. The Mooney M20E started fine after 30 min preheating of engine and cockpit. I remember the AI needed some time to stop tumbling after engine start. The cockpit warmed up quickly after takeoff. I felt the limitation was more the pilot's performance at that temperatures and not the technology...

I added them to my F model about 5 years ago. The kit is expensive if purchased new. I was able to find used parts for under $500. I have the drawings and install instructions that I can email to you.

My company has lost its way and each day it becomes more clear it's time to retire. Sadly I dont work for the govt so do not have a crazy pension that promises to bankrupt the city county or state. What I do have is a resonable pension but will still see a big drop in income. Life is funny most things are time and money and we have one or the other. Soon I will have the time. The good news is there will be no debt and our Mooney has been given lots of attention making it very reliable. I think keeping it and continuing to fly will be in the cards and I am planning on other things that will with luck make me say god I wish I would have retired sooner. Carusoam mentioned it might be a good line of discussion what thoughts and experience folks have had when life changes the status quo. obvious change would be to take on a partnership but I would rather be a greeter at Wally World than let someone fly my plane without me in it. This thread could be about what you have experienced or what measures you are taking to allow you to continue this wonderfully expensive hobby. I know there are those with so much financial means that there really isnt a worry but for many it's a real concern.

Um, ya, I don’t HATE my job. I totally agree with you that regardless of $ if you hate what you are doing, life is too short. The other side of that coin is I have so many pursuits that I find fun that works gets in the way of pursuing them to the degree I would like. I hope that by saving for the future I have my health and can enjoy my “part-time” entertainment FULL-TIME answering to no one for my time, my schedule, my production. When many around you that you love are entering retirement and you are still “working for the man”, when you have the specter of a father that checked out only one year into his retirement you begin to think more and more about “when”...At least I do.

Haven't tried LOP climb - might, but enjoying the big climb rate at full power. Did get to fly a TBM930 with a friend today - super impressive aircraft and short field capable. Now... to work out the CAPEX and the fuel situation.... Garmin NXi is mostly intuitive for me with thousands of G1000 hours. For someone coming from the new Garmin 650 / 750 panel mounts, it would probably be more so. -dan

I did some digging prior to purchase. On one hand, I've heard about warranty disputes and one secondhand case where a customer was pretty unhappy about the way accessories were installed on an engine in a twin Beech. On the other, these complaints were all at least a few years old and they've had documented changes in ownership since then. I called the BBB in Denver and they confirmed zero complaints in the last three years. There are enough FF powerplants out there that it's pretty self-evident they're familiar with overhauling engines. On balance, I like that they're an experienced engine shop. I dislike the prospect of following up if I have to make a warranty claim, but the evidence says to me that they won't leave me hanging. Plus, we're all just one prop strike away from an overhaul anyway.

Congrats on the plane! It was also nice to meet you two weeks ago at BFI. Cant wait to do some flying soon!

That's easy, Top Gun is a very respected MSC very close at Stockton. Go there unless they've been maintaining it for the previous owner since a fresh pair of eyes is always a good idea. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some added thought on the subject. My career has been 35 years and during that time many changes have taken place with the increase in technology my company has become more interested in data management than serving our customers. I would have to say I spend close to 50% of my time providing reports and updating constant status requirements than I do designing and engineering for compliance work and new business customers. In other words extreme frustration. Also with an ever increasing work load and a reduction in staff I'm losing my mind. Time to get out. Initially the reduction of income will be a challenge but I intend to get back into my fine art illustration looking to market my work which is primarily motor sports and aviation. Perhaps I will be doing a beautiful painting of someone's Mooney to hang in their office or den. With the ability to market world wide I hope to generate a fair amount of business but not so much that it becomes a job or more importantly I have to rush the work causing a lowering of my standards. I am really looking forward to getting back to doing what I love rather than being a cog in a wheel that has come off its axle. As for flying I have no plans of turning in my wings any time soon.

I did the background check and training on EAA.org and sent an email to the EAA chapter 1300 YE coordinator. Only took a few minutes.

@amillet absolutely! Drop a line when you're around. @teejayevans I'm not certain exactly. I believe the work is just the pistons and the STC paperwork, and this is just a guess, but I think the total is probably between $2k and $5k. But, since this requires pulling all of the cylinders off, it's the kind of thing you'd want an engine shop to do (e.g. at overhaul). The plane is too new to me to know whether it's worth it. It runs a little hotter than the other Mooneys I've been in, but that could just be due to worn baffles and, it could be timed to 25 degrees BTDC. I can keep the CHTs in the green with some attention but will have that checked out next time I'm in the shop, and that may make it a little more useful. Ask me later this year and I'll probably have a better opinion about the STC.

I agree. From what I can tell, it has a newer paint scheme.

I owned N201XG (with 2 partners) from 1989 to 1994. I’m just a short hop away in Sequim. I’m taking our current “J” model to Troutdale’s Mooney service center today or tomorrow for its annual, and installation of LED strobe/nav lights and 406 ELT. We’ll have to meet up when I get the plane back.

It will hit you like a ton of bricks. One day you’ll wake up and say to yourself, “why am I doing this for a bunch of ___________”. Fill in the blanks. If you are fortunate, it won’t happen. Most of us who don’t work for ourselves find a point that the fun just isn’t there anymore. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Since I brought Prist up into the discussion, I sent them an email asking specifically what limitations are in place for general aviation 100LL fuels. As Neil pointed out, they went from a mono-ethylene glycol ether formulation to a di-ethylene glycol ether. Presumably to make it for environmentally friendly. Either formulations is an ether based compound. The fact they now specifically call out turbine certification (military DOD) and nothing on 100 LL usage may have more to do with legal concerns than function. I’ll let you know what I find out. BTW - to Paul’s point. From the Aircraft Spruce Q&A: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

. . . with an in-flight photo of your high-powered ASI. Wish they could give my O-360 more ponies, higher VSI and longer range on less fuel!

@xcrmckenna nah, I flew with Kory. 1021K was down for an engine overhaul while I was getting my hours in. 161MP may actually be down for long-term repairs now that 1021K is back in the air. @Hank beat me by mere seconds

Firewall Forward out of Loveland, CO offers it as an STC: http://thenewfirewallforward.com/tnfwf_2012-2013_new_006.htm It's a stock IO-360 crankcase and cylinders with high-compression pistons out of an HIO-360 plus some limitations and placards on maximum MP under certain conditions.

Google knows all, and it is only for Js . . . . http://thenewfirewallforward.com/tnfwf_2012-2013_new_006.htm

Did I read that right? 225hp in a J model? What engine? I need more details! Welcome to the forum!

When you get a chance... update your avatar info. BugSmasher beat me to the Welcome! Best regards, -a-

Welcome aboard, adverse! -a-

If memory serves, those guys were hunting the Alaska backcountry. Left something in the plane and a bear decided he wanted it. Tore the hell out of it and they were able to patch it up with duct tape to get out and home. edit. Yup. Damage was way worse than I remembered. Bear even ate the tires! http://www.viralforest.com/this-pilots-airplane-was-attacked-by-a-bear-but-he-repaired-the-whole-thing-with-duct-tape/

It’s 100% relative to what right? I mean my particular engine the tsio520nb derived from the Cessna 340 and 414 twins is often rated 325 or 335 hp but it’s down rated to 305 in my airplane. fuel flow setting at 100% is much higher (and extra ooomph of fuel) so at full power 32gph it cools well on a hot days climb where as at cruise climb setting 27gph it gets hot after awhile. in winter though it climbs so ferociously even at cruise climb and it doesn’t get hot in very cold weather, I just take it easy at 85%.

I’m quite bewildered by the several of you retiring in your early 50s. I’m still surprised that I just turned 50! I still sort of think I’m still getting started. The thought of retiring hasn’t really crossed my mind yet. Maybe the desire to retire will hit me like a ton of bricks sooner than I think but I sort of figure I should go another 30 years so I can enjoy another 30 years of retirement in good health before I slow down after that. Hah!

J.D. and Laura are the greatest. Please say hi for me. He has helped me so much. Can’t wait to see your prototype!

That would be fun. I’ve also have the LoPresti cowl, the one piece belly pan, and most of the available speed mods. I wish I was your age to justify some new of the newest Gamin avionics. I will add the voice control for the GTNs now that LASAR has an avionics Unit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I need more pictures......

I had it lasered to removed the powder coat. It exposes the raw metal beneath. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great performance no doubt, but I think people find that operating single engine turbo charged airplanes at their max performance continuously means that they'll be changing cylinders every 500 hours.

I built this wiring harness myself. No smoke on first power on!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's great to discuss making a fortune on this thread, but all the other threads deal with how to turn a large fortune into a small one: own a Mooney.

Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of a nice flight to warmer weather! Go get it! Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

Definitely get over it and get back to flying the kids. It's not their fault and it's not your fault. You can be sure that ANYONE working or doing anything with kids these days has to go through this stuff. My wife is a child psychologist who works with Child Protective Services here in Texas. She was shocked it took EAA this long to get with the program. It is what it is and you shouldn't take it personally or be offended. The kids need to fly, so do it for the kids. Young Eagles is the only reason I pay my EAA dues every year.

Is the adapter required for the KI-300 to talk to a King KFC autopilot?

When I woke up this morning, the OAT was at -30 C. Too cold for flying. I put some wood in the fireplace, light it up and did nothing else than warm up all day! Yves

So whats too cold for the plan? Screw the plane, I call no joy way before it would

I remove the dip stick after a flight, allows the trapped water vapor to escape. Don’t know how much it helps but it costs nothing.

Hello Everyone I told the guys at the Mooney Service Center that I didn’t want the external tach that it was a deal breaker for me. At my request, they figured out a way to manipulate the G1000 to display to 2700 redline start to 2800 redline end. They mentioned that when I ever sell the plane there might be a issue and I may have to add a tach. For now I am very happy with this MSC. My feedback on the 310 HP stc: Positives Wow! Take off and climb are a massive improvement, mine is heavy with air conditioning, not much useful load. You can really feel pushing in the last inch. Negatives My fuel burn on take off was 27gph, now 33gph. More power more fuel, I get it. I expected the previous power settings of 25-27 inches to 2300rpm that I used to run 13ish gph is now 15ish gph 50 LOP. The fact is the Acclaim is an awesome machine with 280hp. When I first flew one, I couldn’t imagine anything better. Overall I don’t regret the decision. I think mooney must have weighed all the variables when they decided not to roll the Acclaim out with 310hp, or maybe they are saving that card until the competition catches up.