Andy95W

Mine's the same way. The faster I go, the harder they are to close. Makes me feel good knowing they're doing their job. Seems to work good if I close them just after level off as the airspeed just starts to increase.

I would think the worn cam lobe would generate less heat, but I'm not an expert. I really like the idea of swapping spark plugs as the cheapest and easiest thing to do if you haven't already. I seem to remember something about preignition/detonation causing high CHTs and because of the earlier than normal ignition event, less heat going out the exhaust so lower EGT.

Very descriptive write up. My suggestion is to double and triple check the exhaust for leaks and replace the exhaust gasket while you're at it. I worked on an engine that the exhaust flange was not perfectly flat and we had to use a blo-proof gasket and a copper gasket to get it to seal. Difference with that was that we could see the exhaust evidence. Yours might be hiding on the back side of the exhaust pipe. Hot exhaust gases can raise the temperature in the vicinity of the CHT probe to give an indication like you're seeing. Not very common, but possible. Good luck, please keep us posted.

And you won't blind others around you at night while taxiing with your wingtip strobes on. (Like the Cirrus guys do.) And you'll have a backup anti-collision light for redundancy.

+1 I met him around 1997-98 at the factory and at the time didn't realize who he was until I started hearing the stories. Then I checked my logs and saw his signature.

I needed new aileron pushrods and got brand new ones from the factory- they fit the M20B - M20TN. I've been told the basic wing structure is the same as well.

It is prudent to keep an eye on it the first flight, but other than that just run it normally. Your plan sounds good to me- but there's a lot I don't know either.

Found the thread: http://mooneyspace.com/topic/1037-calibrated-fuel-sticks/?hl=%2Bfuel+%2Btank+%2Bdipstick+%2Bmeasurements#entry10560 What a great idea. Gonna make a one and save the $20 for the Universal dipstick. I have been just keeping track of tach time, since I seem to consistently burn 10 gal/hr. Doesn't really seem to matter if it's local sightseeing or a cross country, I can estimate the fuel I need to top off +/- 1 gal.

+1. Same with mine. Personal ethics and a general sense of giving a crap makes a huge difference. I know some really good mechanics that are now heating and air conditioning repairmen because it pays more and they don't risk their careers every time they fix something. Average shop rates in my area are less than most car dealership rates. I've had a customer drive up in his BMW and argue about the nuts and bolts he had to pay for when we changed out his engine mounts. And you know damn well that when he gets an invoice from his BMW dealer to work on his car he just strokes a check. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.

Would love to see a picture of the destroyed distributor. On the Bendix magneto, the distributor contactor is attached to a gear whose shaft spins in an oil impregnated bushing (bearing). There are some oil impregnated felt pads that help keep oil in the vicinity of that bushing. I suppose that could overheat and start to chew up the shaft or the torque could crack the plastic distributor block that the bushing is mounted in. Definitely an abnormal situation and one of the reasons we have two! (Here is where we can dredge up the dual vs. single mag argument) (And maybe the flaps on takeoff in case you lose a mag thread)

Well, the best "gadget" is a well trained, current pilot. After that, it probably comes down to what you are worried about... 1.) how you fly the airplane 2.) what's going on inside your engine that hasn't seen the light of day since the engine overhauler But I like what David (Sabremech) said: the engine analyzer won't help after the engine quits, the AOA may keep you from stalling as you try to stretch your glide to your crash site.

Mike Busch has a lot of valid opinions about not performing unneccessary maintenance, with the exception of magnetos. He agrees with the 500 hour inspections. IMHO, you should definitely do something with them. You might consider doing one a year starting at your next annual, or both if any issue whatsoever comes up.

I agree it can happen to any magneto. But if it happens to me, I suffer the loss of a magneto; if it happens to you, you lose the engine.

Okay, so I tried pulling my RPMs back to 1800-1900 today, and the engine was smoother than I remember it being. Noticeably quieter, too. Does anyone know of any downside to running the engine that slow? My C seems to be really smooth between 2350 and 2450. Maybe I just feel weird about pulling the prop back to 1800.

Okay, so purely looking at numbers: 150 hp C172M = 110 kts. @7.5gph = 14.66 nm per gal 180 hp M20C = 145 kts. @ 10 gph = 14.5 nm per gal Since I don't want to join CessnaSpace, I'll have to keep my M20C and go fast instead. To answer your question about speed mods, I've bought lots of 'em. They're all good for something, but not necessarily speed. Wingtips look cool. Flap seals add climb rate. Cowl mods aid in engine cooling. Since drag differential increases to the square of the speed (if I remember my physics classes), there will be less difference at low speed than high.

Must be another weird metric conversion thing. For me, $40k hull, $1M smooth, $750/ year

Mine is between the seats and I practice every single flight. (Solidly reliable Johnson Bar.)

I've tried 1800 and my engine really didn't like it much. Engines like smooth and mine wasn't. Try flying at Carson speed, 1.32 x Vy, about 138 mph Indicated, and considered the best balance between speed and fuel burn. Works out to about 19" and 2400 rpm and very smooth.

Get roller tappets and separate magnetos on your reman engine from Lycoming. And a Power Flow exhaust system if you want a bit more power.

Try ebay. Surprising what you find there. Also try essco: https://www.esscoaircraft.com/c-5202-mooney-maintenance-parts-manuals.aspx?pagenum=1

Ya gotta love it when a plan comes together. Glad it worked out so well.

If you can afford to buy an airplane, then the M20C is a great alternative to either a 172 or PA-28. Similar acquisition cost, practically the same engine, and if it has manual gear and hydraulic flaps, nearly as easy to take care of as the Cessna or Piper. Of course, this doesn't take into account any gotchas like corrosion or bad engine- but that could happen with the Piper or Cessna, too. Maintenance will be 10-15% more in the M20C, In my experience, less if you can work with a knowledgable A&P and do a lot of work yourself. Insurance will be significantly higher until you gain experience in the Mooney and get an instrument rating. Just a guess, but insurance for the 172 might run $1000/year, the M20C would be $3000+ for the first year, $2500 the second year, $2000 the third etc. This may be a good question to ask the group here. If you can afford the insurance, get the Mooney. One additional item to add to your budget- pay $75 for a small refrigerator so you can have cold beer for your hangar. Best way I know to make friends and get help with maintenance.

If you are looking to upgrade, check out this website: http://www.aircraftsecurity.com/other-aircraft/ They produce PMA'ed locks for aircraft, Mooney included. Very high quality and supposed to be "pick-proof". I installed a set in an Aztec and it was very straightforward.

I agree. I would be reluctant to give a BFR to someone who didn't want to do it in his own airplane.

+1 I glance at the tachometer but the engine monitor is what I use during the magneto test.