Steve Dietrich

second look at the photo - scoring apparent on the turbo housing potentially creating more metal in the intake.

I think it really depends on where the engine came from . My recollection is that a reman engine - Where did the missing piece go - Is there other turbo damage - What caused the damage - stray metal in the intake ? If the piece can not be found in the intake system then probably borescope engine

After the MB conversion to my 231 I added a Charlie weight which would stay within the envelope with me alone in the left seat and a 180 pounder alone in back. For a long flight alone or with 1 in the front I would carry two 2.5 gallon water jugs in the baggage compartment as added ballast and a nice thing to have should I end up off field. Unlike carrying lead ballast in the baggage compartment I could dump the water on the ramp if I was carrying folks or cargo .

I'm a great fan of the 252 (or 252 conversion of the 231) for flying high, fast and efficiently with a modest load. Look carefully at the EOW - Great adds - long range tanks , speedbrakes if you fly descents in turbulent weather - routine use is like burning hundred dollar bills speed, fuel efficiency , engine life - pick any two single alternator - alternator, coupling battery need tlc and some thought.

Vacuum pumps can be damaged if the mechanic hits the short outlet with the solvent gun

The numbers do not make sense ... Normal useful is 900-1,000 ... Yes if you add 120 gallons of fuel you have a two pax airplane . However , my experience is that you seldom find more than one person who flys frequently who is comfortable with more than a 4 -5 hour leg. It's entirely different with a relief tube and a SO who is also qualified on the relief tube. I can not claim even a molecule of creativity. I stole the design from Rutan . I saw his nifty relief tube exiting the bottom of the fixed landing gear. The mooney has retractable gear but a fixed step. So the relief tube exits the bottom of the step . Even on the ramp it has a pretty good flow rate ( stale coffee

Lots of interesting questions . At the risk of sounding a little paternalistic Make 1 copy of the POH blown up to 8.5 x 11 for each pilot and put in three ring binder for pilot to keep on their desk The characteristics of the mooney which come back to bite the most often are its very efficient low drag wing and the combination of a long wing and very low wing to ground distance . You may not do the full 5 hours with a Mooney specialist but some time with one willl help avoid bad habits.

No , as far as I know there is no STC for a baro controlled wastegate for the LB motor. As Paul notes you would be far better off buying a converted aircraft as the cost of the conversion is probably $60K or more today. It is not just the engine and turbo but also a different motor mount, cowl, cowl flap, . The cowling plays a major role in both airspeed and cooling. The single cowl flap has less drag and is infinitely adjustable The converted 231s used to have a significant disadvantage due to the single alternator 12 v system. However, newer avionics and lights have a much lower power draw. Replacement of the T&B with a second solid state AI with backup power adds a lot of reliability.

It depends a lot on the pax . If you take pilot plus 2 pax the probability of completing 700NM trip without bathroom stop is pretty low. If they are comfortable with relief tube then the range works. A 231 or 252 works well on the 700 NM trip . The big difference between turbo and non turbo is probably the maintenance costs. On the east coast that may not be an issue. While the masses believe southern california is 30 million living in a flat disneyland , the mountains east and north of LA really favor a turbo for winter operations where the climb capability from 6000 is critical . We are here because we like Mooneys . I have flown about 25 different airplanes and for your mission a Mooney would be a great choice.

Many options 231 231+ merlyn ( gives higher critical altitude ) 231 + merlyn and intercooler higher critical altitude better performance happier motor 231 converted to 252 FWF (MB motor) best, former service ceiling FL 280 (but will go well above that) I believe one of the shops still does the 252 conversion but the cost is prohibitively prohibitive . The ideal is the 231 converted to 252 per the applicable STC's Sadly Mod Works SCT has been parked since the shop was destroyed during a hurricane'

Using plastic buckets is a concern due to the potential for sparks from static Better solution is the racing dump cans (plastic) which are pretty tall and can be purchased with a threaded top which will accept a 1/2" fitting and hose

As others have noted consult POH If you drain using the fuel pump or the gascolator or wing drains you need to add fuel back to the tanks on a 231/252 to set the 0 level for usable fuel . The later 231/252 have less unusable fuel. Not sure if there was a physical change on the pickup or just remeasured. The reason for the need to add fuel is that usable is "usable in all normal flight attitudes"

Looking at it again I am wondering if they riveted a steel washer into the antenna hole and into a backing plate Could it be a mismatch of the patch and the cover or the rivits holding it

Late response . I understand and appreciate the technology and sophistication of the O2 systems using pulse technology . I'm also a fanatic about simplicity when it comes to stuff like this and like the old constant flow systems . They operate with the simplicity of a toilet . Happen to like the portable which I can adjust to suit desired flow. Flying an approach after an 18 hour day I would just land with the system supplying the extra O2. Oxygen is really cheap if you don't need to buy it on the road and keep a tank and filler in the hangar. The emergency system was pretty good sized and completely separate. My recollection was about 6 hours at 24,000 . Part of the thinking is that some of the over the top flying is to avoid ice all the way down to the ground. Another function of the portable system is that it has a high flow setting for a passenger with sudden health problems . Not a fan of the little bottles with a built on face mask for pilot emergency use as you have to use a hand to hold it.

Very few of us ever think about bankruptcy . However, should it happen you 401k is probably safe . However, if you borrow against it presumably you have destroyed the firewall. I would at least get a quote from a bank which specializes in aircraft financing .