231MJ

That's a great way to check the scavenger pump. Thanks for the idea. Last weekend I had fresh/clean oil dripping onto the hangar floor on the turbo side of the engine (oil was changed a few hours ago so it was still clean) and the nose gear was kinda soaked. Took off the cowling and found oil on the turbo side of the engine and oddly, the bottom of the turbo had oil on it but not on top. The waste gate had no oil on it. No oil dripping from the exhaust. No oil inside the induction side of the turbo. The pushrod tubes were resealed two years ago so I don't suspect they are the issue, plus a leak from there would not bet to the bottom of the turbo but not the top. I washed the engine (several times) and will test run next weekend to see if I can find the leak. Are there any shops that are overhauling the check valves?

My throttle is a little stiff. I asked McFarlane if they could recondition/lube mine. No was the answer - you need to buy a new one. (But I'm not really sure if the cable is lubed or just the vernier mechanism). Crazy.

It's a bulb holder that goes on the underside of the glare shield. I need one...

Four years ago my panel was 75 hours @ $110/hour and I took out ALL the interior. No AP but it was pre-wired for the AP. Removing all the old wiring is very time consuming and if it's done wrong re-wiring is required - my shop knows... I thought it was very reasonable, and I doubt this pricing is available today. Dynon does simplify the wiring with the network hubs and pre-wired cables but it's still a lot of work to connect the GPS, audio panel, nav/com, etc. My view, $15,000 to install the panel shown on the Dynon website is reasonable. I think Dynon v. Garmin is like Pepsi and Coke. I like Dynon and Pepsi and I would do Dynon again, even with the wait for the AP. (I hope the upload of my panel works - I seem to mess it up most of the time)

Thanks for the encouragement, Cliffy. I want to confirm we're talking about the Dynon autopilot and not the Bendix King Aerocruze 100?

Is anyone going to do the install with the help of an A&P? The mechanicals look straightforward, the programing may be a bit of a challenge (for me).

Lance, What were all those suction cups for?

I had faith and while I was getting a little anxious lately, I'm now very glad I went Dynon. The day it was approved I got a personal call from Dynon with the news. And it's 3-axis! I kept the Century II electric trim when the rest of the Century electronics were removed for the Dynon install so that will integrate well with the Dynon system. I feel bad for the short-body owners but perhaps now that the mid-body is approved, the short-body will come faster.

I heard from someone that was at Oshkosh and talked to a Dynon rep that the documentation has been submitted to the FAA and now waiting approval. I'm not sure if that means a signature and all is good to go or if a signature leads to the next step. In any case, I'm hanging in there...

Thanks for the update, Blue Sky. I'm relieved to see the work is continuing. My hangar neighbor said there was an issue with a Bonanza servo and I was afraid all their engineer/development resources would shift to the Bo but that may not be the case. An announcement at Oshkosh would be a big deal for Dynon and also for those of us flying behind Dynon. Hope it happens.

I do have the MB with two alternators and the belt driven alternator does need to come out first but that's really easy. I didn't think Himark had the MB engine so I did not mention that. It is the Husky ratcheting wrench I used - the head is thinner and the throw on the wrench is tighter (I don't know how to explain that very well) so it's kinda perfect for that third bolt. Getting the alternator out is a pain and you need to be careful re-attaching the cables, I cracked the brush holder once - $250 for that baby.

I have removed the left mag and taken it out of the top. If I remember right, the nut on the left side is a bear to get off. I have found the ratcheting wrench from Home Depot (forgot the name of their brand) to be thin enough to get into that space. I think the others two are not hard to get at. Replacing the coupling is a good idea if you don't know it's history.

I'll also add a +1 for Jake at Bevan. He repaired (or supervised the repair) of my pitch trim servo and walked me through the identification of the connectors that Century used long ago. Super helpful, always took my call, responded to all my emails and just a real pleasant guy.

Oh crap. Maybe it's in stealth mode for the flight tests?? In any case, thanks for the bubble burst and back to reality. 2025 it is. Those of us flying Dynon are just getting better and better at hand flying.

I ran across this video about the Dynon factory. At the end of the video, they talk about the AP certification process and the J model testbed is prominently shown in the background. So something is really going on! Maybe it will happen in 2024... Has anyone heard how close it might be? Behind The Scenes at Dynon Avionics HQ (youtube.com)