mike20papa

Replacing all of the engine controls is recommended by the FAA at engine OH. I replaced all three of mine with McFarlane controls. If you have access to a pencil and a tape measure, you can remove your existing cables and provide McFarlane with the required dimensional information using their online template to fabricate you an "owner produced part". Yes, working in the footwell of a Mooney is a chore best left to your "mini-me" but that's the joy of owning/maintaining a Mooney. That sliding cable in the clamp is inexcusable. McFarlane sells a clamp that has a ridge in it that fits into the bowden cable spiral wire winds and prohibits that kind of slip & slide action. Best of luck.

I use to take my A model out after annual when the back seat and passenger seat were still out. It was a "hoot" to climb out after take off in shallow left climbing turns above the airport to about 7,000 ft roll out above the clouds and then watch the clouds & ground pass below and remember the words in the POH intro when Al says, "this airplane gives you keys to the aerial kingdom" Early Model Mooney Performance Table.pdf

Unfortunately the 200HP IO-360 is prone to this. Requires at a minimum case repair to bring it back to airworthy status. All those essentials from rod bearing bolts, nuts, rod & main bearings, gasket set (if you can find it) etc. will add up $$. Depending on what else is found when the case is cracked open and stud assemblies pulled, cam and followers examined (yellow tagged), etc. Depending on hours on the engine, you are probably going to have to decide on a major OH or a repair similar to a prop strike engine. Your main concern will be finding a shop willing/capable of doing the work within any reasonable time frame. Best of luck.

Originally they were #4 A thread sheet mtl. screws. As time goes by .. owners/mechanics strip out the base metal so they no longer function. So, #6's or larger are often installed. The alternative to simply installing a larger screw requires a level of aptitude and resolve most are not capable or willing to associate themselves with.

"Existing part (affected by AD or SB) , Part SN... removed and replaced with SERVICEABLE part SN..." reads better than "Swapped out with .." Write up a 337, note it in the log books.

Just like any surface coating, there are lots of available processes. It still requires a surface treatment similar to painting, priming, and then the top coat. We have a very well run shop here I take my work to. Believe me, there is no "blanket specification, means or method" implied when you say "powder coating" Most reputable processes are three stage, just like painting. Surface prep with acid etching, a primer and then a top coat. And no, I would not like to think I had coatings sluffing of the interior of my valve covers ... No coating has the elongation of the modern urethanes, https://www.huimfg.com/blog/powder-coat-paint-specification-standards-template

I rebuilt mine, but not near as deteriorated as the one on your AC. I had a crack along the width of the box, on top, I formed a new piece of aluminum and made new carb heat "apparatus". My welder told me the box was loaded up with so much intergranular corrosion that made the repair extremely difficult. Aluminum oxide melts at such a higher temp than raw aluminum, it will drop out like water. Unless you've welded aluminum, it's difficult to explain. My repair included new MacFarlane bearings (non ingestible needle bearings) and more. Best of luck.

Al Mooney knew better from the get go. Why he designed the M20 with removeable aluminum tanks. Next time, buy a wood wing with genuine stand alone removeable serviceable aluminum fuel tanks. Rubber, like the shock disks and the motor mounts, the tires and the duck in your bath tub have a "service life" due to elements in the atmosphere. . Wood and aluminum, not so much. But aluminum is oxidizing as we speak.

I have three of the original factory drawings for the wing.. One is for the preformed skin. The drawing calls out for 1/16" and 1/8" thickness. The thickness transitions at station 147.74. You can see this location on the wing. The face grain orientation is 45 degrees. The note calls out for all plywood to conform with MIL-P-6070, all plies poplar with option for face plies to be mahogany. I attached the file. I also have the spar drawing (very complex & difficult to read due to age) Also have the overall plan sheet for the wing assembly. Also the Mooney factory wood wing repair manual .. somewhere ...? Joe Mooney Wing Skin Dwg.pdf

I had a similar problem with my A model. It also seemed to get progressively worse and I finally admitted to myself not remembering the problem when the engine was low time. I put a new mechanical pump on and now fuel pressure does not need to be supplemented with the aux. pump. Don't ask me why. In theory, I would have always told you that either a mechanical fuel pump worked, or it didn't, not some diminished effectiveness. Warning .. changing out the fuel pump on these engines without removing it is a very challenging task.

It's difficult to see what you're referring to, here. Why not remove the part and do some further investigation as to the failure. Mooney produced that part utilizing typical aircraft means. methods & materials. We are all suffering thru the COVID why work when work doesn't pay better than sitting at home thing. Took me 6 months to get a case OH'd.

Could have had an A model .. removeable tanks, patch 'em if they ever develop a leak .. few hours work. Al Mooney built the A model (his last airplane - they all had wood wings) some guy from Beechcraft who was notorious for the straight model 35's inflight problems ... aluminized the M20 and delivered you guys the theory of the "wet wing". Have never ending fun.

Nice to hear another A model is in the hands of a new, appreciative owner. Best wishes with the aircraft. I've owned mine for about 15 years and would appreciate hearing about your plans & progress. Joe & N8335E ('59 A model)

What you need to understand is that these are very simple engines, they don't have chain driven multiple overhead cam shafts or Alpha Romeo style shim tappets etc. Also, the internals (unless you send it to Lycoming) all most likely end up at a FAA Cert. repair station (there's not but a handful) for inspection, overhaul, yellow tagging, etc. This is where the real work is done and communication between you, the shop tearing the motor down & reassembling, need to have good communication. To reassemble one of these engines is like about 4 hours of work (and that's with lots of coffee breaks), Non of it is brain surgery but strict accordance to "all available information" is required. Nothing creative, just by the book meticulous work. As high time as the motor is, brace yourself for the max amount of an overhaul. Think all new stud assemblies (cyl.s, pistons, valves) If you want a "high end branded" shop to sign the log book, run the motor in a test cell, then be prepared to pay. There is a shop in Colorado - Westair.com (Western Aircraft Services) they can get the job done and reasonable, but be prepared to pay crating, shipping, etc. Crating a Lycoming is not an easy task. Probably take as much time to build a crate, take to a freight depot than tear down the motor and reassemble. Most A&P's (contrary to years past) just don't do "field OH's". The never ending, hour after hour comes in removing the engine and reinstalling it. Best of luck. Here's a photo of my O-360A1D on the way to Trim-Aire in Mexia Tx

It's a Mooney - not a Cessna.

A savvey Mooney pilot who taxis up to a fuel farm and knows that a turbine powered helicopter is inbound to "Hot Fuel"? Any of you had this experience? I have waved these SOB's off - to no avail - confronted them at the pump & then filed a complaint with my local FISDO. Beware - you & your fixed wing AC are just in their "high & mighty" rotor wing way. Yes, I made them pay for a complete post incident inspection of my AC. Now they are gone, bankrupt, reorganized & at another field. Hot fueling limitations, restrictions, heli op's are something to be familiar with.

Also check the bell crank where the travel/movement from the Johnson bar rods turn 90 degrees and go to the over center link. My A model actually allows for an adjustment that fixed a similar problem on my aircraft (way back when). I also installed a rubber strip to prevent wear from the gear on the door stiffener. Wish I had a photo ..

Call Trim-aire in Mexia, Tx. Ask to speak with Buddy Miller. I do not know what their current lead times are.

Where the hose connects to the alumn. tube at the cowling bottom .. make sure that the hose is not covering a hole about the size of a #10 drill.

This is the most concise advice yet. So, what is the movement/"play" in the horiz. stab?

Have you considered the radical idea of purchasing the last Mooney produced that Al Mooney actually designed and signed the type certificate? We A model owners actually consider it the apex of Al Mooney's career & wouldn't consider anything else. AL Mooney, one of the first degreed aeronautical engineers in the US, student of Giuseppe Bellanca, left Mooney after producing the last woodwing aircraft of his noted long career designing only wood wing AC. Look into the E model .. in order to recover the performance lost when aluminizing the airframe - bolt on a 200 hp engine and build the wing spar out of 7075-T6 (now known for it's intergranular corrosion) to save weight. No thanks - make mine out of sitka spruce and mahogany ply wood or I'll go fly something else with a wood wing. Look into the Hughes H1. Howard could have built that wing out of a gold/titanium alloy if he thought it better than SPRUCE. ALso look into the stiffness per pound given a fixed section modulus wood vs. aluminum. Deflection, not ultimate strength is typically what drives design. Back around 1990 I went to a talk given by the young Douglas Jr. at Texas A&M. He spoke of his time with pop and the early days and then went on to say that wood was the material of choice for limited production/high performance aircraft. But when mass production became a paramount factor, aluminum was it.

Before any soft field, grass strip landings are attempted the pilot should be proficient at minimal airspeed landings where the elevator is full aft (trim full nose up) and the elevator is maintained all the way back from flair thru roll out. Most Mooney pilots "nose wheel three point" the landing. Perhaps get some tail wheel time to understand the meaning of a minimal airspeed landing and get use to a sight picture in the flair that doesn't include much runway. Touch down on the mains and practice holding the nose wheel off until it touches down under full up elevator, only. Prop strikes will ruin your day!

This fellow shows you how.

So .. the 24 month periodic testing & inspecting is stated in paragraph 1 - (1) Within the preceding 24 calendar months, each static pressure system, each altimeter instrument, and each automatic pressure altitude reporting system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with appendices E and F of part 43 of this chapter; Then .. in paragraph 3 (c) it says - Altimeter and altitude reporting equipment approved under Technical Standard Orders are considered to be tested and inspected as of the date of their manufacture. So any opinion on this - what appears to be an exclusionary statement to the 24 mo. testing in 3 (c)?

Yes, that's a disconcerting amount of oil to be leaking down on the nosewheel gear door. You might think about removing the cowling side panels, degreasing the engine with either a portable steam cleaner https://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-steam-cleaner-kit-63042.html or use this cleaner available at Dollar General or Walmarthttps://www.walmart.com/ip/LA-s-Totally-Awesome-All-Purpose-Concentrated-Cleaner-32-oz/495984517?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101053180&adid=22222222222277225132&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=s&wl2=c&wl3=74560735309272&wl4=pla-4578160305721582&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&wl10=Walmart&wl11=Online&wl12=495984517_10001072556&wl14=yellow colored cleaner dollar general&veh=sem&gclsrc=ds then fly the airplane and chase the leak(s) down. Is not the whole belly of the AC oily as well? Check to make sure the hose from the crankcase is not covering up the little vacuum relief hole (about a #10 hole) causing excess draw from the crankcase vent. You may have a leak at the sump to case interface or one of the rocker box oil return lines. Hopefully not the case halves. Best of luck.