FlyboyKC

No Kidding! I am drooling, but given lots of ideas.

I am researching doing a panel upgrade in my 68 M20G. I currently have a Garmin 430W with a Garmin G5 as the PDU, and a King HSI. In my quest I was thinking starting with a new autopilot and then working towards the panel that would be compatible with the autopilot. My thoughts were a Garmin Autopilot, with a GTN750, and a second G5 to replace the HSI or a Garmin Glass panel. I am open to the Dynon Glass panel, as long as I can find an auto pilot compatible with it. I also would want to upgrade my engine monitor to something more robust. I am open to all thoughts and consideration. I have seen some posts with pictures of panels, I would welcome more of those pictures so I see what possibilities exist. Thanks Neal

Well that didn't take long...

Try Leavenworth Aviation at KFLV. They have an "E" model that they provide instruction in. Neal

I have one of these as well if anyone wants it. Same as Glenn cover shipping and its yours. Neal

I just built these vent deflectors for my Mooney. I 3D printed them using PET-G filament, mainly because of the heat the plane is exposed to in the hot summer sitting in unventilated hanger. You can download the 3D files from this site (still a work in progress) https://www.mypilotflyer.com/3Dproject.html NOTE: if others have 3D parts they would like to share I will add them to my website for download. My goal is to share projects throughout the community.

I wanted to share a positive experience I have received from MooneyMover.com I received a flyer in the mail for a lower cost powered tow bar starting at $650. I was able to convince the wife to let me order one. What impressed me is the battery selection for the powered tow bar. These are built to order, so if you have tools of Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, ect you can order a towbar that will fit your existing batteries. I ordered the 40volt Ryobi version (they also have an 18volt version). You can also order the towbar with a battery and charger if needed. It took a little longer than I expected to receive the towbar because the parts were on backorder. However, I received constant communication from Bernie about the status of my order the entire time. The towbar is well built and seems very solid and it has some significant torque to it. I did have an issue with the handle being a little short and hitting my spinner. (When you have a G model its almost expected) and not fully seating on my nose wheel. I explained the situation and provided some pictures and Bernie took care of the problem immediately and sent me a longer handle section. I am extremely pleased with the quality of the towbar. If your looking for a reasonably priced powered Towbar, take a look at MooneyMover.com

Why did you switch from the K&N? Just curious. Neal

What plan is the $250 a month. For the ROAM plan I see $50 or $165. Is there a speed cap for the $165 plan?

I would love to have the 3d files as well. Neal

That may be a possibility.

Thanks for the reply. Thats my concern with the pistons is the wear in such a short time. The cylinders have about 1035 SMOH. These are the Superior Steal cylinders. As far as cold starts, in the winter months I preheat using the Tanis system (oil pan and cylinder heaters).

Mooney M20G 180hp. Oil Temp 215 - 230 degrees CHTs 303, 330, 380, 360 EGTs 1250, 1330, 1410, 1370 Powerflow exhaust Guppy mouth closure So last August 2023, I started to burn more oil in cylinders 2 & 4 so I decided to hone the cylinders and put new rings and pistons in (the A&P did it). I went through the break-in process and everything seemed normal. I ran the engine rich and kept the CHTs and EGTs as low as I could get them. I have about 40 hours on the new rings and pistons and oil consumption stabilized. However, now at around 60 hours I have started to burn a lot of oil (about 1.5 Qt in about 3 hours) and getting worse. Ugg! So I thought maybe I glazed the cylinders. So I had the A&P check it out. Before they did anything they took a compression test on 2 & 4, both were 72/80. When they pulled the bottom plugs #2 looked okay, but #4 plug was oil soaked and there was oil pooled in the cylinder. Another complaint I had, was that it seemed my oil temperature was running hot. This used to be a cool running engine. I replaced the oil cooler with a new high efficiency, which helped some but still running hotter than I would like. Now my oil temp is around 215 to 230 degrees in level flight (more towards the 225 range at 8000ft). I thought about replacing the vernatherm... What concerns me the most is the condition pistons after 60 hours. Notice in the pictures there are scraps on the piston walls and one looks like it got too hot. The cylinder walls look good with no scaring. I am wondering how this could happen? and how to prevent it from happening again? I thought I would solicit thoughts from the collective group. Thanks Neal

I have one of these installed on my G. If there is drag it's not enough to be noticeable. Pros: 1. Provides ADSB-IN nice backup 2. Provides a second stand-alone Pitot static data (once configured is as accurate as the panel mounted stuff.) 3. Provides AOA information 4. Decent backup if main pannel goes TU Cons: 1. The user interface leaves a lot to be desired. 2. Calibration can be a little bit of a learning curve, I found it easier to calibrate using an Android device over the IPAD, but once configured the IPad is okay. 3. No integration with any other product (Foreflight, IFLY) for Pitot static data, ADSB = yes. Not a deal breaker, but would be nice to have that data stream within FF on its EFIS view. Now the $2,000 question would I buy again. Depends on the aircraft. For Cirrus no, for a Mooney, Piper, or Cessna probably. Is it a must have = no, is it a nice to have = yes. Do I regret buying it = no.

I think the real trick is to keep the door closed for a few days. I also found if the hanger is warm (like in the summer heat) the seal becomes more pliable and seems to stretch into place. I used to have that same problem were could close the door from the outside but it was a real PITA to close it from the inside. Once I started to keep my door closed in the hanger the issue went away. Now its easy to close from the inside.