MBDiagMan

It’s outstanding that you were able to source DLC lifters. Thanks to Aircraft Specialty’s outstanding young parts man, I got a set barely in time for reassembly. I believe it is the next best thing to a roller cam and maybe better in some ways.

Yes, from the get go, it is important in a manual gear model to arrange headsets so that cords are to the left of the pilot and to the right of the copilot. You don’t want the cord wrapped up in the gear handle. Don’t ask how I know.

To begin with, I firmly agree that condition and equipment are more important factors in your purchase choice, but that isn’t what you asked in your OP. I too have had both and I REALLY miss the manual gear in my first Mooney, a C. I would still have that magnificent plane if I had not fallen and injured my shoulder. After purchasing my electric gear F, I went through pure hell getting the electric gear sorted out. A well known Mooney guru didn’t even get it fixed. My local mechanic finally tore into it far enough to find an actuator problem. I really lucked out on the overhaul of the actuator and they also sorted an electrical issue. Since then the gear has worked fine, but after all I went through I still wonder if the gear will come up when off the ground. Mine never failed to go down, just failed to come up. If my shoulder could handle manual gear and I were looking for a Mooney I would be looking for the best one, but I would be hoping it had manual gear. The simplicity and reliability just can’t be beat.

Is the Cadet 5he one that they ultimately made the target drone out of?

Yes, Lance it was an incredible plane. It had been in Kerrville since it was built. I hurt my shoulder and had to move to an electric gear plane. It broke my heart to see it go. Your help connecting me with Mr. Langston was so greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the update Lance! Mr. Langston is a fine gentleman. I wish him all the best.

Mayaire is not real close and they don't specialize in Mooney’s, but they could do a thorough prebuy. They are located in Mount Pleasant, KOSA. They have taken good care of both of my Mooney’s and several people bring theirs from elsewhere for his love and care. Also, there was a gentleman that did the prebuy on my first Mooney who was in the general area of Kerrville. He came to the owners hangar for the work and had been the Mooney factory service manager. I’m not sure if he is still working and not sure if I can find his contact information, but I’ll look for it today.

Why not Dugosh in Kerrville?

I think of cylinders more like engine accessories than I think of them as the engine. I went through an engine overhaul in early 2021. My cylinders were wide deck. And could not be found new. Luckily, the cylinders were relatively low time and went through the cylinder overhaul process well. Determine if you have narrow deck or wide deck cylinders and go from there. What is leading you to believe that you need an overhaul? Low oil pressure? Making metal?….

Since the engine rebuild about 25 hours ago it had been reliably and consistently holding 2660 RPM. Yesterday it got away to about 2770 seemingly all of a sudden. That’s what has alarmed me.

Yep, gotta love autocorrect. Of course overspending is another term that fits in the context of aviation, so autocorrect made a possibly correct assumption. I am anxiously awaiting my mechanics shop to open tomorrow morning. I just thought someone may have some thoughts or experience to share and you did. The simplicity and reliability of my little tail dragger is so refreshing as compared to the Mooney. I have someone breathing down my neck wanting to give me a very high price for my Cessna. Things like this make me want to sell the Mooney instead.

My F has a fresh engine with about 25 hours break in time. Went the first 20 or so hours on Mineral oil and was making 2660 RPM with everything forward on takeoff and climbout. I changed oil and filter with 20W50 Phillips Crosscountry. I flew it an hour or so and then went on a short breakfast run this morning. When I was climbing out to come home, I noticed the red engine light on and looked at the JPI to discover 2770RPM. Could the engine be breaking in, supplying more power causing this or is the prop beginning to go flat? Could the change in oil viscosity have anything to do with it? Plan on asking the mechanic Mondaymorning,but thought I’d get some information here.

I don’t know about that. The occasional seven or maybe even an eight would be nice,but ask the two’s and threes would be discouraging.

I probably need to be on the row boat simulator now anyway. What led me to my electric gear F from a beautiful manual gear C was an injured shoulder in 2018. At that point I had been doing quite a bit of exercise for a seventy something guy. My exercise took a considerable decrease at that point. As a follow up to my follow up a few posts previous, weather kept me from flying most of last week, but I flew with one of my instructor friends yesterday that has been helping with this. That session seemed to drive the new method into my brain pretty well. Of course once I gain a little confidence, I’m sure to botch a landing in front of an audience. My Mooney flying skill had kind of plateaued, but I think I might be taking a step forward. In many ways my F is easier to fly than my little taildragger, but I had kind of gotten hung up trying to get landings I felt good about. I’ve never felt that I was dangerous landing it but just couldn’t do it gracefully. Now I think the gracefulness is slowly trying to appear. It’s a good feeling.

Tommy May at Mayaire in Mount Pleasant(KOSA) is highly experienced, trustworthy and thorough. Because of this though he is constantly busy and covered up with work. If you want more information about them PM me.

Kind of me reminds of the patient telling the doctor that “ it hurts when I move nip my arm like this.” To which the doctor replies “ then don’t move your arm like that.”

Looking forward to it!

If the bottom radio tray is like mine with no bottom, it’s really easy to adjust by pulling out the bottom radio for easy access.

Okay here’s the thread that should be helpful for adjusting the gear horn: https://mooneyspace.com/topic/21059-throttle-switch-for-gear-position/page/2/

It is adjusted too high. It should be about 12inHg. It is very easy to adjust. Look underneath the panel forward of the throttle control. There is a micro switch mounted with three screws and nuts in slots. Loosen all three and move the switch as needed. There is a lengthy thread hear where I and others discussed this to death including plenty of pictures. Search by my moniker to find it. It had bubbled to the top a month or two ago. Additionally, slowing down a Mooney to gear speed is a skill you need to learn early on in your transition. If you have speed brakes you can cheat though. My first Mooney had no speed brakes so I learned the skill without them. My second Mooney has them so I have two different methods of slowing down.

Yeah, if it had a recent zeroed overhaul then that’s a different matter. It’s corrosion on a lifter that is the drastic result of a long idle period.

…. and buying a Lycoming powered plane that has set a lot without flying, especially in a humid climate carrys great risk. My F had set several years before they put it back in service. When they did they pulled jugs and inspected thoroughly. It made it about 100 hours before it started making metal. Two lifters were spalled requiring the case to be split. I highly recommend not buying a plane that has not been flown and serviced regularly. My lesson was very expensive. Learn from it.

My ‘67 F with all J modifications is very consistent with these numbers.

Okay, time for the follow up: First of all the quality AND quantity of replies in this thread is awesonme and very much appreciated. My friend who was helping with my landings had never landed my Mooney and had never flown a Mooney. He was alarmed by how heavy it was and got me thinking that maybe it had gotten heavier, thus this thread. When I started investigating, another experienced pilot who flies every kind of aircraft under the Sun from warbirds including WWII fighters, cargo planes and light bombers to a Citation, King Air and his own Eagle aerobatic plane and Luscombe. He had flown several Mooney’s and the only thing he found was that moving the yoke, was causing the cowl flap control to move. I found what was causing that and took care of it. Another friend at the airport who has an unmodified F that is the same as mine minus the aerodynamic modifications let me get in his on the ground and it felt about the same. The owner of the other Mooney also thought they were the same. My friend the warbird pilot tried them both and thought they were the same. He went with me today and started with some steep turns and stalls. He had me do a steep 360 with his coat covering the flight instruments (after the turn he removed the coat to reveal that I had gained over 100 feet,) but I did all these maneuvers to his satisfaction and even praise. We then started on the landings by setting up the glide at about 90MPH and 450 FPM descent. Taking it down, pulling power and bleeding off speed until it settles in. I did two out of three really well while one out of three I was letting the nose drop when I pulled power. I know this method is old hat to you Mooney guys, but learning to fly tailwheel and the majority of my time gliding in the 140 with no power makes this a distinct transition for me. I think I’m there now. I just need practice. In the course of doing all this I asked him if he wanted to take off or land to see how heavy it is and he said there was no need. Again, I so much appreciate all the responses and the ongoing assistance from the membership here.

Yes, the shop does make that claim and it has been this way since I bought it.