Dialed In

Rich hit it on the head again thanks for the insite guys.

So here is the story, this winter my Narco 12D started having display problems. If I did not preheat the cabin the display did not read for maybe five minutes or so which was fine because by the time I was ready to go and the engine was warm it was ready. Lately it has been getting worse and worse, temps having been in the 60's but the temperature does not seem to matter anymore. If I pressed up on the front of the display it would light like it should so I could dial in the right frequencies then ten minutes or so into the flight it would come back on by itself. I have been waiting for annual to get it pulled which is the second week of June do you guys have any recommendations on repair shop's for these old Narco's? Other then the display the radio and Nav work awesome the radio is nice and crisp and seems to have awesome range so I would hate to have to give it up now. Is this the common display failure mode that everyone talks about? It seems odd to me that it would be the display because if I press up on the front of the display or down on the back of the radio it lights up and the NAV side does not miss a beat. Any suggestions are welcome, thanks -Chase Radio.mov

When people catch me doing that I just tell them I needed a professional opinion.

I got the Mooney into the shop three weeks ago and my A&P let me tackle it with his oversight. I did what N201MKTurbo said and removed the line between the servo and the fire wall, I blew it out and sure enough there was a decent amount of fuel in it. I then removed the line from the gauge to the fire wall and blew through it and there was fuel all the way up there. I finished up with the gauge and let it dry. Once it was back together everything works as it should I wanted to put some hours on it before replying to make sure it was repaired which it is, thanks a bunch guys. -Chase

I appreciate the insite guys, I will check that when I get back next week and let you know. -Chase

Mechanical pump was replaced at the service center last week that is why it is now reading 30 psi they told me is was a sb by lycoming and that is the pump that should be on there. I know I’ve read on here about the new pumps being higher pressure but they assured me it was the way it should be. Anyway the video is after the replacement on the way home, before the replacement it was 25 psi steady dropping to around 18.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I do have a service manual circa 1980 that I think is the last rendition for my plane but IMO it is lacking in the fuel system area. I went through my airframe log book again and they did service the fuel strainer after the dukes pump at annual however nothing was said about the gascolator. I went out and ran the plane up then changed the oil, while under there I pulled the panel and removed the fuel strainer after the dukes pump and it was clean as a whistle. I installed a new oring and put it back together, the anodized fitting on the exit of the strainer had been relatively loose not hand tight but close so I hoped this was the issue. Once checking for fuel leaks, running up the engine and checking for oil leaks, then putting the cowlings back on I went for a flight in the pattern and thought I had it licked because it did not act up once in the 30 minutes I was up there. I landed checked everything over again then went up and flew for an hour and fuel issue came back. It happened twice while I was up there pretty much identical to what the video shows with the new pump installed. After flight I get an area on the floor about the size of a quarter where the fuel drips out of the sniffle valve nothing else leaks externally. I'm going to have my A&P look at it when he can I'm still thinking of having him go through the gascolator but is there anything else easy I could check before that? I always assumed the original fuel pressure gauge I have was mechanical but I did not look under the dash today to make sure and I can't find anything about it in the manual is it electric? If so where is the traducer located so I could check the wire? Is there a chance it could be in the fuel servo even though there is no noticeable change in engine performance? A JPI 900 is on the list but I have been getting some of these other issues sorted while trying to save up for it BTW sorry for the book.

The boost pump brings it back up to normal pressure. I have not ever checked the fuel screen however the last annual was very extensive it was not a service center but done by an IA with Mooney experience however I don’t know that they specifically checked that screen. I am mechanically inclined and am going up tomorrow to change the oil how difficult is it to check the screen and is it considered preventive maintenance?

Good afternoon guys, I have been having a fuel pressure fluctuation for a bit now and was looking for some insite. A little background on my plane it is a 65 E with the a1a engine and 2180 hrs on the rebuild and fuel system. A few months ago I noticed a fluctuation in the fuel pressure that happens at all altitudes, any fuel level, any power level, on either tank. Seems about every twenty minutes or so the pressure would drop from 25 psi to 18 and fluctuate then return to 25 and be steady. The fuel pressure would leak down after shut down to zero in about fifteen minutes and I did have a bit of a fuel drip out of one of the tubes coming from the bottom of the cowling although from what I’ve read that is normal? The engine does not stumble or lose power when this happens there are no other indications other then the gauge. Since the mechanical fuel pump had not been changed since the rebuild I had a service centre change it and was very pleased with my experience there however this problem still exists. There are no other leaks that have been found elsewhere in the fuel system so I was thinking of having the fuel selector gone through what do you think? -Chase IMG_0424.MOV

It is, I started at $550.

Price Reduced

Gently used Stratus 3 with everything in picture included $500 shipped.

I agree with what Anthony has said I have had my sensorcon for a year and see 0 in cruise with full heat. We have been real cold lately 10-20 below, the detector will rise to 2-5 while on the ground taxing and warming things up. -Chase