PT20J

Chrome is high and iron is high which indicates cylinder/ring wear. Without a history it’s hard to tell what’s up, but normally one looks at this in combination with compression tests and borescope exams. I don’t think it’s that uncommon for these engines to need a top overhaul on the way to TBO. And, I wouldn’t put too much stock in the time since overhaul because a lot depends on how long ago that was done and who did the overhaul and to what limits. If all the other checks are good and you like the airplane and can agree on a price then buy it unless you are going to lose sleep worrying about the engine in which case you might want to pass. But remember you are buying a used airplane, and an old one at that. It’s always best to go into such a deal with a hefty cash reserve on hand because there will be surprises the first year or two. Good luck, Skip

The section of the service and maintenance manual I posted specifies the limits for movement at the empennage attachments. If the issue is the elevator itself, I don't know of any limits. The left and right elevators are connected via tubes and rod ends and there will be some very slight movement noticed if one is held while you try to to deflect the other. The elevator is free to move up and down to the stops, but the trim bungees will rapidly add increasing force as you move away from the trimmed position. The low bungee force at the trim point that rapidly increases with deflection in either direction could feel like slop if you are comparing the feel to something like a C-172 that has no springs. Skip

Maybe. Dynon’s currently advertising first half 2021 for M20 autopilot approval. That means it might be available in 2022. I sure would want it to be out in the field with a bunch of installations to get all the bugs worked out before I installed it. Skip

Looks great. Good choice.

Bummer. That’s the problem with warrantees, though. They generally only cover replacing the parts but not the labor or damages. Skip

Executive Autopilots and Mid-Continent are also good for consulting. I had this problem years ago and it turned out that water had intruded into the static lines and into the pressure transducer. I pulled the circuit board out of the computer and shook out all the water and it worked fine after that. Skip

I recall Don Maxwell once describing sniffle valve leaks as giving Lycoming M20Js a characteristic idle roughness. I don’t remember if he described it as a “lope” and I don’t recall where I read it. The M20J sniffle is a Mooney-made part. Mine didn’t seal perfectly even after cleaning it. It’s worth checking to see if it’s stuck. Also, IO-360s can leak at the gaskets where the intake tubes attach to the sump and I’d check the bolt torque where the tubes attach to the heads. Skip

Alemite makes some zerks in oddball sizes: https://www.skf.com/alemite/products/fittings/industrial-lubrication-fittings/specialty-fittings/special-thread I thought it was odd to find zerks with no check ball, but that's correct for my MLG forward trunnions according to the IPC. I called Alemite because I was curious and they said that the zerks without check balls are used where there is a need to provide a relief for pressure build up. I'm pretty sure that my nose gear zerks all had check balls though, but I don't know about the earlier models. Skip

Are you certain that it is supposed to have a check ball? The front MLG trunnion zerks on my M20J are press-in without check ball. I’ve found them difficult to grease. I also could not get grease in the steering joint with weight on the nose gear, but was able to grease it after jacking. Skip

I like my Aspen, but I've lost some confidence in the product due to its MAX issues, the AD that delayed my ADS-B unlock and an ACU failure. I’m also concerned about the company’s long-term viability since its sale. Honeywell has certainly not earned my confidence. I’m strongly considering ripping out the Aspen and the KAP 150 and replacing them with a G3X and GFC 500. Skip

My point was that the service manual is pretty explicit about this. Any A&P can do it.

I believe you are correct regarding the timing. Lycoming changed all the IO-360s to 20 deg except the dual mag versions because the dual mag wasn’t available with a reduced lag angle for starting. The timing that gets you the max power is called the maximum brake torque (MBT) timing. Keep in mind that at full power, the engine will be at full rich mixture and the MBT doesn’t vary a lot. That’s how Lycoming could make the change and still meet the certification spec. The tradeoff for slightly less power is cooler CHTs which I understand was the objective. As Byron noted, it’s a different story LOP. The key idea behind the Surefly magneto variable timing is to attempt to keep the timing near the MBT optimum over a range of cruise power settings. This improves efficiency and LOP operation. Skip

Leave the screws in the panels so it’s easier to line them up with the holes when you put them back.

I might buy one of those, but the STC only approves it for replacing a KFC 150 and I have a KAP 150. It's silly that they did that as there are a lot of Mooneys with the KAP and the only difference is the flight director. Every time I have asked a BK rep about plans to extend to the KAP 150 (I have asked several) they promise to check into it and get back to me and I never hear from them again. Skip

It's been often pointed out that the FAA rarely requires paperwork after an emergency declaration unless some gross violation occurred. I once declared an emergency due to a control malfunction, was cleared for a straight in, landed, exited the runway, shut down on the taxiway and requested ground control to walk back out on the active runway and pick up a piece of the airplane (it was a cleco stuck in the aileron that fell out when we landed), did so, fired up and taxied to the tiedown. Never heard a word from anyone at the FAA. Skip

Not claiming this procedure is foolproof, but it has worked for me (so far :-) I tie putting the gear down to beginning final descent. That means downwind in the pattern just before flaps abeam the numbers, at the FAF or GS intercept on an approach, when beginning final descent on a straight in. In the pattern I do GUMP on downwind, base and final. On short final I always check the gear down light on the annunciator panel. You just can't land without descending and if you tie the gear extension to descent it's hard to overlook. I didn't invent this. I can't remember who said it -- might have been Ian Blair Fries -- "To go down, put the gear down." Skip

Great questions, Glen. The pressure in the combustion chambers pushes on the pistons so many times per minute creating horsepower (horsepower is the rate of doing work, so if all else is equal, faster equals more power). But, not all of that horsepower drives the airplane. A bunch of items rob power. Let's focus on two you can do something about: frictional loss and propeller efficiency. Frictional power loss increases with speed, so the engine is more efficient at lower rpms and higher manifold pressures. Mike Busch is a big fan of running at lower rpms and you can probably find a recording of his webinar on this with a little Googling. A propeller does not operate at 100% efficiency in converting brake horsepower (engine output) into thrust horsepower (what drives the airplane forward). Bob Kromer (former Mooney test pilot) has claimed that the 201 prop was designed for a maximum efficiency at 2500 rpm. However, the efficiency curve (hard to get as propeller manufacturers consider them proprietary) is likely pretty flat around the maximum so 2400 -2600 are likely not significantly different. So, down low, you will be more efficient choosing a power setting with lower rpm and higher manifold pressure. But, as you climb a normally aspirated engine airplane you will run out of manifold pressure at the rate of around one inch per thousand feet and at some point you will have to increase rpm if you want more power. As far as wear and tear: manifold pressure doesn't wear out an engine; rpm does. Look at it this way: An IO-360 has a stroke of 4.375 inches. That's 8.75 inches of ring/cylinder travel per revolution. The TBO is 2000 hours or 120,000 minutes. So an extra 100 rpm is 8.75 inches/rev * 100 rev/min * 120000 min =19,886 MILES. Skip

Is this one of those things where you already know the right answer?

You’re right - thanks for the citation. Skip.

Unless acting as PIC, there is no regulation requiring a safety pilot to have a valid medical certificate of any kind. Skip

Lasar makes a kit for that. Works well I asked LASAR about the cowling mod and here is the response It’s not a true mod we have, but the gist of it was that the “cowl fix” our old owner used to do was replace every other floating cam receptacle where the cowling attaches to the firewall with fixed ones. Takes 8 ea of part number 214-16. They have them at Spruce. My J has all fixed receptacles. Looking at the IPC, it appears that Mooney used floating receptacles (244-16) on serial numbers 24-001 thru 24-1685, 24-3000 thru 24-3153 and then switched to fixed receptacles (214-16) for serial numbers 24-1686 thru 24-2999, 24-3154 thru 24-3410 and then switched back to floating receptacles for 24-3411 thru 24-TBA. At any rate, my cowl shifts upward and rearward and has the fixed receptacles. Skip

You know, maybe it's just me, but a few hundred bucks to do it right and safely seems miniscule compared to the risk of damaging an airframe or engine worth tens of thousands.

Ah, several of us assumed you had an oil filter and were asking about the suction screen. But, it seems you are asking about the pressure screen. Maybe a picture will help.

Not to nitpick, but... It's actually a KI 256 and a KG 258.