PT20J

Well Ellis should know. Maybe it’s better to let it all drain out and just start over. Good to replace the fluid every 5 years or so anyway. Mine was heat discolored for about 8 oz worth at the calipers even though it was changed 2 years ago by DMax. Skip

Anyone ever thought to ask Mooney how they do it at the factory? There must be some trick (or is the labor involved the reason new ones are so expensive?)

Warning light on steadily and tripped breaker means the over voltage relay tripped. Probably a VR problem. Would have been best to do some troubleshooting first. I’d still check all the wiring between VR and alternator. Skip

I believe Champion has fixed the resistor problem with a new design more like Tempest’s. I believe Tempest has fixed the fine wire center electrode problem. Mechanics are frequently by nature risk adverse (not necessarily a bad thing) and once bitten, are twice shy in my experience. Skip

Curious how often you have to regap your fine wires? Do you use a gapping tool or just small needle nose pliers as Tempest recommends? Any problems breaking electrodes when gapping? Skip

Both airplanes are appropriately certificated though one design is decades newer than the other. I’ve got time in both. Neither is better or worse; they’re just different. Mooney owners seem happy with their purchase and Cirrus owners seem happy with theirs. Anyone unhappy is free to switch. Can’t we just leave it at that? Skip

Good point. The service manual no longer mentions that VR, but I remember having to replace the power transistors in it years ago when I had a ‘78. Also remember it was a bear to get in and out!

Well, actually, the wing drain is for the pitot, and the tail drain is for the static line. Since the pitot line only goes to the airspeed indicator, symptoms don’t point to a problem there. Nonetheless, it’s good to check them both during preflight. Skip

The warning annunciator blinks for low voltage and illuminates continuously for an over voltage. If there is an over voltage, the relay in the regulator trips the alternator field breaker. Sounds like something is causing an over voltage at the regulator. Skip

Many find the Lycoming IO-360s run pretty well LOP on the stock injectors. You might want to do a GAMI spread to see what you’ve got. GAMIjectors may not make enough difference to be worth it. They best help the big Continentals with that horrible log runner induction system. There is really no advantage to running leaner than the minimum BSFC mixture. Skip

Fine wire electrodes are smaller and more exposed than massives where the spark can occur deeper down in the plug and this is the theory why they may perform better with weak mixture strengths like LOP and starting. What I would find interesting is a comparison of fine wires and BY massives. Anyone tried both in the same engine? Skip

The M20J IPC lists paint colors. But, I’d take the access panel off the tail to get a color match in case of fading.

The only reason for advancing the prop control is to have full power available for a go around. So, any point before going around is OK. Pick a low workload time. To avoid rpm surges and noise, it’s best to push the prop control forward when the prop is out of the governing range and against the low pitch stops. This is a function of throttle setting and airspeed. A little experimenting will determine this. If you are out of the governing range, it doesn’t matter how fast you push the control forward since it doesn’t have any effect on the prop. It’s generally not a good idea to screw vernier controls all the way into the stop as you can put the cable in compression. Skip

Base timing on an IO-360 would be 20 or 25 degrees BTDC per the data plate. According to Surefly specs, it can advance up to 38 degrees BTDC. Skip

According to the Surefly specs, it draws half an amp. That’s 22 hours with an 11 AH battery (OK, it’s not quite that simple and there are other loads, but the point is it’S not much of an electrical load). Skip

My ‘94 J has an electronic tone generator and an overhead speaker for gear and stall warning. The only sonalert is for the autopilot disconnect. Skip

www.lycoming.com

Be sitting down when you call. It’s pretty pricey.

Do you ever remove EGT probes to inspect, or just wait until they fail? Any idea how long JPI probes last? What’s the most common failure mode you see? Skip

I did the same thing. My mechanic said to just let the fluid drip from the brake line for a while through bleeder. I noticed that it was discolored (fluid had been replaced 2 years ago) and let it drip until it was the color of new fluid. Closed the bleeder and pumped the brakes a couple of times and all was good. Mechanic says sometimes this works (sometimes not) but it’s good to try it first. Skip

Probably afraid to mess with it after an over gross landing.

Many good reports on Bevan..

Thats my understanding. The problem is that FAA is not consistent between regions. Apparently, they made Rosen get STCs for sun visors making them by definition a major alteration. Great Lakes Aero, located in a different region, was able to get PMA approval for thicker windows. (See the Q&A section on GLAP’s website). So, installing a sun visor requires a 337, but putting in thicker glass does not. Trying to understand FAA maintenance and certification logic is worse than trying to understand part 91 without copies of all the legal interpretations handy Skip

The issue is that the part must have some sort or approval to be installed on a type certificated aircraft. It can be owner produced, it can be TSO’d, it can be PMA’d, it can be a standard part made to recognized industry standards, it can be made by the airplane manufacturer and covered by the TC, it can be a part listed on the TC, or it can be STC’d. 337 is required for a STC. So if the windshield is a PMA part it should be a minor alteration and if your mechanic wants to fill out a 337 I’d argue the point or find another mechanic. On the other hand, it’s just a piece of paper. But it does become part of the FAA permanent records for the aircraft. Skip

Yes