PT20J

(830) 792-2920 fcrawford@mooney.com

I also haven’t found the double sticky tape on the adhesive anchors to hold well. (I’ve used them in other applications, but never on the airplane). I think they might work if glued down with Pliobond or some other contact cement.

A couple of mechanics I know swear by MMO for flushing stuck rings. Use the Savvy procedure using MMO as the solvent.

Why not ask Frank Crawford?

Direct from Jan Maxwell: Yes, in Branson, Mo. We will be joining MAPA Safety Foundation PPP October 16th-18th (Thursday thru Saturday). Besides safety seminars and Mooneys, will be offering special activities and shows for the family.

Bending the skins is only for fine tuning after all the rigging has been set correctly.

Maybe. But the amount of methyl salicylate in MMO is small and you are only supposed add 4 oz per 10 gal of gas.

MMO isn't going to dissolve your fuel tank sealant. It is mineral spirits, a little oil of wintergreen, a bit of TCP and a couple of dichlorobenzene isomers to dissolve carbon and lead deposits. https://marvelmysteryoil.com/pages/sds

It sounds like the elevators are misaligned and the shop compensated by tweaking the aileron and/or flap rigging. I’d get the elevators right and then repeat the rigging procedure.

Leaner mixtures burn slower and reach peak pressure later after ignition than rich mixtures. Ignition timing is fixed and set to provide peak pressure at the crankshaft angle that produces maximum torque at full rich, maximum manifold pressure and max rpm to get rated power. LOP, the peak pressure occurs after of the optimum crankshaft angle. Since timing is fixed, your only remedy is to slow engine rotation to get closer to the optimum operating point.

Since I’m not an A&P, I need to get someone to supervise and sign off work like this, so I just ask them how they would do it.

Did you try removing the interior plastic trim and disconnecting the hold open arm at the bottom of the door? That’s how I installed mine and there was plenty of access.

I’ve found that Tri-Flow works well to lubricate lock cylinders. It’s really easy to break into the standard Mooney cabinet locks without a lock pick set if you have a key that fits the slot even if it won’t open the lock. Just twist it a bit to tension the pins against the cylinder and rake the key in and out until the pins line up.

That one looks well placed. Most common mistake is not placing it near enough to the edge of the door.

It seems pretty common for big bore Continentals to need cylinder work around mid-TBO. I don't know if Continental has improved its valve alignment issues or not. But a few calls to overhaulers should let you know. Sure, if you are on a budget, you can replace them on condition one at a time, but that's going to be playing a game of whack a mole and end up costing more in the long run. If you want to fly more than be in the shop, once and done is not a terrible idea. The problem with magazine articles and forums like this one is that they can cause us to worry about stuff that's not worth worrying about. Aircraft engine cylinders were designed to be replaced in the field. Done correctly by a competent shop it shouldn't be a big deal. Pick a good shop and don't lose sleep over it.

Per the IPC, the original M20J seal was a Brown BA-189-139. It had a foam core that deteriorated over time. Brown told me it is obsolete and superseded by the T-9088 which is also shown in the IPC. As Byron notes, the positioning is critical for these seals.

Mooney used Brown Aircraft T-9088 which is neoprene. https://www.brownaircraft.com/T-9088-Sponge-Rubber-Bulb-Seal-p/t-9088.htm @Gee Bee Aeroproductsmakes a carbon copy out of silicone.

Only fuel should drain out the sniffle -- it's purpose is to drain any fuel that accumulates in the intake manifold from over priming or from fuel percolating out of the injector system after a hot shutdown. Someone recently reported that the fuel pump drain was connected to the sniffle drain line on their airplane. The fuel pump drain is located between the diaphragms and will leak fuel or oil depending on which diaphragm fails. At any rate, oil from the sniffle line is not normal and warrants further investigation.

Cabin lights are powered by a fuse near the battery. Floor gear indicator light often burns out and goes unnoticed for some time. These may be unrelated to gear horn.

The RSA spec for leakage at idle cutoff is 5 cc/min max. The mixture plate is not a perfect valve. Some do better. AvStar servos have a tighter seal.

Are the “cabin lights” you refer to the annunciator and floor gear lights, or the overhead lights that illuminate the cabin?

I was talking to the owner of a large FBO/flight school/maintenance shop/avionics shop today. Turns out a lot of aircraft parts are made in Mexico. He’s already seeing price increases. At some point this will hit insurance if repair costs increase.

Clarence suggested attaching a length of tubing to the vent and blowing into the tube to pressure test the tanks. That’s what I do. It’s easy to regulate the pressure to avoid damaging the tanks.

I once asked the owner of BatteryMINDer about the difference between the Gill and Concorde versions and he told me Concorde requested a slightly different voltage. He didn’t think the difference was significant, but did what they asked. Concorde says that continuous operation an a BatteryMINDer might cause a small amount of hydrogen outgassing that could shorten the battery life. Given the long life many report getting from Concordes, often with continuous use of a minder, the effect is probably more theoretical than real.

I don’t think it matters much. The SB calls out Tri-Flow or petroleum jelly for the big ring and Tri-Flow for the small one. Petroleum jelly doesn’t last long. I tried EZ-Turn but it is too sticky. Lately I’ve been using Parker O-ring lube. I think DC4 would also be a good choice.