PT20J

I'm not disagreeing with you, but the nutplate is a sealed type and sometimes the reason it leaks is that someone put in too long a screw. I would try something simple first since it's not a safety of flight issue and if it doesn't work, I could always do something else. I understand that a shop would want to use a method guaranteed to avoid the airplane returning for the same problem.

The truth is -- any thread sealant that is impervious to gasoline will work. I know a mechanic that likes to make sure he can get the screw out again and he uses EZ-Turn. It works. I prefer Permatex 2 -- it's a thicker than 3, but there are lots of choices. CS-3204 seems overkill for a screw, but it's probably what the factory would recommend.

I've flown around the mountainous west a lot in two M20Js I have owned. I've been to Leadville and got my T-shirt. The J does fine in the mountains VFR and there are lots of routes that aren't all that high. But, I'm usually operating well below gross weight. If I were going to regularly load it up, I would consider a turbo. The MEAs are high and IFR routes are not always practical, so I mainly fly VFR in the mountains with flight following. The turbo is faster because you can fly it higher and get higher TAS. Eastbound, you also get a boost from the prevailing westerly winds aloft. Going west, the same winds can work against you. But this really is only significant on long flights. There are times when a turbo would have gotten me above clouds that blocked lower routes and it will get you above the low level turbulence common in the summer. But, the turbo doesn't help much with the two biggest problems that have affected some of my trips: icing and large areas of summer thunderstorms in the Midwest. In the mountainous west, the winter freezing levels are low and the icing layer is often thick enough that you have to climb through a lot of icy clouds to get high enough to be out of it. So, if my primary reason for getting a turbo was to improve dispatch reliability, I would also want deicing.

The dimming circuit depends on the filament of an incandescent bulb having a very low resistance when the bulb is not powered. The landing gear annunciator light is grounded through a 470 ohm resistor and also through a diode to the nav light circuit. When the nav lights are powered, the diode is reverse biased and the 470 ohm resistor limits the current and dims the annunciator bulb. When the nav lights are off, the filament(s) provide(s) a low resistance path to ground through the diode shunting the 470 ohm resistor and allowing more current through the annunciator light bulb causing to burn brighter. The annunciator bulb draws much less current than the nav light bulbs so that even though current is flowing through the nav lights, they don't illuminate. It is a circuit design that is just maybe a little too clever .

Dynon is doing the certification through the FAA in Alaska, not Seattle.

The Garmin G3X, G5, and GI 275 include VFR GPS receivers, so no external GPS navigator is required for a certified VFR installation.

I met with a Dynon engineer yesterday. Dynon owns an early M20J and has been flying it as an autopilot test bed for a couple of years. The engineer wanted to verify some part numbers and measurements for the elevator and trim systems on a late model M20J and that's why he contacted me. I was glad to help. He told me that they hope to certify the M20J and M20K together. I don't know how far along they are on the K and the certification date is anyone's guess, but they are seriously working on it and they are making progress. He said the next in line was probably the Cherokees. He didn't mention other Mooney models. That's all I know.

Generally, lower power is easier on the engine. The airlines used to cruise the big radials at around 55%. But, as others have pointed out, there is a point where the temperatures are too low. Low oil temperature will allow moisture to collect and cause corrosion, and Ed Kollin (Camguard creator) argues that low CHTs cause poor lead scavenging and increased deposits in the top end leading to valve sticking. The oil cooling and CHT cooling is designed by Mooney to handle high cruise powers because most people buy airplanes to go fast. Bottom line is that running at 65% is probably the best for economy and longevity.

I like my ACDelco ARM601-3 3/8” You can set it for in-lb or ft-lb. It has an audio alarm and peak hold. Skip

Early M20J's had them on the back of the airspeed indicator. Later Mooney moved it to a bracket behind the instruments.

No static line either. How did it pass a gear check?

I owned a 1978 J for 7 years tied down at KJSC. It was 8 years old when I bought it and it had always been outside. The only issue it ever had with corrosion was that the previous owner should have replaced the pilot’s window seal because it had leaked and corroded a tube I had to have replaced at my first annual inspection. So, if your doors and windows don’t leak, you’ll be fine.

Everything you need to know is in this thread. Of the four known failures, Three have been Plessey actuators. One torsion (no-back) spring failed recently in less than 1000 hours. The company is defunct and, unless there is some new-old stock sitting on a shelf somewhere, there are no more springs available. The Eaton unit seems much more reliable. Personally, I would not buy an aircraft with a Plessey actuator unless I had a way to replace it, but that's a personal decision you'll have to make.

@Will.iam this might explain what your airline crew experienced. It sounds pretty similar to your description.

According to the Specification section in the O-320 Operator's Manual, the magnetos rotate clockwise (viewed from the rear of the engine) and the firing order is 1-3-2-4. This is the standard firing order for all clockwise rotating Lycoming 4-cylinder engines. I believe the confusion is that Lycoming made some counterclockwise rotating engines such as the LIO-320 used in twins to avoid having a critical engine and in these engines the firing order is 1-4-2-3. Lycoming apparently used the same diagram that you posted in both the IO-320 and O-320 Operator's Manuals. I don't believe there is such a thing as a LO-320. Skip

3/16" I think.

I don’t think anyone buys Lycoming tools. Lycoming has a tool rental program.

Shouldn’t require a subscription. What they told us in the factory class is that Lycoming only puts the most frequently requested service literature on the website. But, if you contact them, they will send you any that aren’t available there.

Plugged holes in the ribs and leaking fuel caps are the subject of AD 85-24-03. Although the text of the AD states it must be done once, the section on fuel caps references SB M20-229(A) which states that the o-rings need to be visually inspected every 100 hrs/annually, so I know that many shops interpret this to be a requirement of the AD. Whether it is or not, it's a good idea. The fluorosilicone o-rings probably last forever. But, since the small one on the shaft cannot be inspected without disassembly, I do the pressure test every year. All you need is about a 3' length of vinyl tubing that will fit tightly over the tank vent and a spray bottle of soapy water (I just use Fantastik spray cleaner) and blow into the hose with your mouth to slightly pressurize the tank while spraying the soapy water on the cap and watch for bubbles. I also keep the o-rings lubricated per the SB: Vasoline on the big one, Tri-Flow on the shaft. Tri-Flow also works well on the gascolator and fuel selector shafts.

The left instrument panel is mounted on shock mounts to cushion the gyro instruments. I understand that replacing these with solid spacers is better for digital instruments.

It’s just the cotter pins. Front first.

The vertical adjustment also moves the seat pan fore and aft. On mine, I can get the seats out if I set the height to about the middle of the range, but it’s easiest if I set it all the way down and remove the front from the rails and then move the seat all the way up and slide it to the back to remove the rear from the rails.

I'm not saying this means anything, but it is just a data point. I have sumped thousands of fuel tanks over 40 years of flying everything from a C-150 to a DC-3. I can only remember finding water a handful of times and it was always a teaspoonful or less. I only got a few ounces once in Fairbanks AK in a Cherokee. Never did figure out why, but suspect it came from the fuel truck. The few times I saw water it was clear. And, most of these airplanes were tied down outside. I've concluded that water in the fuel is not at all a normal situation.

This is correct. I noted this in another thread. The FAA-approved ICA document contains the text below. It is unusual for an ICA to include an airworthiness limitation; most manufacturers avoid that. However, this one does, and, since the limitation requires inspection of the joints after disassembly, applying lubricant externally won't satisfy the limitation. BTW, the reason for the quotation marks is that this is the exact text that the FAA requires be in an airworthiness limitation section of an ICA. 6.2 AIRWORTHINESS LIMITATIONS “The Airworthiness Limitations section is FAA approved and specifies maintenance required under §§43.16 and 91.403 of the Federal Aviation Regulations unless an alternative program has been FAA approved.” 6.2.1 Mandatory Replacement Time – None. Any collector assembly that is damaged and/or fails the pressure test described below must be rebuilt or replaced. 6.2.2 Structural Inspection Interval – At 100 hour or Annual intervals, depending on the service regime of the aircraft. WARNING: Carbon Monoxide gas present in exhaust gases can lead to pilot incapacitation and/or death. A damaged exhaust system has the potential to allow Carbon Monoxide into the aircraft cabin. To prevent such an occurrence, it is imperative that the exhaust system is inspected using the intervals and procedures described in this report. It is recommended that in-cabin carbon monoxide levels be measured periodically. Concentrations of greater than 50ppm Installation Instructions and Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Kit: PFS-16201(-GEN2) PFS-16150-00 Rev G Page 18 of 26 January 30, 2018 will require immediate exhaust system inspection and repair or replacement as necessary. 6.2.3 All slip joints must be disassembled and lubricated with a high-temperature anti-seize compound (MIL-A-907E or equivalent) at 500hr or Annual intervals (whichever comes first). While disassembled, inspect for wear or galling. This should be performed more frequently if headers seize between inspections. 6.2.4 Structural Inspection Procedure – See Section 6.6.

The SAF-AIR drains have a really strong spring making the really hard to drain. The OEM company is out of business. Someone here found another replacement more like the originals. Maybe they will come along and refresh my memory.