Matt Ward

That’s great! Any pointers on how?

...oh, and I have the Britain B6 autopilot so no integration there....

The broken DG had 2400 hours over 21 years. Right now I have two CDI each with GS plus this DG. The HSI isn’t a huge benefit to me. I did my IR in a plane with one and never really found it all that more helpful than a DG and CDI. And the panel space is already taken... Not ready for that much glass! I considered a pair of G5’s but at roughly $9k all in it doesn’t make a lot of sense for me. In my mind, IFR is good for getting out and in, but I mainly opt to wait it out. And the vacuum system risk is something I am comfortable with given my Sentry and 430 if I got in a real bind.

Thank you very much, @Alan Fox. I'm not expecting it is moisture but I'll check on that at annual for sure. It's a little tough to read in flight if the light hits it at the right angle, but nothing I can't deal with. With the ones you've seen in the past, is there anything functional or is it just cosmetic? The buttons are generally pretty good. They stick a little as one would expect from a +12 year old install.

Thanks. I guess that leads me to a more general question more about the efficacy of idea of buying so called serviceable parts (from ebay, a panel upgrade, etc) vs. having my part repaired/overhauled. With this particular part, there are used ones on Ebay for ~$300, whereas an overhaul may run closer to ~$400. So not a huge difference but I was assuming the OH approach would be a better long term approach but maybe not. What do you think about when to go Ebay vs. going repair? Timing is not a factor in this case.

Thanks, I reached out. I also heard about Century Instruments (in Wichita too) that does this work.

My 21 year old DG has died. Actually, the spring broke in the heading dial but I figure it's time to replace it before the bearings go out and so forth. The part number I have in the plane is 1U262-001-7. It's basic vacuum driven DG with no heading bug. This is the first instrument I've had to replace in the plane (1966 M20E) and could use any advice on how to do it most efficiently. I don't think I want to buy a new one. I don't really know how to navigate the salvage market. What's my best bet? And do I have to replace with the same part number? I assume I could replace with a compatible one but I'm not sure how to identify what's compatible. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

In the picture below, you can see what appear to be “smudges” on the glass screen of the 430. These are unfortunately on the backside of the glass so I can’t wipe them off. As I understand it, these smudges represent a wearing off of a coating Garmin used to use. Other than sending this in to Garmin, along with $1300, is there anything I can do to clear it up?

You guys were right: on 9/23/2004, Top Gun Aviation in Stockton, CA noted in the logbook: "replaced gear lock down assembly". So that was about 16 years ago, about 1200 tach hours.

Here are a couple pictures of the locking mechanism. Sorry they are so blurry! How does this look to you guys? No problems today at all.

I found this in case it’s helpful to others too. http://donmaxwell.com/operating-the-manual-landing-gear/

Yes to be clear, no incident. It just took two swings and green light on and red light off!

Hey guys, When flying today, I had a new experience in the Mooney. When approaching to land, I swung the bar, tried to lock it, and the little orange light stayed lit! After fiddling with it and having no luck getting a green light, I did a full reset: back to the bottom, one firm continuous motion, green light! Anyways it got me wondering: is there any backup procedure if you can’t get a green light? Anything to check in preflight to give you confidence all is well? Anything more to think about? I love the Johnson bar for its simplicity and (I think) nearly full-proof-ness. Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback. So far the only quote I've received is $3k install + the equipment. Is that in line with what you'd expect?

Hey guys, I'd love to get your guidance as I look at upgrading my audio panel. In the panel, pictured below, I have a Narco CP136M audio panel and the Precision Engineering PM1000ii intercom. The intercom is a two place intercom. Most of my flying is with four pax in the plane. I'd like to look at something like a PMA6000B. But I'm open to other options too - any recommendation is appreciated. I'd really like Bluetooth and four place. I'm indifferent on marker beacons and USB power. I don't know if I need mono or stereo. The plane is a 12V battery with an alternator, an InterAv 015-01237 (12V 50Amp). What would be a good panel for me to consider? And how much should I expect to pay in labor installing this one (and removing the old one)? Anything else I should be thinking about? Thanks in advance! -Matt

Thanks a lot, Clarence. I'll have my A&P do that and hopefully check this one off the list!

Here is the culprit. Hopefully we can solder it.

Very interesting! The part number looks a little different. Are they compatible? And any less expensive?

Thanks everyone for all the insight!

Regarding hot starts, this is what I'm using now: http://mooneypilots.com/mapalog/HOT STARTS.htm But I notice that is for an IO-360-A1D while I have an IO-360-A1A (with Slicks). Any reason that hot start procedure wouldn't still be best for me? Thanks!

BJC to PUB and back was fantastic! We had to wait out the TS and then it was great. In fact, on the way to PUB we were on with Springs Approach just as Air Force Two was on with Approach. They passed off our right wing which was really cool to see. Coming back into BJC they cleared us through the Bravo over the city, but wouldn't allow a touch & go at DIA, and for a straight-in on 30R. My son took this picture on final.

Hey everybody, So my Saturday was pretty eventful and I'd love some help from this group helping me figure out what happened. I left BJC (Denver, CO) at about 9AM with the plane cranking and running fine - it had last run a week prior. I flew down to PUB (Pueblo, CO), about a 70 minute flight, the JPI always showed 14V, no electrical challenges, no engine roughness, appropriate CHTs all less than 360, and landed uneventfully. We went in to get snacks and came back out to leave about 20-30 minutes later. The plane wouldn't crank. I was using what I now to believe to be a wrong hot start procedure and I'm sure that contributed to my problems. I likely flooded the engine as I did see a good bit of gas dripping from the breather tube on the front left low section of the engine compartment. So the engine was probably both heat-soaked and flooded. After 3-4 times of trying to start it, the prop started turning really, really slowly. I would get engine coughs the first couple attempts but never a full start. At this point, it was seeming like the battery was dead because the starter wouldn't effectively turn the prop. I threw the battery on a 12v charger and let it go for 45 minutes. That got me another 1-3 attempts at starting. Same thing: a few coughs, by the third attempt the prop was barely turning. Another 45 minutes, same thing. Sometimes turning the ignition wouldn't even turn the prop at all. Finally I decided to go eat lunch and let the battery fully charge and the plane cool down. I gave it about 4 hours. At that time, the battery was showing full charge on the battery charger. And, the plane had plenty of time to cool down. The plane cranked fine and I flew home uneventfully. 14V on the JPI, no challenges, etc. I'm trying to figure out what happened. Here are some relevant points: -1966 M20E -Gill 7035-28 battery, less than 3 years old -InterAv 015-01237 alternator, about 15 years old -Skytech PN 149-12LS/M starter, about 17 years old -PlanePower R1224 voltage regulator, unknown age -Plane is brand new to me, and to altitude, previously spending its life near sea level (if that matters) My first move has been to order a new battery, the Concorde with extra cranking amps. I did that and will install it this week. I believe the Gill should last longer than this but the prior owner installed it without a logbook entry so I don't know exactly how old it is. I also don't know if it was serviced at all. This just seems like an obvious place to start but honestly I'm guessing. It seemed to me that if the Gill was in good shape I would have gotten more attempts at starting than I did - before the prop started moving so slowly. But I'm nervous about this happening again. The first thing I've done is read up on better hot start techniques! I'm going to work on perfecting those on my home field after every flight. What do you guys think? What should I have checked out by my A&P? What should I do differently next time? Anything is welcome! Here is a picture of the saddest Mooney in Pueblo on Saturday...you can almost see her tears. Thanks in advance!

Thanks everybody for the feedback; this site is amazing! I tend to fall into the "let sleeping dogs lie" camp as I've been alarmed by reading some of Mike Busch's "after repair incidents" too. For now, is there anything you'd recommend to diligently keep an eye to try and spot deterioration of the alternator? I keep a good eye on the JPI and make sure it's 14v in flight. What else could I be doing? Anything in preflight besides checking the tension on the belt? And related, is there anything to do in order to try to avoid the dreaded AOG incident if it does fail on a cross country? It seems extreme, but would it be the kind of thing to keep an extra one (they sale for about $450 from QAA) in the luggage area?

Thanks everybody. FWIW, in 2013 the plane did have the LASAR nose gear truss oversize bushing service kit installed. I'll check the track this morning and look for any free play.

Thanks I saw that too. I appreciate your help!