mhrivnak

My J's starter is dead. It's an Aerotech MHB-4016. Here are two options: $585 for an overhaul exchange with spruce $1250 to exchange it for a sky-tec 149NL/EC It sounds like the sky-tec is about 7lbs lighter, turns faster, and people like them a lot. Is it worth paying more than double? My J's useful load is already around 1025lbs, so I'm not exactly clamoring for additional weight savings. In the next couple of years I'll probably swap my A3B6D with a Lycoming reman A3B6; does a factory reman come with a fresh starter? That would lead me to take the cheaper option right now. Thanks for any input. Other ideas are welcome, though expedience is a requirement, because I really want the plane back in the air for a trip next weekend.

I also replaced the shunt in my J. It had different specs than the one JPI sent. I managed to do it without removing external screws, but it was challenging and an exercise in patience.

I'll also endorse using lower RPM to achieve low power settings. It'll reduce the wear on your engine, which is one of your goals, and significantly reduce the amount of friction loss, leading to better efficiency. It's also quieter, which is nice for quality of life! This article includes a good discussion of using lower RPM settings for best fuel efficiency, but I think it fits your goals as well: https://resources.savvyaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/articles_eaa/EAA_2012-10_flying-efficiently.pdf

I made my first visit yesterday to Triple Tree Aerodrome in western South Carolina for their Chilly Chili fly-in. I saw at least two other Mooneys there among to 200+ aircraft that visited. As others have said in other threads, the 7000ft grass runway is smoother than many paved runways. The taxi to and from parking also wasn't bad; the grass was fairly short, so it was easy to see the contour of the ground. There was a lot of traffic on the arrival, and many people were not following the prescribed route very well, but it worked out. I was thankful to have another pilot in the right seat to keep an eye on traffic, especially when a Cessna turned early base and cut us (and at least 4 others) off. At least they exited the runway quickly, and the pilot was nice enough to apologize after we parked. https://photos.app.goo.gl/BdBJ1yqHidJojTXv7

I happened across this video from Victron that demonstrates the pitfalls of charging LFP from an alternator:

It probably needs its own GPS antenna though, right? And another database subscription? The 355 as NAV2 would definitely give you more options in case NAV1 failed. You could probably continue your flight uninterrupted and would have access to a lot more approaches. If my NAV1 fails in the clouds, I'll be asking for vectors to an ILS. But considering how rare that (hopefully!) would be, I'm happy with the less-expensive and simpler NAV/COM that may never go obsolete in my flying career.

A DC-DC charger like this is popular: https://www.renogy.com/12v-20a-dc-to-dc-on-board-battery-charger/ They're not small and they need to dissipate a lot of heat, so incorporating them into a battery would not be ideal. But they're an easy addition for situations where the battery being charged has its own bus that's not connected to the alternator's output at all except through the DC-DC charger. And that's the reason you see vehicles that regulate the alternator's output instead of using a DC-DC charger, because they have just one battery and just one bus.

Or if my GPS navigator fails in the clouds. A backup NAV can always get me to a runway and is a lot cheaper than having an extra certified GPS.

This is very doable, and it gives you a power solution you can bring with you in the plane. Let's focus on the pre-heating part, since that's simpler and hopefully a more common use case than charging your plane's battery. Figure out how much power your heater pulls in watts. Using a kill-a-watt is a good way to measure. I think mine pulls about 800W total to heat the oil sump and each of the four cylinders. If yours only heats the sump, it probably uses a lot less power. Want to pre-heat for an hour? In my case I'd be looking for a LiFePo4 battery that can output at least 800Wh (watt-hours; that's literally saying it can output 800W for an hour). A standard 100Ah (amp-hour) battery will give about 1300Wh, so that would be more than sufficient. Then you need an inverter that can handle the load. Over-size it. For my 800W load, I'd look for something rated for 1000W or more. Connect it all with appropriate gauge wire, and you're in business. A simple approach is to secure the battery, inverter and charger in a milk crate with straps and zip ties. Or just buy one of the ready-made power stations with a sufficient power rating. DIY example with respectable components: $100 inverter $180 battery (after coupon) (updated Feb 2025) $50 charger plus wire, connectors, and a crate or toolbox to put it all in. You get a fun project and save a lot compared to buying a Jackery 1000 or similar. To charge the plane's battery, you'd want a DC-DC charge controller along with a way to connect it to the plane's battery. But hopefully that isn't a common need, and it may not be worth worrying about.

How did it go? Any tips for someone else who needs to remove that panel?

Keep in mind that lithium-ion batteries you find in phones and similar devices are entirely different from lithium-iron-phosphate batteries (LiFePo4 aka LFP) sold by EarthX and used in many other applications in recent years, including electric cars and home power banks. LFP batteries are in many ways an amazing innovation. They can be discharged to near-zero without risk of damage (lead acid needs to stay above ~50%), weigh less than half of an equivalent lead-acid battery, and can easily last through 4000 complete cycles (you might get 1000 out of a lead acid battery). There are other pros and cons when used in an airplane, but just be sure to note the difference between lithium-ion that's been around for a while in devices, vs LFP which is fundamentally very different and has become popular more recently.

If you're comfortable with just a little bit of wiring, you can put together your own portable kit for a few hundred bucks and leave the car out of it. Then you can even bring the kit with you on trips. LiFePO4 batteries are an amazing innovation; they're lightweight, can be deeply discharged every day for a decade, and are affordable. Here's an example: $50 - 10A charger (I have this one and like it): https://ampedoutdoors.com/products/10a-fast-lithium-charger-lifepo4 $130 (after coupon) - 50Ah LiFePO4 battery: https://www.amazon.com/Ampere-Time-Phosphate-Trolling-Sweepers/dp/B08K7MKRF7/ $100 - 1100W inverter (oversizing because you'll find other uses for this portable kit): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T564EIY/ Put all three in a milk crate secured with a luggage strap (for the battery) and zip ties. For your 240W heater, you should get 2+ hours out of this setup. Or go for a bigger battery to heat for longer.

UNLESS you get the LED replacement lights, in which case you still need the 24V/28V part: https://www.gallagheraviationllc.com/WAT-Mooney-28V-Recognition-Light_p_337.html The short reason why is that since the LEDs don't draw much current, the resistor won't drop the voltage much.

It's a good thing we have airplanes! Fly in during the morning, enjoy the eclipse during lunch and early-afternoon, then depart late afternoon and land somewhere for dinner far from the congestion. That's what we did for the 2017 eclipse, and it worked out great.

I agree that those look like GPS / RNAV annunciations. I'd check the logs for what previous navigators have been installed, and that'll hopefully lead you to an ID for this part.

Air Power recently quoted me a 14 month lead time on swapping an A3B6D core for either an A3B6 or an IO-390. A more local dealer quoted 18 months.

As others have indicated, summers see a lot of convective turbulence out there, which is made worse by the hot desert floor being around 6000ft. July at 9500ft is miserable after 10am. I love my J, but if I was flying through there regularly in the summer, I'd want a turbo and O2 to get well above the turbulence. When calculating climb rates based on 310ft/nm, just keep in mind that 90kts indicated at altitude could be more like 105kts TAS. With no headwind, that comes to a 542.5 fpm climb rate. The J performance charts suggest that should be achievable. But it's worth keeping a close eye on it, especially if you end up climbing with a tailwind. On the other hand, if you find yourself in a J looking for a stop in that area on a hot day with a heavy load, just stop at ABQ where you'll be at "only" 5355ft MSL and have almost 14k ft of runway to work with.

I have the ETA version out of a 1990 M20J. It's marked "41-10-P10" and "5A AC250V" on the back. Let me know if that would work for you. https://photos.app.goo.gl/u9kBTwbUz8Si4Uqy8

That is only for "flight plans that are created/edited on the G3X Touch". Generally most people don't ever do that. The G3X Touch has its own internal VFR-only GPS and flight plan capability that's handy if you have a VFR-only airplane that lacks an external navigator, but it's a confusing feature for everyone else. If you have a separate IFR GPS navigator, just use that, and avoid the G3X Touch's internal flight planning features entirely. The G3X Touch will display information about your external navigator's flight plan, including the waypoints, distances, etc, but it's best to think of it as a read-only display. Use your tablet (foreflight or garmin pilot) and/or your separate GPS navigator only to input and modify flight plans. You'll notice that in the video I linked above, the flight plan went straight from the ipad to the GTN 650. That's where he was able to load the flight plan, and where he could modify it or add procedures. The G3X Touch is only displaying the flight plan that is loaded into the GTN 650.

That 650xi manual just says "Service required. Contact dealer for support." So perhaps your dealer will install a software update that fixes whatever that issue is. It should work like this: What happens when you try to do that? Have you asked a dealer or Garmin for help?

I'm not sure what part of my statement you're disagreeing with. But if flight plan transfer isn't working for you, I suggest contacting your installer. For GTN navigators it uses Connext and shouldn't be any different with the newer Xi models. See section 8.9 "CONNEXT COCKPIT CONNECTIVITY" of the G3X Touch pilot's guide.

These are typically configured so the G3X Touch can display any/all of your nav sources. And if it fails, the G5 is the backup and can likewise display the same.

Luckily Tempest wrote down what they think: https://tempestplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Sparkplug-Cleaning-The-Right-Way-081412.pdf As for blasting... "Fine wire spark plugs normally don’t need much cleaning. However, if you do need to get the lead out don’t pry against the electrodes or insulators. If you blast the spark plug, use only high grade, new, spark plug abrasive. Use the lowest pressure possible and blast for only a second or two."

It would be interesting to try a mag check in-flight if you see that again. I can understand not wanting to try that with family onboard over the mountains. With ram air on, is it possible something was ingested and partially obstructed the #2 intake? Also consider that your unexpected measurement is past the exhaust valve, which is a classic source of cylinder issues. It may be worth taking a look at it with a borescope.

I did this upgrade 2.5 years ago. If I was doing it today, I'd go with a GTN unit rather than keep my 530W. One of the "hidden gem" features of the G3X Touch is that it enables you to do bluetooth flight plan transfer with GNS units, very similarly to if you had a Flightstream 210 installed. So now I input flight plans (and reroutes) on foreflight, then send it to the panel. No more endless knob-twisting, which helps extend the usability of the GNS units. Given that, the 530W is very easy to use and lets me fly every approach or route that I could fly with a brand-new GTN. But we're significantly closer now to the end of life for GNS units. And when you think about the used resale value of GNS units, now might be a good time to get that value out; at some point they'll inevitably become less sought after. I'll likely end up with a GTN 650Xi before long. Talking with Garmin and some dealers about the difference for my panel between a 650 and 750, it almost exclusively comes down to just a bigger screen. If you're interested in a remote transponder, remote audio panel, etc. then the 750 gets more interesting. Classically, people like that the 750 can display approach plates, but I'd rather have those on the G3X Touch anyway. As nice as the 750 looks, for me I don't think I can justify the huge increased cost. And when I ask Garmin and dealers "please sell me on the 750", they mostly shrug and say that for my panel, the 650 is the right option unless I just want more screen real estate. If I could do it again, I'd get rid of the original annunciator panel and replace it with just a few dedicated lights light you're describing. Most of the lights on my annunciator panel are no longer relevant.