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c1tice

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Everything posted by c1tice

  1. I bought a K with 110 hours smoh in 6 years. I have had no engine trouble in the 200 hours I have put on it in 2 years, knock on wood. It sat for a while outside in FL. Discovered some corrosion below the window in the frame tubing. It was caught just in time. Point is just do a very through prebuy. Change the oil, cut the filter, remove inspection panels and interior side walls is my recommendation. If it looks good go for it, just have some $ in reserve. Something will come up.
  2. I did just that, installed a GFC 500 to replace my 42 year old KFC 150 that had already been repaired by the Autopilots Central in Oklahoma for $3000. They did a fine job and something else broke on it 6 months later. I chose to upgrade rather than be with out the AP for months and throwing good money at a unit that at some point will be unrepairable.
  3. Check out the picture and explanation below. I am surprised how quickly I am acclimating to the glass. I kept the old airspeed indicator for that reason but I am getting used to digital.
  4. You are right. They put the OAT probe on the vent on the engine cowling just a few inches from the engine. I didn’t think about that.
  5. Ragsf15e is right the lower 275 is a backup. You can turn the knob to display ant time. There is also a switch which is default to auto so the system should know if the primary fails.
  6. Here are pics of the before and after of my 81’ 231 panel upgrade. It was 2 years in the making. Removed vacuum system, replaced problematic autopilot and so many more upgrades. Went from state of the art 1981 to a modern marvel for someone that learned to fly 30 plus years ago. First big trip after the upgrade, KGSO to Chicago Exec the KMMU. Check out the situation in the upgrade photo, 38 degrees F, 13000’ in the clouds on O2, 195 kts GS 12.8 gph. This is why I have a Mooney. 5 minutes after this photo was taken I watched the airspeed rapidly slow….slow…slow to 50 kts. I lowered the nose out of training, turned off the AP, realized I am not spinning and my stall warning horn was NOT sounding, thought to myself turn on the pitot heat, suddenly I am now going 200 kts or there about. I did not yank on the yolk but turned on the AP and set the VS to 200’ up. All still in the clouds. My wife was shook. Total time of the event less than 1 minute. I knew I had lots of time to recover and I did not want to rip the plane apart. I wonder how many before me have not lived from a similar situation. So proud of how I recovered from such a dangerous situation but what a dumb ass to not turn on the pitot heat below 40 in the clouds. Flying is like that keeps us humble. Enjoy the panel photo. Turn on the pitot heat
  7. Look what we found while installing a new GFC500 in my 1981 M20K. My mechanic says we caught it in time and needs a good sanding and treatment. This Mooney sat on the ramp in FL for a few years before I bought it 2 years ago. Might I suggest a look behind the panels and under the windows during the next PPI to check for leaks and corrosion, which I did not do but will next time. This is why our birds need to be in a hanger, in my opinion. Also going to replace that water holding insulation. I would like to see your corrosion photos too so we know what to look for.
  8. It is opening. The knob slides out and MP changes.
  9. In my 1981 M20K the alt air will not stay closed. It works it way open about every 2 minutes. It is worse the higher and faster I go. Anyone have any suggestions that don’t involve duct tape?
  10. My door has popped open about 5 times in 3 years of 231 ownership. Not a huge deal. Last time after it happened on 3 attempted takeoffs I contacted my mechanic and he came and adjusted it. Now it closes smoothly. He had me take a picture of the latch and I thought it was a cool picture.
  11. I am based at KGSO, in the bulk hanger at Signature. I have an alarm company in High Point, Protection Systems Inc. Email me when you are in town if you like maybe get lunch. Chris@protectionsystemsinc.com. Good luck with the panel upgrade! My avionics shop said Garmin was 6 months out on GTN’s these days so I hope your new additions are available.
  12. I did 2 GI275'ss and a GTN750 after a vacuum pump failure. I see no reason for a vacuum pump with 2 GI275's. One interesting thing I experienced was when I engaged the KFC200 I would get wild pitch changes and I finally realized, with the help of MS, that the GI275 command bars remembered the last setting so now I press the CWS button to realign the command bars to current flight attitude. The G5's while cheaper would not interface with my KFC200 according to the avionics shop. Good choice I say. I think you will be happy, I am.
  13. We share the same bulk hanger in Greensboro, KGSO. I have never met him but I know the plane.
  14. I installed 2 GI 275 and a GTN 750 after a vacuum pump failure in my 1981 231. The 275’s have 30 minutes of self contained battery back up. So if your alternator fails you have your battery power then your 30 minutes of 275 backup time. I have not tested and I have to believe you would have at least 45 minutes of 275 time after an alternator failure. I hope I could find a place to land in 45 minutes. With an iPad an iPhone and a iPad mini and the backup batteries I don’t see the need for a backup alternator. I don’t do a lot of hard IMC. Just my opinion.
  15. Congratulations!! Love to see some pictures.
  16. Hope they will recover quickly. Prayers. I am curious why he chose to not lower the gear other than an over-site due to stress. Any ideas on why one would not lower the gear?
  17. Great place. Sad to hear about the damage and glad to hear plans to,rebuild. I was there 2 month as ago, flew in and about 15 planes were there for Sunday lunch. I even got some mud on the Mooney’s tires because parking was tight. Will for sure return for then grand reopening.
  18. Don’t exceed 40” MP, on my K and that is about half throttle. Don’t exceed 1650 degrees F on TIT. I have to check the CHT and oil temp regularly, just make it part of your scan. I can rarely leave my cowl flaps closed for more than 15 minutes at less than 10,000’. It seems they are half open most of the time. Much is written about constant tweaking of the throttle and prop and cowl flaps. I have found it to be not that big of a deal just part of flying. Landings with out flaps are greasers for me. With flaps i get the Mooney float but just slow It down and don’t force it to land. Hold off till the stall horn sound and it will gently touch down. All that said it seems flying my 1981 K is about temperature management as anything else. I did just buy it 8 months ago and only have 65 hours in it. I have attached a link to an M20 K POH. http://www.sparrowflyingclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/M20K-POH-N654JB.pdf Happy flying Chris
  19. I had 2 GI-275, GTN-750xti, transponder and audio panel installed, got rid of the vacuum pump, weather radar and King state of the art 1981 avionics after the vacuum pump failure. I love it. I probably should not do this but I have attached the bill. Took six weeks. After 4 months no buyers remorse. $50,000 for the job.
  20. I am going through this now too! Pictured is my 1964 172 engine now. I bought a 1981 231 to replace the Cessna. The 172 engine had 2450 hours so no one wanted to buy it so decided to overhaul the engine. I think I can get the $ out of the overhaul. I will let everyone know. This is what a $10,000 deposit looks like so far. Forth flight the vacuum pump broke, one thing lead to another and now I have 2 GI-275, GTN-750 and a new audio panel and transponder. Got to sell the Cessna to pay for the avionics in the Mooney.
  21. @spistora, 

    Finally got a new O2 bottle and opened the inspection panel and looked for the weights in the rear. No weights at all in the tail as they have been removed. Sorry I could not help.

    Chris

    1. spistora

      spistora

      OK, Thanks for checking.  I ended up ordering from the factory.

  22. Thanks! The elevator trim rocker switch did the trick on the sonalet sounding pre start too. So much better now.
  23. Thanks for all the replies. It is going in the shop today and I will report back what they find. Kortopates I can't find SIM20-88A, I found the other document and am bringing it to the shop.
  24. I have a KFC-200 on my 1981 M20K I purchased last September. It is my first plane with an autopilot. (Previously had a Tri-Pacer, Cherokee and 172) I have searched the web and I am curious of the expectation of altitude hold. Should I expect a 200 foot deviation? Flying yesterday in a lot of turbulence the AP would stray +-200 feet or better. Once it pitched down about 20 degrees and lost 500 feet. I was mildly surprised ATC never inquired as I was in IFR flight plan. I would engage CWS and reset the ALT button or just turn the AP off then back on, it would hold for a while then porpoise again. I have appointment with shop this week but I am curious about this behavior. The AP was just rebuilt 2 months ago to the tune of $3750. I shot the LNAV approach (VFR) same flight at my destination and it held the glidepath perfectly. 3 other things I would like to hear experiences on- 1. The red trim light and sounder go off intermittently. In a 3 hour flight it lit/sounded maybe 12 times. I know this indicates a trim issue but a bit more detail would be helpful. 2. Twice I have had the trim lock up. The autopilot was engaged then disconnected with the trim switch. The wheel was stuck. Neither the switch nor the wheel would move. I thought I was going to break the wheel. I pulled the circuit breaker then reset it. I landed safely then on the ground the trim worked fine. I do not know what if anything I did corrected the problem. 3. During start up with the master switch on and the avionics master off the son alert sounds, loudly. It is quite annoying. When the avionics master is turned on the son alert stops sounding. It is so loud you cannot hear the stall warning horn during preflight unless you turn on the avionics master to silence the son alert. Just curious if anyone else has this issue.
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