MooneyNoob

Yep, BFR (completed after a 20-year flying hiatus), 231 transition, and instrument training (ongoing).

The high indicated MP was at idle RPMs (18"-19" MP at 1,000 RPM). The mags looked alright ...each cylinder was firing as expected, temps were in line, etc.

Hi folks, A couple of days ago, I flew a short 45-minute practice cross-country with my CFI in a 1979 Mooney m20k 231 (with a Turbo Plus intercooler and Merlin waste gate). We flew at 8,500 and during the flight felt a couple of light kicks or sputters from the engine. The other odd thing was that a VERY small movement of the throttle moved MP from 34 to 25 or so. There was no easy way to keep move the power smoothly through that range. And on final, when I wanted to pull the engine to idle, the MP would not fall below about 19. At the destination airport, the line guy who welcomed us said that the plane sounded weird on approach. When we were ready to head back to our home airport, we pre-flighted the plane and did a run-up VERY carefully, watching everything. Once again, we could not get the MP on the indicator to go below about 18 or 19, but the engine sounded normal / idle with the throttle pulled back. Note that I have two indicators: a JPI engine monitor and a steam gauge, both telling me the same MP numbers. The other notable item was that oil pressure was a bit low (top of the yellow) below 1200 and the temp was close to the top of the green. We decided to take off. On climbout, at 105 MPH (~90 kt) and 34" MP, I normally get ~1,000 ft/minute climb. I was getting between 200 and 300. Note: the airport is just a few feet above sea level, and the day was warm but not hot, so D.A. was not an issue. We made the call to return to the field immediately and landed without incident. Oil was at 6.5 quarts on pre-flight inspection and no oil leaks were visible on post-flight inspection. We left the plane at the FBO and will have the local A&P look at it this week but meanwhile, I wanted to post this here because it seems like an intriguing mystery and I wonder if we'll solve it here before the A&P does. Any ideas welcome!

How much does it cost to add an automatic wastegate to a m20K 231? Is it worth it?

I fly an m20k 231 with a vernier throttle. If you've ever flown a turbo, you know you're not supposed to just firewall the throttle on take-off or you could over-boost the engine. So that presents a problem I recently experienced and I wonder if anyone knows of a solution: I was doing touch-and-goes on a relatively short field, which means a lot has to happen on touch-down to prep for the takeoff. On one of the orbits, I found myself not climbing very well. It took a scan of the situation to realize that I hadn't advanced the throttle enough and was low and slow. I know eventually I will get this down to an automatic process and will know how much to advance the throttle "by feel" bit in the middle of a busy phase of flight, that seems like a risky thing to count on. So... Does anyone know if there is any widget or technique to create a tangible detent (a notch you can feel) in the throttle travel so that you can set that detent about where you need it to hit take-off power (at least for sea level) without over-boosting. And then you could push past the notch if you wanted to, but at least you'd have the tactile feedback. Anyone hear of anything like this?

@Falcon Man I’m also a 120 hour ppl transitioning to Mooney. I just got an m20k 231 with intercooler and merlyn waste gate and am working on my Instrument rating. Since you’re offering, I would really appreciate any words of wisdom!!!

How do you handle a rain-soaked cover when on the road? Seems like if ou arrive at the airport, remove the wet cover and put it in the back of the plane a) you just added a bunch of weight to the plane and b) that stuff will make the inside of the plane humid and moldy during a long cross country trip, no?

I just went to the airfield and sat on the passenger side (where there are no rudder extensions). Voila! Problem solved! If I move up, the elbow rest is not nudging me out of my seat, the yoke is a reasonable distance from my stomach, and while I'm a bit close to the dash, not a big deal. This has just changed the problem from a 15 AMU interior panel retrofit to couple of hours (maybe) removing rudder the extensions. This forum is amazing. Thanks again.

@aviatoreb what shop did your seats?

@jaylw314 yes, i have the 3" pedal extensions.. they came with the plane. Still, without them, if i was that much closer to the dash, i think my legs would interfere with the yoke rotation.

@ArtVandelay @PT20J, the plane is 1979 and the seats recently reupholstered and look nice but with minimal real support. One thing your plane and mine have in common @ArtVandelay is the arm rest that protrudes from the wall. It occupies an inch of precious thigh space and it's one of the reasons I'm sitting a bit right of center I wonder if there is a way to borrow space from the wall and RECESS the armrest. Anyone know if that's possible or who does that sort of work?

So, after much research, I finally joined you as an actual owner (m20k 231) and am generally thrilled, but after a couple of longer flights, a couple of issues came up that I hope someone here has solved: 1) I always knew the fit would be tight.. that is just one of the trade offs for great Mooney efficiency, but I feel like my spine is literally twisted into a sideways “s”..definitely not sustainable. Can’t quite put my finger on it…almost like the right side of the left seat is a little lower (it isn’t), and then I’m sort of twisted to the left so I can maintain a vertical posture. I am not even sure I’m characterizing the situation correctly…still trying to feel it out. All I know is that the way this feels is more like torture than fun, and enough of it will land me in physical therapy. I’m not small but not really a big guy either…about 5’11” and 195 so there has to be a solve. 2) possibly contributing is the center column that is digging into the side of my right calf. Putting padding on that corner or wearing a soccer shin guard would just make the space even smaller so… …how do you all “wear your Mooney” and make it work? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Yes, with the disclaimer that "¹G3X Touch will not support display of flight director (FD), autopilot modes or annunciations for non-Garmin autopilots. Consult your Authorized Garmin Dealer for more details."

I don't know about you folks, but I think that there is a conspiracy to ensure that there is no head-to-head comparison available on the internet between these two uniTS. I already have a GTN 750, JPI engine monitor, Century 41 autopilot and am thinking of moving to just about full glass for primary instruments and full time traffic, terrain, and weather awareness but looking for the most economical way to do that. Any informed opinions wood be super welcome.

Thanks, @tmo, it looks like I have to stay with LB. My A/F SN is way below 25-1000. Thanks for the info!

@jlunsethI just read your awesome, detailed discussion on the topic on the other thread. Two questions: - Where can I find out if I can upgrade to an MB engine? Is that based on the airframe's SN or my current engine's SN? - Is there a path to curing the alternator / coupler weakness? I do want to move to glass, so fixing this issue will wind up high on my list. Thanks for any words of wisdom.

@LevelWing The engine is TSI0360LB1, installed in 2007. @jlunseth What was improved later is exactly what I wanted to know...who do I watch out for (or upgrade) when looking at a 1979 1st generation m20K if I don't mind losing some useful load? It's probably going be be 320lb worth of humans max, MAYBE another 50lb of baggage, so I have weight to spare. There are currently two vacuum systems in there and I'm probably going to get rid of both of them (and a whole lot of wiring) as soon as I upgrade the panel to glass, so that should save a bunch of weight too.

Hi all, I'm considering buying a 1979 m20K 231 and wanted to see if there are any specific gotchas that the thearly 231s were prone to, whether it be specific to the turbo or just related to the earlier airframe. FYI, this one has a merlyn wastegate and intercooler installed already but any advice on what to look out for would be appreciated!

Hi all, I'm thinking of getting a C... Really a converted D, and I'm wondering what optimizations can you do for speed and comfort. I know F models can be brought up almost to J level but I heard the C wing is a different shape (so that's something you just live with), and J cowling mods don't fit a C...is that true? Also, for some reason I've never seen a C with recessed armrests... Are the walls by the front seats different from as J so that mod is impossible? Also, the earlier models had a smaller rudder... Does that mean they have poor spin recovery? Thanks for any words of wisdom.

Also, try Bill.Alcorn@aeropro-aviation.com. He's really good to work with!

The infomation out there is pretty confusing. Is there any currently available option to turbo-normalize a J?

Hi again, Looks like a M20K I'm looking at might not want to travel for a pre-buy, so the seller told me about three local shops who have not worked on the plane. Wonder if anyone has experience with these shops, good or bad? Tulsa Airworks / Sherman Sutliff AIR Aircraft Inspection and Repair / Berry Breadstainer Redman Aviation / Shannon Hankins Inland Aviation / Justin Frunk Chris Stout Thanks!

@philiplaneIncredibly detailed and helpful. Thank you!!

@DavidvPerfect, thank you!!

@Davidv Would you be able to share the mechanic's name and contact info, and what part of the country is he in? And thanks, all, for the great info!