rbmaze

I appreciate all the discussion and differing points of view. With regards to getting this done on all Pre Buys I may be doing, I am not necessarily insistent on getting SB 208 performed and it may help if I explain I do not know what I don't know. This is my first aircraft purchase. I asked a shop if they advise performing this inspection and they said yes. Of course, the shop is a business and does not necessarily have my best interests in mind. It seems prudent to know as much as I can before purchasing the aircraft and if spending $2000 is what it takes to discover significant corrosion, it seems like it would be money well spent. If corrosion can be detected other ways, I could consider forgoing this inspection. The person in the video linked above suggests SB 208 could become an AD in the future.

This is a fantastic video! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the details. Sounds like a good change they made in the 80s and I have read a bit about it. I'm looking at an older M20E, so unfortunately the updates will not help me here. I was quoted about $2000 for the inspection with no repairs. This is for 10-12 hours of labor in an expensive part of California. This may be a reasonable estimate then. Thank you!

Thanks for the reply. This is extremely helpful. I have reviewed the SB document itself and have seen mention of running a magnet; I didn't understand it would be inside the tube, so it all makes sense now. I was quoted 10-12 hours of labor to perform "Part A" of the SB. This is higher than I anticipated based on my review of the procedure, but I am completely unfamiliar with removing the interior panels and I note it calls for removal of all four seats. This is for a late 60s E. After reviewing the airframe logs myself, I can confirm SB-208 has never been logged which is why I want it done as part of my prebuy. Thanks also for the link to the insulation kit. Cheers!

I have read some old discussions about SB 208 and I am looking to add this to my prebuy inspection. Is anyone familiar with the amount of labor required to open the interior and inspect the tubes? If insulation needs to be replaced (say all of it) how much additional cost might this add? Are there other ways of inspecting for airframe corrosion or would any good Mooney shop agree that following the SB inspection steps is the best course of action to understand what one is purchasing? Thanks!

Thanks for the overview of your experience. I think with time I will be able manage the coordination of maintenance myself. At this point I am very interested in getting an additional opinion from Savvy on any analysis or data that comes up in the PPI. E.g. boroscope images. Also, thanks for the welcome! Very excited to be here with something to post and questions to ask. I have been interested in Mooneys for years and casually reading this forum for a while. Seems to be a treasure trove of information.

Andy has performed the last few annuals on this plane actually. Good to see his name pop up and may be a good resource in the future. For now, I will seek an impartial party for my prebuy. Thanks for sharing!

I will give Mark a call and see what their availability is. Does Top Gun agree to work with Savvy’s process and do you find Savvy still adds value in this case?

Thanks for the referral! The airplane will be based in the Bay Area if all checks out, so it would be helpful to start working with a local mechanic. This could be a great option. How do you like working with Savvy? This is my first experience with ownership so the proposition sounds interesting. I did use their free log review but I felt it did not reveal much beyond what I learned myself.

Greetings! I am working through the purchase of an M20E and I am looking for a shop within about an hour flight of Sacramento to do PPI and possibly an annual as well. I have done a lot of reading and it seems LASAR would have been the place to go if they were still in California. Top Gun also seems like an obvious choice for an annual, but it sounds like they do not do PPIs and that wait times can be long. Is this still true in 2024? Any recommendations are appreciated!