N204TA

Looks like 11 inches.

I’m a retired controller and, oddly enough, aircraft types are one of those things we often say in a folksy group form way rather than in the strict phonetic way. So, I say, “Mooney Emm Twenty Papa.” That plants the “Mooney” seed in the controller’s head for communication and gives the type code for the computers.

When I was there in 2011, Edison picked me up at the hotel and I didn’t have to worry about it.

That price from Maxwell is really good! My right inboard fuel bay spung a leak back in November. Paul, at Weep-no-More, quoted me $4,200 a side for a complete strip and reseal but he was booked 18 months out. Edison, the Wet-Wingologist, had availablity two months out and was $5,850 a side. I finally found out that my home airport had a new guy working at the FBO who specializes in jet fuel tanks. He stripped and resealed just that leaking bay for $2,500.

One of the nice things about an old Mooney is the removable belly skins. You can drop those and see the guts of the airplane without having to tear out the interior. Look approximately under the co-pilot seat and you should see the flap actuator assembly described above. Check the hoses and o-rings for signs of leaking. Unless it's been modified, the hydraulic master cylinder is attached to the firewall under the left avionics access panel in front of the windshield. Typically, though, if that's leaking, the pilot's footwell carpet will be soaked with fluid. Good luck.

The problem with using a Piper one-pin jumper cable is that the airplane needs to have a matching external power receptacle which Mooney doesn’t. There is an approved external power system but it uses the standard three-pin plug and has its own electrical relay. The only way to jump start our old airplanes is to get another battery source as close as possible and use standard automotive jump start procedures. I’n sure that Mooney did not publish a procedure because it’s not exactly a safe thing to do, standing behind a soon-spinning prop with panels open, jumper cables hanging out in the prop wash, etc. In you look in the troubleshooting section of the MSM, you’ll see that everything they recommend involves just removing and replacing the battery.

When I first bought my “F,” I was experiencing high oil temps. The guys at Dugosh fabricated a plate like you described out of a piece of aluminum and bolted it to the back of the oil cooler using standoffs to leave about an inch or so gap between the cooler and the plate. It made a big difference. I bought a new cooler when I replaced the engine and opted to try it without the plate. Seventeen years later, my oil temperature is still comfortably in the green.

For reference, I’m with Global Aerospace (AOPA Insurance). As the named insured, I only need 10 hours retract and 5 make and model. Other pilots need to be at least a private pilot ASEL with an instrument rating, 300 hours total, 25 retract, and 10 make and model.

Official replacement is the Plane-Power R1224. Unofficially, the one on my 68 F looks an awful lot like the one on a 67 Ford Mustang.

If you don’t specifically need to be in Miami, I had a great experience with Banyan up at FXE.

Those kind of parts are often sent back as cores. If you want the old stuff, ask the shop what they plan to do with them. I’m sure they’ll be happy to let you have them if they are going to wind up in the trash.

I just looked at the data for my 68 F as it was computed by the factory. The nose wheel is 5.4 inches forward of the datum and the mains are 66.9 inches aft. How about that for my SWAG above.

Put me in the camp of being suspect of the weighing procedure. The aircraft needs to be level with both front seats fully forward. More importantly, your form shows that the main wheels are 76” aft of the datum. As @EricJ mentioned, the maintenance manual shows that the center of the mains are just less than 6 feet (72 inches) aft of the center of the nose wheel. Since the nose wheel is forward of the datum, the mains should be less than 72” aft of the datum by the about the same distance that the nose is forward. I suspect that the nose wheel arm is more like -5.5 and the mains are closer to 67 inches aft of the datum than 76 which would give you a more realistic CG around 46”

As of July 2019, it became illegal to manufacture, import, or sell ELTs that only operate on 121.5 MHz in the USA so, if you are looking to replace your old one, you’ll need a 406 one. You can, however, still keep your certified 121.5 ELT (as long as it works) but the frequency is no longer monitored by satellite. So, I guess it all depends on if you just want to be legal or want the best SAR response.

CFR 14, Part 43, Appendix A, (c) begins: “Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations.” It seems pretty clear to me that if the task isn’t on that list, it’s not preventive maintenance, period.

Per Part 43, Appendix A, unless it’s a landing light circuit, I vote no.

If the airplane turns right but not left, the possible vacuum leak is in the green (right wing) side. The servo pulls the aileron down. My system recently and suddenly started doing the same thing. I found the tape sealing the servo boot was dry and coming off. I wrapped a new piece of black electrical tape around the lip of the boot and I was back in business.

If you keep the original control wheels, you only need to replace the shafts. If you want to convert to the 201-style control wheels, there are other linkages that need to be swapped. As 47U said above, you can change the balls in the panel but, if they are in good shape, you’ll don’t have to. My biggest challenge was all of the wires and the vacuum line that run to the pilot’s control wheel. As you can see below, the bell crank was welded onto the old tube while the new one is fitted with a sleeve and crossing rivets. That seriously limits the space to feed things into the tube. I was able to get the PC cutoff tube and the wires for the post light above the clock into the tube and into the center of the control wheel but I needed to route the PTT and electric trim wires around the shaft and under the panel.

I asked a similar question and an ASI told me if the install is temporary, the PIC makes the determination if it’s safe for flight. If the install is permanent, it could be either a minor or major alteration depending on how and where the mount is attached. He then said temporary vs permanent generally comes down to the question, “Do I need tools?” Velcro, suction cups, zip ties, etc., would be temporary, screws, bolts, rivets, etc., would be permanent. As the OP’s mount is attached by screws, I’d say a mechanic with an airframe rating would need to make a logbook entry every time the mount is installed or removed from the wing.

Considering those are both fuel tank access panels, I wholeheartedly say no.

My first AME was in 1985 and a prostate poke was required. In fact, for many years, we in the ATC business used to joke about going for our annual fingering and then, they just stopped doing that. Of course, then the running joke became asking everyone if they requested one anyway. The doc I use now for my Class 2 doesn’t even do hernia checks anymore.

I’m curious to know why you need to get into the tank. They aren’t meant to be routinely opened as it’s a labor-intensive process.

Thanks, Bernie. I remember that big project of yours.

I’ve been going to Dugosh for annuals since 1997 and can’t imagine going anywhere else. David has probably forgotten more about Mooneys than most mechanics will ever know.

That airplane is loaded with mods: electric gear, long-range tanks, LASAR wingtips, speed brakes, 201-style mods, a panel full of avionics, interior upgrades, etc. It all adds up. That useful load doesn’t surprise me at all.