KSMooniac

QAA and Hartzell are a match made in hell, sorry. And both of them working on a Slick mag, no thanks. Sorry you're going through this! I concur with converting to Bendix and optionally a Surefly or ElectroAir. I never had any such issues with my Bendix dual mag and now with two ElectroAir systems.

This is exactly why the wise/experienced folks over on Beechtalk recommend fixing factory-new Continental cylinders before putting them into operation. The factory just does not do a great job installing valves! There are lots of PIREPs from Powermaster overhaul customers making full TBO+ runs without doing tops, and of course there are magnitudes more PIREPs of TOH on factory engines in the ~800+/- hour range due to valve degradation.

Was this a case of the installer not RTFM? (reading the manual) I put in a dual ElectroAir kit in my -A3B6D J and the manual was quite explicit about setting the engine to TDC #1 when installing the timing housing (on the mag interface) or the trigger wheel on the crankshaft.

Check with Powermasters in Tulsa... experts in the 550's especially. I believe Mitch had their former Ovation engine done there and posted about it here many years ago after I gave that vector. Beechtalk is full of great PIREPs as well, and Bill C even participates there. He'll have a backlog (likely) and be at the mercy of the supply chain, but I bet it will be faster than the factory. One nice touch they do is re-work new factory cylinders and get the valves installed correctly so that they'll run for more than the typical 700-900 hours before they need to come off. For installation, plan for 40 +/- hours of labor. I did mine 100% by myself (Lycoming on my J though) and it was not difficult. Great opportunity for sweat equity!

How does the W&B compare with both props on your E? Will removing weight on the nose and moving the CG aft help you, or hurt you, in terms of loading flexibility and cruise speed? Generally, aft CG = faster, but if you're already near the aft limit then a lighter prop might hurt you. On my J, it helped going from the OEM 2-blade McCaulley to the 3-blade MT that was ~12 lbs lighter. That may not be the case for a C or E.

That single row of rivets around the large cross-section of the tailcone/cabin joint provides a LOT of structural capability, actually. And the loads from the tail aren't enormous either... it obviously works well enough with the vast fleet history. I removed the tailcone from my salvage plane long ago... drilling out the rivets isn't awful at all once you get some practice. Dealing with the sealant in the joint was a bit more difficult, but I didn't use heat like I should have to make it easier. I completely agree with the Maxwell method vs. removing the wing. Avoid that if at all possible to save time on the back end.

I don't think an engine monitor would show anything. The engine will run and produce power without rings, but will likely blow a lot of oil out and give you a messy sign.

I think there is a SMALL market for an "over-improved" E or F, and the right buyer will recognize value in one with an asking price that stands above the field and even flirts with J territory. I say that as an 18+ year owner of a '77 J that was looking for a modified E or F originally, but stretched to get into my J and I'm happy I did. It is of course entirely possible to modify an E or F to mimic a J in just about every meaningful way, but they will never be a true J in the market, and thus the value will always hit a ceiling. The debate here, IMO, comes down to value for the dollar and for the right buyer (like Greg in this case) it might make more sense to buy an over-improved $150k E vs. a $150k J. Greg certainly knows the Mooney line and he stated his mission is 2 people + bags and moderate distance flying, not all the way across the country since he can just hop on a company plane and do that now. In this case, a $150k E that has been thoroughly modernized with a panel full of Garmin including a GFC500 autopilot done by a meticulous owner/IA, yet still retains the awesome J-bar gear so he doesn't have to fret about actuator gears and other tidbits I'm thinking about. It has all of the J exterior mods so it is likely faster than my plane too. Comparing to my early J, I've done all of the exterior mods/upgrades to later specs and have an awesome paint job. I've got nice Bravo seats (including rear buckets instead of the bench), good windows and sidewalls, but I have a vintage panel + GNS530W/430W and STEC30 autopilot. I'm insured for $175k but wouldn't sell it for that if asked. I still have things I want to do like the panel, primarily. For Greg's mission, I'd say he's getting a turnkey simple speedster that meets his needs for quite a bit less than he could get my J without a modern panel, and a whole lot less for another J with a modern panel. There is also an adage to consider that you're buying the previous owner as much as the plane itself, and in this case, that is a very good thing! Having said that, a J offers more potential utility/flexibility due to more cabin space, and especially if you can take one or both back seats out. It comes down to how much that utility is worth it to you... would you pay $50k more for a truly equivalent J vs. a modernized E? If you never put people in back, why pay more? I'd rather take that extra money and buy a toy plane to add to the hangar.

Yes and yes, minor mod with a log book entry and updated weight and balance. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

I suspect some part of that is they don't want to advertise different performance numbers b/c it might trigger an expensive POH update that they don't want to do for every application. That of course runs against every marketer's instinct as Byron pointed out he would pay for a few knots faster cruise! I'm very curious about it and had a conversation with a sales person in their display. It is the lightest option for us, at 43 lbs vs. the MT at 46 lbs. For some (dumb) reason they went with an aluminum spinner assembly instead of composite which boggles my mind. I mentioned all of their cracking problems and I was assured they made a new spinner that doesn't crack, but it didn't fit this prop so they made another new one but she didn't think this one would crack. Time will tell. I asked if they had any flight test comparing it to the MT option and they do not. I would love to fly back-to-back tests with my MT and see how it does. I just spent a lot of overhauling my MT (including a replacement hub and bearings) so my upgrade budget is shot for the year, unfortunately.

@1980Mooney, you grabbed a pic of my old paint and old wingtip somehow! (the maroon tip with the 201 painted on) My plane has changed a lot since then!

I stand corrected! That's good to know.

You don't really get to pick your parking/camping spot aside from Vintage or GA. They'll send you where there are open spots whenever you arrive. Getting there after Sunday afternoon likely means you won't get in the N40, at least until people start leaving on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday.

No, to do that you'll need to re-skin the outer wing section to provide the flange for the wingtips to attach. The later skin is a little longer, and protrudes outboard past the end of your wing. You'll also need to change the aileron end rib and counterweight. I had all this done while getting hail damage repaired and I'm very happy with the upgrade. If you're willing to go that far, then you should step up to something modern like I did: Crystal Conforma for Mooney - AveoEngineering

I'll endorse Don's detailed reply. It is an amazing event. IMO, the experience is best enjoyed camping with your plane so you avoid the awful logistics of driving/parking/hiking/sitting in traffic every day. The permanent facilities include buildings with real sinks, toilets and showers so as far as camping goes, it is NOT roughing it all. You cannot beat the camaraderie when hanging out with so many like-minded folks and the coolest planes on the planet everywhere. Arriving with the Caravan doubles the fun too, and having the big party tent and meals there (along with tables, chairs, lights, etc) make it even easier to stay in the North 40.