KSMooniac

I've got some J senders as well from my upgrade. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Anyone here participating in the upcoming clinics and Caravan to OSH? My plane is in the shop and hopefully ready in time to participate in the Flying Monkeys clinic in Wichita (24-26 April) and the Texas clinic (1-3 May). I missed last year and hope to make up for it this year.

You might check with Beegles/BAS in CO... they have parted out one or more long bodies with TKS in the past and might have them. Make sure to be sitting down if you find one and get the price.

Midwest Aircraft Services Inc. - Aircraft Repairs Newton KS has done great work for me and many others I know around the Wichita, KS area. They are experts with some of the big & complicated Lycoming engines and get those in from all over the country. Barret Precision Engines in Tulsa is also good... I used them for my overhaul but more as a subcontractor. I intended to assemble my engine under supervision to gain that experience, but my plan got derailed and I was left in a pickle after getting everything back from Barret, Divco, Aircraft Specialties, Firewall Forward, etc. Midwest was willing to take all of my parts (with tags/records) and assemble them into a functioning engine and sign it off, fortunately. I chose to spec my own overhaul so I could get the "extras" done such as the Centrilube Cam mod from Firewall Forward, along with precision balancing from Barrett for the rotating components AND flow-matched cylinders. Those were my first-run jugs that they overhauled. After a break-in and dynamic prop balance, we got it down to 0.01 IPS and it feels like a sewing machine instead of a lumpy 4-banger. I was also confident my crank, case, jugs, etc. were good, otherwise I might have considered a factory option. Powermasters in Tulsa has a stellar reputation on Beechtalk, and I know of some Mooney owners that have used them as well. They're experts with the big Continental engines, but I think they can work their magic with Lycomings as well.

It looks intriguing, but looking through the Q&A, it seems it powers up in G-meter mode instead of clock. Not the best option for us vs. a Pitts or similar. Minor nuisance to change it every start...

Double-check the Mid Continent clock & charger... i was checking out at OSH in 2023 to buy their latest one with the USB-C/high power option, and was told at the last second that it is only for 28V airplanes. The other variants with USB-A ports will work with our 14V birds.

I switched to Parker this year finally after moving away from my local broker that got absorbed into a bigger entity and I lost my previous personal connection. I hung around for a couple years past resolution of a hail claim, then switched. I'm looking at a hangar purchase and got a rough idea from Parker already, but the seller said he was able to bundle it with his home & auto policy from State Farm for a very good rate. That surprised me, but it is worth checking into. I left State Farm many years ago after they did not in fact stand behind a shoddy repair on a car of mine, despite their lifetime guarantee. I'll check with other insurers as I'm due to shop everything again soon.

Alpha Systems Eagle AOA kit is a great addition

I concur with Rich. With ~1000 hours since new, there is a good chance your valves will need attention as Continental has been doing a poor job of valve installation for a long time, and they typically need help around 800-1000 hours. It is highly UNlikely that your cylinders are worn out, and since you cannot get new ones easily, you ought to strongly consider getting a good shop to overhaul your current cylinders. It should not take a ton of time if they order the parts ahead of time and schedule the work for you. Getting the valves reworked, honing the cylinders, and using new rings and pistons will likely let you run to TBO and beyond easily. My J came with a 1991 factory overhaul IO-360, and I did an IRAN at 1650 SMOH due to oil consumption and ran it to ~2150 SMOH when my cam failed. I overhauled those cylinders with the engine and don't regret either of those decisions. I may or may not overhaul them a 2nd time in the future depending on how they measure the next time.

I don't think you'll wear out any tires unless you do nothing but touch n goes. Seems my tubes fail long before I run out of tread, or the tires will age and crack between the treads. I stopped buying the premium versions long ago. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Very nice work! I like that even better than my recent (but not yet posted) 3-D printed SIRS compass mount.

True. My observation with dual ElectroAir now is essentially no drop on runup at 2000 RPM when turning off either side. The only indication is the LED status light going out. Running LOP at cruise power I will get a drop, though.

Correct, mostly except #3. I've written a bunch over the years here and perhaps you found some of my posts. I did have paint shedding in rain immediately, followed by a repaint at my local MT shop. It failed again, and then I got some new blades from Germany and those have held up very well. I have stainless leading edges, and it is hard to get anything to stick to stainless... I think they use nickel now and it may be better. My main gripe would be MT wants the paint to cover as much of the blade as possible, where I would rather have no paint on the stainless or nickel... I don't mind that look and it would be more durable, but they're German and thus difficult and inflexible.

The different dash numbers are different markings/calibrations. Sent from my motorola edge plus 2023 using Tapatalk

Mine came on my plane and I love them. I'm not sure I would pay that much, but they are nice. Un-painted they will turn yellow, but they hold paint very well and I suppose keep the wheels clean underneath.