KSMooniac

Bladders are a deduction for me due to the loss of fuel capacity and/or loss of payload capability. You cannot have too much useful load, or fuel capacity, as those features increase the utility and flexibility of any Mooney. The 30-45 lb hit for bladders could be your weekend luggage on a trip, or that last little bit of fuel to make a trip non-stop safely. If your 20 year old reseal was done by a pro, you might be able to effectively patch it for quite a while longer. If it was not done by one of the experts, then consider getting it done and that will increase the resale value more than the bladders IMO. I think bladders ultimately end up being more expensive too. I had Weep-no-More reseal my J in 2008 and don't regret it one bit. If/when I have any issues in the future, I'll start with them again to see if expert patching can extend the life of that previous work.

Rich is correct.

Does Dynon specify something in particular? I've become a fan of the Deutsch connectors and have been using them as I upgrade things on my plane. They're at my wingtips and tail for the strobes and nav lights, landing light connection under the cowl, glareshield lights, etc. You need a proper crimp tool for them. I like them much better than the knife connectors + heat shrink + zip ties that were standard in 1977 (in my case).

It is good practice... protects the spinner finish from the frequent R&R of the screws, and I think helps absorb some of the vibration and reduce the chances of cracking.

I'd recommend getting a dynamic balance done now that you've had that many hours put on the installation. It is likely to be improved, even if you can't feel it in the seat. A good balance will help everything on the airplane last longer and reduce human fatigue on long flights.

@Cody Stallingsmight be able to help

This is a primary factor that helped convince me a few years ago that Wichita is the long-term place for me, even after living here for 25+ years at the time. I'm from Texas, love Texas, will always claim Texas, but these days there are many places in Texas I would not live, and many I don't even enjoy visiting any longer due to congestion and traffic. Wichita is just right for me, and most importantly, cost of living allows me to own and enjoy a nice Mooney, which in turn can get me *away* from Wichita whenever I like to visit other places. I currently have a pretty nice rental hangar at a great muni airport in town for $358/mo. I'm in the process of buying my own hangar at an airpark as I mentioned, just to secure my own future storage solution while I prepare to build a home and hangar. My rental hangar might be $500-$1000 in a "major" metro area with a multi year wait. I could get a cheaper hangar far away, but as often as I fly and tinker, that degrades quality of life and convenience. Back when I still had a wandering eye, my survey of hangar options was depressing, and made me happy with what I have. For that reason, I'd encourage any Mooney owner looking to relocate to find a hangar solution first.

Sooner or later you can find anything on eBay if you're patient!

I checked what I have left and I'm afraid I don't have what you need. I sold the KX165 & tray long ago, and might have included the ship-side connector with it.

I don't think they're interchangeable. You might contact @OSUAV8TERand see if he can help you fix what you have.

I think you know the answer is neither for a fresh install, but you have what you have. If it were me, I'd try to sell both to someone that needs a spare or quick-fix for a failing unit and try to buy a more modern nav/com for a new install. I'm not real familiar with a 420, but suspect it is losing support just like the 430, and if it doesn't have WAAS or ILS it is far less useful than a 430W and less worthy of installation effort/cost. KX165 is similar and I believe the displays are the big issue these days, but some places (like Bevan Aviation) can still work on them. You don't need the latest and greatest to learn instruments or be extra-safe, but I'd hate to see you put the effort into installing something that might not last and/or be harder to support down the road. FWIW, my plane came with a 530/430 stack in 2007 and I sure felt spoiled. I did the double WAAS upgrade later that year when Garmin offered the special, and I'm still happily using them today. None of the newer boxes do anything that these cannot do in terms of approaches, although interfaces and screens have improved tremendously. WAAS paired with GPSS and an autopilot that can follow is especially amazing, even today. Do you have another modern-ish nav/com and/or GPS/com/nav box already and you're debating from these two?

Is that the connector that fastens to the KX tray, or the harness side?

Concur. Kansas is similar, although the area around my home base of Wichita is not interesting, geographically, but it is a nice place to live with lots to offer except for a California-style climate or mountains. Lots of aviation infrastructure/support, and everything is easy to reach from here with a Mooney! We have a few airparks close to Wichita as well. I'm buying a hangar on one right now, and have a big lot to build a house and hangar as soon as we can get ducks in a row. I'd also recommend checking out NW Arkansas around Bentonville. That place is growing nicely and offers some beautiful geography and I believe still reasonable cost of living. Hills, woods, lakes, great roads for motorsport enthusiasts, and lots of other outdoor activities are easy to find/do there.

do you have a pic of what you need? My salvage plane might have had it and I can check.