MooneyMike

Congratulations! Is that where you were headed? Is so, sorry to make you wait when I was coming in! Mike

Nope, BWG.

I think there’s an E, a C, an R, and a couple of J models at KSMX. Pretty sure one of them’s got a sweet 1LE SS that’s done a few laps at Buttonwillow and Willow Springs. It might have some Z/28 goodies and engine mods.

Hey ya’all! I’m planning to base out of Bowling Green

Thank you everyone. Mike

Howdy all. Anyone know of a local to Gillespie Field KSEE instructor available for some dual? I am wanting someone to keep me upright while I get used to a new panel in my 201 before bringing her home. Thanks, Mike

Pushing down on the electric trim ought to disengage the a/p, no? Mike

As mentioned, FIRST, check where your probe is located. I struggled with the some problem until I talked to the folks at JPI who told me the probes measure best when using the bayonet style and located on the bottom of the cylinders. If your fuel flows are good, 15 - 18 gph on climb out, 10.5 - 11.5 in cruise and baffling is fitted correctly, suspect your instruments and work from there. Best wishes, Mike

Give Tom at Top Gun or Paul at LASAR a call and talk to them about the K model. I learned alot about the model - and bought a J as it fit my needs better. If you are heading to Lost Wages, both are an easy Mooney flight away. Mike

I quote "he wants to start patching all the leaks, saying that any leak no matter how small is unairworthy!" Really? Does your mechanic even have the maintenance manuals? The manual describes the size of leak which is allowable and when it is not. It sounds like your best move is to take it to a Mooney friendly A&P or a MSC. If your airplane is out of annual or the mechanic writes it is unairworthy then you would need a ferry permit but those are not difficult to obtain. Good luck, Mike

Do you know and have considered the differences between the first run 201 and later ones? Starting with the '78 models, the Piper style power quadrant was replaced with the push/pull type knobs. Not an major change. Two big changes were to the gear actuators and fuel system. Early models have a 100 hour inspection gear inspection due to the high speed gear motors versus the later style which is less maintenance (and $$$) intensive. Next is the placement of the fuel selector switch which is difficult to access while in flight on the '77 model and easily accessabile in the '78 and later. Many 201's can be found with an HSI and either a KAP 150 autopilot or KFC200 flight director. Right now is a buyers market. Grab a recent MAPA log, give Jimmy at All American Aircraft, Sherry at LASAR, Tom at Top Gun a call and start asking questions. There are a number of nice 201's for sale right now and about 40 or so will be in Tahoe in mid-summer at the fly-in. 350 hours in 8 years is not a great way to maintain a Mooney. Was it hangared in a dry environment the whole time? Do the logbooks detail what was done during an annual, or do they state "work performed IAW FAR XXX"? A wise mechanic once told me "I get worried when all I see is a stamp and a signature."

I've used them quite a bit and have been satisfied with their help. Regarding a previous comment "Nobody over there knows how to modify a CAD drawing?" LASAR is a Mooney Service Center, not an engineering drafting company. It is also a company which has designed and brought to market a number of STC's for past and present Mooneys. You ask them to modify a template they created so you can have your installer save time and money? From your description the mod sounds simple, but might this expose them to legal liabilities or FAA actions for changes to an STC? Given todays legal and political climate, I would not expect any company to go out on a limb if it puts them at risk. Just my 2 cents worth.

The Mooney Service Manual lists a defined number of items which need to be addressed for an MSC to perform the inspection portion of an annual. Maintenance and repairs are above and beyond that. Most any MSC will be able to tell you how many hours that inspection takes and the cost is hours times the hourly rate. If I recall correctly, a J model takes about 23 hours to inspect - on average. It comes down to hours times dollars = cost. The latest MAPA Log article by Jerry Manthey discussed a rudder failure because a heim joint was not lubricated properly. Poor maintenance and poor inspections during the annual. I did my annual with LASAR and they were very appreciative and welcoming that I wanted to take an active part in the annual and I would guess most mechanics would also. It also saved me a nice chunk of cash. Remember the shops are governed by the FAA and their licenses are on the line. A reputable shop will work with you but wont break the rules, and the costs for the inspection portion are not hard to estimate. Repairs and maintenance are another matter. Items which are considered 'airworthy' are less flexible than those which are not. Example would be a magneto or a fuel servo serial number affected by an A/D which can only be discovered through logbook research or inspections. This is where using a reputable Mooney savvy shop will save you in the long run as they have records of the work and the serial numbers of parts they install. That will save on inspection of logbooks and tearing apart your airplane to find a part or serial number, of a fuel pump for example. Develop a relationship with an A/P and learn to work together. You will learn your Mooney and the mechanic will learn to trust your abilities and knowledge more. That will also save you money. Alternate annuals between an MSC and your local A/P. Attend one of the MAPA maintenance seminars and learn how to properly lubricate and inspect your baby and teach that to your A/P so they learn also. Keep up with maintenace as it is needed and don't wait for the big bill annual. Hope this helps, Mike

The service manual for your Mooney (my J model manual does anyway) ought to give dimensions and definitions of leaks and if they need attention. As for leaks not fixing themselves, well.... mine had a small seep (about 1 inch wide and 2 - 3 inches long) and it stopped leaking. Go figure. Mike

My 201 is having this work done now at LASAR, so maybe my experience can help guide you. Several posters mentioned engine overhaul costs in the mid 20's and I would agree. Of course, that is only one item to be addressed as you know. After talking to the folks at Lycon (a well regarded shop) and not being happy with their inability to give reasonable assurance of delivery, and being not convinced of the superiority of the Victor Black Editions near factory new prices, I talked to Robert at LASAR. With the STC's they've developed, LASAR has very attractive pricing for factory new engines. Lycoming's roller tappet engines were worth the additional cost in my mind, and after learning I could get the IO-360 A3B6 with two independant mags vs the dual mag setup of the A3B6D for little more than a factory re-man I decided to purchase new. Dollar wise, it's maybe $7 - 8,000 more. That is a lot for what may be no more reliable engine than an overhaul by one of many quality overhaul shops. Golden State Propeller is doing my prop OH as they are on my home field of San Luis Obispo (KSBP) and have an excellant reputation. They've told me to expect the costs to be in the $2300 - $2500 range. I have seen the prop dissembled and know what will be replaced. The prop governor was a rev "C" and the current revision is a "K" so that is a bit more than expected. Oil cooler is a bit under $500, motor mount was removed, stripped of paint, inspected and will be refinished. I bought Stella last year and had all the hoses replaced, we are reusing them and that helps on the costs. My fuel pump was rebuilt by George's Electric last year and is good to go. When all is said and done it will be in the $50,000 range with the added costs mostly due to the factory new engine. Were I to do it again, I might look into other shops for overhauls, as Eagle Engines and others have very good reputations. Still though, they cannot provide the roller tappet changes that Lycoming can provide and I am gettting a new engine with the dual mags for the cost of a reman with the 'unlike core charge' that Lycoming asks to convert to a different engine than the core engine. The engine in my Mooney was a factory reman which was installed in 1986 and consequently, the accessories and fuel injection systems were also that old. I had a few issues with the engine and realized I was not enjoying flying it anymore. Since my intention is to upgrade it and keep it, doing the job right with the ancillary pieces (prop, governor, etc) and buying new for essentially a reman price made sense and I am really getting excited to have my baby back! Hope this helps, Mike