podair

My old tie down rings are worn out, or rather the threading in the wing no longer supports the ring. I ordered the Lasar ones a while back but now cannot find the bolts for them, so I thought this was an opportunity to fit those instead. I see in another post that the thread is 5/16-18NC. Obviously not really relevant anymore as the threading has gone on one of my points, but when I suggested fitting a nut on the other side my mechanic mentioned that re-threading it would put strain on the fuel tanks and hence induce leaks? Are these right under the tanks? You mention an access panel above so maybe that's not the case and these are nowhere near the tanks and easily accessible? I rarely tie down the aircraft as it mostly lives in a hangar or parked at an airfield without tiedowns so pretty academic for now but I'd rather have the option of fitting tie downs, have had pretty nasty overnight winds sometimes. My Mooney is a 1967 M20F.

thanks James and Brian that is exactly the clamp I have been looking at and wondering if it fits and not too cumbersome.

yes I have the thicker rectangular pillar and want to achieve something like mb65e has done. Looks like the ram window edge mount ram 177 or tough claw might domthe trick, I ll measure the width of the pillar next week when I am back in the hangar.

hi, any recommendations for the best way to attach an Iphone or Ipad to the centre post on the two piece windshields on 1967 M20F ? ideally a Ram small ball mount so I can easily reconfigure it for an ipad iphone or garmin. happy new year to all

Looks like an M20E (early 60s) which has been sitting in my mechanic's hangar for a year is going to be parted out, as the extensive corrosion on the wing has made it uneconomical to repair and not airworthy. It has the windshield mod, and I have been looking to fit one to my 1967 M20F. I am tempted to bid for the parts but wondering if it is worth it, as surely there would be considerable hassle dismantling it and re-fitting it on mine. The mechanic didn't seem to think it was such as crazy idea however when I suggested it. I haven't looked at it in detail yet but I think it is an SWTA mod rather than the Lasar one (assuming it is because the avionics access panels are there while the Lasar one doesn't?). I know SWTA are out of the mods biz, but how would one get around paperwork wise? Ask them for the STC or the installation instructions? On the other hand the parts are still available at LASAR and unless I get at an extremely low price I doubt it is worth the hassle. It also has the cowl closure (not a full cowl mod), maybe that's worth something too (how different is the cowl to the F?). What do others think?

Lasar said the same... just send it to Dawley!

I have pdfs of these. PM me your email and I ll email them to you.

Just got a call from my mechanic, seems like my exhaust pipe is beyond repair or welding and I need a new one. I immediately thought 'Powerflow !' but the rest of the system is fine , just need a tailpipe. Looking through the parts manual for a 1967 M20F seems I need pn 850-3 However , some of the exhaust part sellers have a later 'ribbed muffler' system , any ideas if that might have been retro fitted on a 1967 M20F? Of course, going to call the mechanic tomorrow and have him check, but just curious if that might be the case before I get part quotes (my mechanic subcontracts that job to me, he concentrates on the nuts and bolts, I make the calls, fine by me!).

Hi Don happy to help but think it is going to be quite tough for several reasons: there are to my knowledge no schools or flying clubs with a Mooney to hire in England at present. Most schools have PA28s or 172s for hire. There are a few shares for sale in partnerships, but I assume for a short visit this is not quite the idea! Also, in order to hire from a flying club, you need a European pilot licence (EASA) if you are going to fly a UK or European registered aircraft as schools only operate UK registered aircraft (G-reg). There is a way to get a dispensation to fly a G-reg (UK reg) aircraft in UK airspace VFR only on a FAA PPL but I think it will be tough to jump through the hoops. So with an FAA licence (or license!), if your friend does find an N-reg Mooney for hire via direct contact with the owner, and there are a few private N-regs out there (although Mooneys are rare in the UK, they a bit more common in France and Germany), it would work but it would have to be an informal arrangement and they have to work out the insurance etc. My aircraft is Danish registered (!) and past 12 years on the engine (another European quirk, commercial ops or hire need to overhaul at 12yrs) so I cannot hire it out, even to a European licence holder. However I would be more than happy to take your friend or any Mooniac for a flight if he is near London, or even hop across to France for lunch to see the Normandy beaches etc (approx 1h/1h30), always looking for an excuse to fly! I use the aircraft mainly to fly the family to the in laws in France so weekends are busy but June is usually pretty free so always looking for new flights, July/August more difficult.

Exactly the same thoughts and findings as DXB. I ll just keep an eye on it for the next few hours and have it wobble and borescope checked at the next annual which is due very soon anyway. In flight lean mag tests and oil consumptions and download from the JPM all good. No GAMIs but garmi spread is 0.25 ish so was told not needed and happily go LOP all the way to 50 LOPish but peak seems optimal (ie engine sounds happy) at my usual 8000-11000ft cruising altitudes.

Hi I have an EASA reg Mooney and yes not all mods have been approved. However, if you look around you'd find a lot of the more interesting ones have. Once a mod has been approved in any EASA country, any EASA reg can benefit from it and you do not need to spend $$$ for a modification approval application. So the EASA reg is a bit cumbersome in that respect but with a bit of research you can achieve a lot. By all means do not leave it in the hands of your trusty engineer, most of them are pretty clueless on that front, paperwork is not their forte, so it is best to be immersed in it yourself. For instance , if you look at the German LBA (look on their website for Musterzulassung Kleinflugzeuge), they approved most of the LASAR and SWTA mods. The UK CAA has also approved a few, referenced in their database of AAN (Approved Airworthiness Notices). Fitting an EDM and some of the Lasar mods too were approved on G-regs for example. the French CAA also approved a few , however they restricted them to a case by case , registration specific basis. As Ben (Awful Charlie) mentioned, it is rumoured that soon the EASA will accept any US STC as the USA is the country of manufacture, and also lighten some of the regulatory load for GA. However the legislative process is long winded so it will take a while. In a nutshell, if you find the perfect Mooney EASA reg should not be a deal breaker, but getting an N reg and keeping it on it makes life a bit simpler. Hopefully it will be equally simple on the EASA reg soon but we are nowhere near it yet, so changing it from N reg to EASA reg makes little sense at the moment.

no idea, the engine is I believe a late 1970s engine or early 80s , overhauled by a reputable shop in Sweden in 2000. So yes, if a a new cylinder assembly gives peace of mind for a couple grand, so be it.

Hi at my last maintenance check, the mechanic pulled out all the plugs and the #4 bottom one had a lot of oil on. He says it is a sign that the valve guide might be worn, so it might be best to think about replacing it at some point. Best course of action according to him is replacing the whole cylinder assembly, keeping the old one as a spare when we overhaul, as he had a patchy experience in trying to fix valve guides. Engine is 15 years old, 1300 smoh, running perfectly. Compressions are all in the high 70s, egt/chts always the same. #4 does have a tendency to foul quickly, but clears easily on run up. It is the only cylinder to show signs of fouling after an extended taxi, so it does get singled out. However LOP mag test (I run peak/slightly lop always) is consistent in flight across cylinders. I am running on Tempest massives. I suggested we try fine wire, he said it will only make it worse. I did have to replace that very plug a couple years ago as it went dead. I am tempted to think it is just a consequence of a long taxi to the mechanic's shop and did not lean aggressively enough after landing. Everything else is looking perfect so I am not too keen to pull a cylinder just yet, but if it is only a couple AMUs for extra peace of mind, I am tempted to heed his advice. I have little mechanical knowledge, he is a great mechanic but quite old school (not a believer in LOP etc). Any views? What are the possible consequences of a worn valve guide? Apart from the fouling it has had no impact in engine ops, roughness etc so far. 1967 Mooney M20F with a IO360-A1A

testwest, you sold it to me about 18mths ago and it works great ! hahah, thanks

how long is the vent? I tried to clear it on my M20F by pushing some shortish wire up the tube and pushed about 2in up, no resistance , maybe I should use a longer bit of wire. It still pops like a Coke bottle when I open the cap and I can see some compressing of the top of the tank flexing back out when I let the air in. At least I know my O rings are still a good seal! I could also blow some air in the tube to clear it? What happens to the debris? is there a filter on the other side and in the tank lines?

I was going to post a similar question and searched the forum first! Great resource. Same thing happened to me last weekend (M20F). Ran right tank nearly dry , then when opening the cap refuelling a significant amount of pressure was relieved (to the point that I needed to apply a bit of force to get the cap off). Guess I need to check my fuel vent!

pity you are not taking the reverse route, I will be in southern Britanny every weekend in July visiting family, overflying Dinard on my way back to the UK! do post again on your next trip to Europe, we'll arrange something. Great looking M20F on your avatar.

I just bought a second hand one. Fantastic. Using it with an old Ipod Touch, great standby AI.

what software do you use? Xplane or FSX? I assuming not Flight Simulator II ! Just tried Xplane with a very expensive force feeback yoke. Amazing. Much much better.

is the factory CHT probe the same as the one for a 1967 M20F (IO360-A1A)? Mine needs to be replaced as it is showing erratic readings. I have an EDM700 and the bayonet probe for that is nice and steady but the original CHT gauge in the garwin goes quickly to full scale to the right. I have been told it is the probe shorting itself.