jwilkins

If anyone is looking for a set of gear rigging tools Lasar in CA has some available again. Dan, the parts dept manager, said they have a few sets available, under $300, which is about half of the current pricing. Dan's phone # is (800) 954-5619 Jim

I bought a set from Dan at Lasar a few years ago. You need a good torque wrench in the correct torque range, also. The typical auto torque wrenches are not the correct range (ie sensitivity) for the rigging. Lasar parts: (800) 954-5619

I just replaced the ship's gauge TIT probe; even with the new probe it reads about 100 degree lower than the JPI. Dan at Lasar has the probes (not compatible with JPI or Alcor probes) AND has a guy who can repair / rebuild the original gauge. Lasar parts: (800) 954-5619

Do you have two separate dimmers, one for the post lights and one for the glare shield lights? I'm assuming you do and since you specified the post lights are blowing the fuse that the glare shield lights do NOT blow the fuse when the post light dimmer is off. The easy things to check first are frayed insulation on the wire going to the compass and the wire going to the glare shield. There are a couple of trouble shooting things you can do on the ground; you can solder wires and pins to a circuit breaker (same or lower rating than the fuse) OR a lamp while you are wiggling wires and lamp bases around. A dead short will make the lamp that replaced the fuse light up, or, if you put in the breaker, the breaker will pop and it won't cost $10 to reset it. Once every thousand years or so you will find a bulb that shorts internally when the filament blows. If you can't find anything else you can check each bulb in the post lights that you can R&R. in most airplanes the post light circuit is also connected to some internally lighted instruments which is an additional complication. Trouble shooting with those blasted fuses at $10 a pop is expensive. Try the circuit breaker for trouble shooting. There is no real magic to this; it's just systematic step by step trouble shooting. Even if you give up and take it to the shop you will be able to tell them what you already checked.

How did they mount it to the center post without the "Mooney Adapter". Can you post a photo showing how it was mounted? JIm

Aircraft Spruce and Chief reported that the Mooney Mounts for the SIRS are no longer in production. SIRS confirmed through Spruce that 1) the parts are no longer in production and 2) they have no interest in supplying a part or a drawing to allow me to make a mount, and no interest in allowing me to make mounts for other Mooney owners. I could probably CNC an aluminum mount in low quantities and black anodize it for the original cost of the SIRS Mooney mount SIRS declined to answer direct inquiries I sent to them. I did get them to admit they received the messages, but they responded through Spruce. Nice product; odd customer support.

We're coordinating a fly in to Prescott AZ KPRC on Saturday the 22. The Vintage Mooney Group has an event listing on their website. We'll have lunch at Legend Aviation on Sat and we have a special guest speaker coming up from Fort Huachuca to talk about the Fort activities and Army UAVs. Anyone is welcome but it would be helpful if you registered on the VMG website so we can make sure we are OK for lunches ( http://www.vintagemo...GWest/index.htm ). Legend Aviation has some excellent hotel rates if you can stay overnight - call ahead if possible Legend Aviation 928.443.9333. Jim

I had forgotten about Essco; I just bought the soft copy download version of the manual. Thanks. I was too cheap to spend the $250 at Century, but $80 is well worth the investment. Jim

We were there before posting the question. Lots of good information but the drawings provided refer you to other drawings for connector wiring. What we are trying to figure out is what pin on the connector at the computer corresponds to programmer pin 8 /58. IOW, where is pin 58 at the computer connector? Thanks, Jim

My Century 41 auto pilot operates properly for all functions and in all modes except NAV. The switch in the switch / control box is OK and the signal to the pin in the connector on the switch / control box is OK. Before I have the switch / control panel and computer shipped to Autopilot Central for repair I'd like to verify the cable assembly between the switch panel and the computer is OK to rule out any wiring / cable issue. Does anyone have a pin-out diagram for the computer so we can check that the NAV switch selector signal is actually getting to the computer OK? Thx, Jim

Quote: allsmiles In the Sept 2012 issue of Plane & Pilot magazine, Bill Cox has written about engine reliability. He alludes to overleaning as potential example of pilot induced engine failure. What is he referring to when he says overleaning, can someone please explain?

Quote: Parker_Woodruff On the Hartzell/Kelly subject, I just got a brand "new" alternator. It's a Kelly unit that was made about a year or 2 ago. :-/

If I am following the NTSB report correctly it appears that the cam followers / points had about 700 hours without logged maintenance. The report states that the cam follower felt oiling pads are supposed to be oiled and checked every 100 hours. I don't disagree that this may be a design / selection of material issue, but it APPEARS ( if I read the NTSB report correctly ) that the recommended maintenaince was not performed. Again, IF I am reading this correctly the take-away I get is to do the recommended inspection and oiling every 100 hours. Personally I never understood the logic of having dual mags for redundency and then running both of them off a single drive, but this failure looks like it may have been prevented by following the recommended maintenance. I don't have the dual mag single drive, but I DO get the recommended 500 hour mag inspections done. I've never had any issues spotted, but we check.

My 231 cowl has a somewhat sloppy job of what looks like JB Weld reinforcing inside the cowl. It has worked to prevent more cracking but looks a bit amatuerish. Functional, but could have been done better. It's been a few years since I've used them, but I give a strong second recommendation on the West System Epoxy. http://www.westsystem.com/ss/ Do yourself a favor and buy the West System pumps for metering the epoxy and hardener. It's worth it just for the mess it saves, and is more accurate than you will be trying to measure from the containers. I fully recovered a woodstrip racing canoe (and made several repairs after finding rocks in the rapids). The wood strip canoe used the 4 oz fabric, but you might want to ask West if the carbon fiber would be better for the cowl reinforcement. In my opinion the West System is the best source for Fiberglass Mesh / Epoxy fabrications and repair supplies. I know it is amazingly strong, bonds well to fiberglass (and wood), and would produce a professional looking reinforcement.

I've bought three Mooneys which had gear up history, and all had been 'properly repaired by reputable shops' (one by a MSC). The major repair items on all three were excellent. All had little diddly things which had not been exactly right such as gear doors slightly out of rig, flaps not exactly symetrical, belly panels a little bit wrinkled which were not bad enough to replace but not exactly factory. The partial paint done after a repair sometimes seems to be subject to lower quality standards than many full repaint jobs done at a paint shop. I don't believe the 'repaired better than new' sales pitch, but a proper repair which has the major items done correctly and has only some diddly things to clean up is fine with me. It does not scare me off to have damage history which is properly documented, the repairs are done properly, it passes a GOOD inspection, would not scare me off. I do like to check the NTSB reports against the log books to see if the documented repairs are consistent. Last comment about 'brokers'; I absolutely agree that you need to be careful when you don't know the broker, or when you are dealing with an owner selling his own aircraft. I don't know many of the dealers or brokers but I do trust Jimmy Garrison and Dave McGee at All American. It was a little funny when I was talking to Jimmy about 1MS before I went to look at it; Jimmy kept telling me it was "OK" but I probably would not be thrilled with the cosmetics. When I finally went to see it I was amazed that it was as good as it is. So his description was very conservative. He said he didn't want me to make a trip to Texas on false expectations. I also know from very personal experience that he stands behind his deals; much more than any reasonable person would expect.

Quote: "Why is this so difficult for some to comprehend is beyond me! " Probably because it is wishful thinking, or just trolling for reactions. This is a free market and every seller has the right to decide to hold on a high asking price, or set an asking price which reflects the current market conditions and has some reasonable probability of selling. If prices were fixed by the government and penalities were established for selling either higher or lower than the government established 'standard cost' THEN you could 'set' prices. Since, thankfully, every owner has the right to set the asking price in accordance with their own desire to complete a sale, the sale prices will fluctuate according to the overall supply and demand; up and down. Setting an asking price significantly higher than the present market will bear in order to attempt to manipulate the perception of value is a fantasy. I suggest as a proof of his theory that Doc immediately convince all dentists to double all the procedure costs and not perform any services for which patients and insurance companies will not pay the higher rates. If all dentists cooperate and the insurance companies increase their reimbursement rates, or all the patients pay the difference I will publically apologize for not understanding that our theories of Free Market economics studied and taught for the last 100 years were wrong. This goes both ways. I bought a 1962 C model well below the vref valuation (but later spent almost as much on avionics as I paid for the plane). When I bought my 67 F I was searching for a plane which someone else had done the avionics and cosmetic upgrades. I had friends tell me that I was insane for spending that much on a '67 F. I decided it was valued properly for me. It was an absolutely wonderful plane and I have no regrets about what I paid for it. The sales prices in both cases were not anywhere near a base model vref evaluation would indicate. The sale prices were established by the seller, the buyers perception of value, and the economy at the time. Price fixing does not work in our used aircraft market. Anyone who wants to try it is welcome to set any asking price they want, but the real value is not what the seller thinks; it is what a buyer will pay. Why is this so difficult for some to comprehend is beyond me!

Quote: howardld Jimmy Gips Aviation Credit Corporation 361-275-0304 361-275-3040 fax gips@aviationcredit.com I had great results with this group.

Quote: allsmiles This line of thinking is faulty in my opinion and it precisely illustrates the problem. The seller can and should unilaterally set the sale price that is fair to him. And yes, be willing to hold on to the plane. You are not necessarily asking more than it's worth just because no one is coming forth.

I have a portable ADS-B and an installed WX-900 Stormscope. For me, they go together. The ADS-B / Nexrad is good for long range big picture planning (shall I continue, divert, set down, or turn around and go home?) and getting current airport conditions ahead. I much prefer the graphic presentation instead of trying to assimilate the verbal descriptions from Flight Watch. I have a hard time metally picturing those descriptions " 100 miles West of Phoenix to 50 miles North of San Jose to a line from ....." I like seeing the big red and green blotchs on a map. The Stormscope seems to require more immediate action from me. It's a matter of 'Oh Crap, look at the lightning strikes ahead; I'll check the Nexrad and figure out where to divert' Or, Nexrad looks OK ahead, lightning strikes off to the far right, none ahead, continue for now. The only issue I have with my WX-900 is that the display is a tad dim. It's not bad enough to send out or replace yet, but not as bright as I think it should be. Before the Sat Links were available I had a Ryan WX-9. It was nice and bright but not very accurate and not heading stabilized. It was however, absolutely amazing to have something in the plane pointing out lightning that you could not yet see. Even these early scopes are pretty amazing compared to NOT having one. Flying in TS weather can be realtively safe if you are careful. The Nex Rad and Stormscopes are very helpful in keeping you that way. I will cancel a flight if we expect to have widespread imbedded TS which I cannot get over the tops or circumnavigate. A few years ago we had one of those 'storms of the Century' across the whole country with TS, tornadoes, hail, and severe winds. I was on a trip from NY to Arizona and made the entire trip in mostly VFR conditions (filed IFR) but took four + days instead of two. I would travel behind the fronts and then find a nice airport to stay, usually somewhere I could put the plane in a hanger, and wait for the next lull between frontal passages. Flight Service was a huge help in planning which way to go and about how far I could get to stay out of the real bad weather. It was a safe and interesting trip, at no time was I in rough conditions. I had Nex Rad on XM but that plane did not have a Stormscope installed. I would not trust my life to any on board equipment to PURPOSELY fly in IMC with widespread embedded TS. If the Nex Rad and Stormscope are working, I have plenty of fuel - for me that means 2 to 3 hours reserve in bad weather - and the TS are isolated or I can get on top I'll go. Otherwise, I can wait. I'm not a doctor; no one is going to die if I delay a trip by a day or two.

Some airports were requiring a 'third lock' in the post 9-11 panic. The way I remember it, it could be the aircraft door, ignition, and then any 'third' lock such as a locked hanger door. At our flying club it was not required but we put a chain and padlock on the tail tie-down of the club aircraft in the shade hangers just to show how security conscious we were. The Aircraft Throttle Lock sold by ACS doesn't fit the Mooneys; you can however custom order the vernier version milled out to a larger ID from the manufacturer. When I was traveling around to a couple airports where the 'third lock' was supposed to be required I bought a Master Lock bicycle cable lock which was entirely plastic coated (including the lock) to put on the prop. It was not high security but it met the requirements. A couple times I forgot to put it on and never heard any complaints / reminders. For some time I carried it in the baggage compartment in case I got 'reminded'. I don't think it's even in the plane anymore. If you wanted to have an inexpensive and visible lock with at least some security there are some heavy duty cable locks made for motorcycles that would work better than the bicycle lock. Jim

Just as a side note, Ronnie at Dugosh has the original Mooney Porche prototype fuselage in one of his back rooms, Mooney kept the engine and maybe the cowl, Dugosh bought the rest. Very cool to see a piece of Mooney history preserved. Jim

If your system is similar to my 1980 M20K: 1. Have your OX tank checked to make sure it is there (some have been removed by owners who didn't use them), it is up to date on the hydro test so it CAN be filled, and doesn't leak. 2. If everything is OK, seriously consider getting the OX Saver Cannula kit ( such as http://www.pilotshop.com/retrofit-kit-with-scott-type-fitting-p-2773.html ) Although they seem expensive, having the OX Saver and the adjustable valve will pay back pretty quickly. The fixed flow with regular cannulas blow trhough a tank fast.

Quote: stevecampbell Hi Everyone, I've been reading MooneySpace for a while now and just got into a 4-way ownership on a 1978 M20J about a month ago at KIWS. I'm now getting a full taste of the ownership experience. I've got a couple of questions I'm sure someone knows the answer to. 1) Does anyone know the part number of the spring that holds to jump starting (aux power port) cover door closed? Thanks for the help, Steve

Quote: jeckford For me it worked out really well to take a week vacation and do my instrument instruction and checkride in 7 days with Gatts in KS. Highly recommend them. I really enjoyed my week and felt very prepared for my checkride. I used the King course and took the written a few weeks before I went to KS. Gatts was very professional and they have a flat fee so there are no surprises when you are done.

Quote: Immelman