carusoam

Dude! This was a favorite topic for José… He used avgas to wash the sludge out of the oil pan… Sludge is a mixture of 100LL additives and oil…. it has a tendency to pile up on the bottom…. the challenge being…. it is hard to tell how much of the gallon of gas actually drained back out…. any gas left behind in the oil, will evaporate as it gets hot… but it also affects the viscosity…. This is where most people decide that it is very challenging to get this right… it would be really cool to have clean looking oil for 50 hours…. Instead of it changing colors after the engine is first started… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

Hey DKK… sorry for coming in so late… I have a couple of thoughts to share… There are two models of cylinders for the IO550 the G and the N… Gs are known to be very robust… Ns are better known to have crack potential… they have the fancy cooling fins, and the cylinder weighs a few pounds less than the G’s… Before getting too deep, let’s discuss compression testing for Continental cylinders… be sure the mechanic is following the procedure, with the proper orifice for the test… when the mechanic is not familiar, you get a common low compression reading. Also… often, the rings align… and give a crummy reading too… fly it, test it warm… and try again. Both cylinder types are equally susceptible to how the plane is flown… Turbo normalized engines can be run hard, and often experience suboptimal cooling at altitude… If the prior owner preferred to run his plane in full flaming dragon mode… it is possible to wear out a set of cylinders in 1k hrs…. Often, new owners find out that they have mismanaged their cylinder temps and don’t get to the halfway mark…. Nothing wrong with full flaming dragon mode… from a technical point of view… it is the ultimate go fast mode. It costs a bit more fuel and a TOH earlier than a similar bird that is flown LOP, at a bit slower speed…. A knowledgable owner or mechanic can use a dental camera and inspect the cylinder walls for the cross hatch pattern that is supposed to be there… this tells more than the single compression test… If the cylinder bore is polished smooth in spots… it is probably time for an cylinder OH… same thing for the valves… same camera…. The valve surface should look like a pizza…. Nice concentric patterns… when there is a hot spot visible at the edge… it is time to get that valve situation fixed… not something you want to wait on. valves don’t last very long once they stop rotating. The constant rotation each cycle keeps them evenly cooled…. Sticky valves have a tendency to stop rotating… and their heat damage begins to appear…. Cylinder health has little to do with the rest of the engine… they are most sensitive to air cooling issues, and how hard they have been run… The NA IO550 on the Acclaim’s sister ship… the Ovation, is known to make it to 2k hrs without any cylinder issues… Key things about temp control…. The G1000 has a white box for leaning ROP in the climb…. Keeping CHTs below 380°F in the cruise is best for their longevity… tough to do in very thin air…. See if you can download the flight history from your engine monitor… this will tell you a great deal of what to expect before peering into the cylinders with your dental camera… Fortunately, the TN’d IO550 is quite popular… it isn’t unique to Mooneys… Setting up the FF properly is important… at idle, and at full throttle… Keep in mind… you need to know what rpm your engine is turning… most Acclaims start life limited to 2500 rpm… The really loved Acclaims get their rpm upped to 2700rpm with a FF to match… at 2500rpm you may see 25gph… 280bhp at 2700rpm you may see 27+gph, with a preference for a higher number closer to 30+… 310bhp The IO550 in this application is very stout. If you are climbing full throttle to the FLs… be sure to follow the procedure for leaning during the climb, keeping an eye on TIT, and watching the CHTs… All stuff you probably remember from transition training…. PP thoughts only, not a mechanic or CFI…. fun stuff you learn over the years… Go MS! Best regards, -a-

Got my PayPal issues straightened out… next up, I’ll get these pics uploaded once the PayPal payment goes through… -a-

A few pics as promised Rick! Has anyone seen the attach a pic button from my iphone? pics are… cap with labels near by cap opened showing the locking ring down the dark hole with the tube like fuel neck… cap chain dangling for length reference… dollar bill to reference the length of chain links… other places limitations are posted… Fuel tank vent… note: there are no holes or any type of vent in the fuel neck…an error in my previous description… filling the last few gallons takes time… the head pressure of the column of fuel is minuscule, and air has to get pushed all the way to the vent… To post pics… it might require me to get my membership up to date! -a-

Should take a day or two… after that, send a reminder… best regards, -a-

@Rick Junkin Let me know if you still need a pic. I have to work on that hangar home… I would have posted a pic already… Best regards, -a-

Hey Dan! see my response above. Best regards, -a-

Hey! Sorry for the late reply…. in 94 the fuel neck was a simple tube shape with a large slot running down the side… the slot allows for a fair amount of air to escape, such that the tank fills to the brim as air is vented through the rib’s tiny holes uphill… thus the fuel nozzle can hang on the bottom of the neck without pulling out with the weight of the hose… it had an ordinary Shaw cap. looks like it is cut and welded from a heavy SS sheet material… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… all from old fuzzy memories. My placarding is the standard old numbers from the POH… those numbers are found in at least three places… cap, gauges, selector switch… Best regards, -a-

Way cool! one of my favorite topics! my ‘94 (O3 powered) O1 just became an O3! But mine is more valuable than his…. My S/N is lower!!! Whoever is doing the sales job on that airplane is showing that he is not as familiar with Mooneys as we are… The Standing Ovation is an Awesome Aircraft… The O1 is super cool… it can be upgraded, at will, to be similar to the G1000 with waas capability, without the drag of working with both Mooney and Garmin… Now…. If you have the unlimited stack of Benjamins in your aviation account…. There is no reason to avoid the Acclaim… If you are still dragging teen agers around in the back, and never exceed 12.5k’…. Trying to get the right Acclaim will be an extra challenge… 15 years or so with the O1… I would gladly swap for an Acclaim…. just because… PP thoughts only… +1 for Jimmy’s guidance! Best regards, -a-

My favorite example of product quality identified by brand name… Quality engineers discussing the cost of quality… it can squeeze corporate earnings… Then discussing cutting back on quality systems… it can crush corporate earnings… What is Champion known for? crappy quality spark plugs where their resistance changed towards infinity over time… they knew what was wrong, please buy some more…. What is Slick known for? a disposable magneto. Inferior to the Bendix mag… What is Maggie known for? New kid on the block. Willing to sell a half set of mag wires for people upgrading to a single new electronic magneto… Maggie has an MS presence around here somewhere… the new kid has been around for a while… Can’t stop with a partial list crummy quality players…. There are others in the penalty box… Some have actually gotten back out of the penalty box over enough time… Throw the Gill battery guys under the bus as well…. Two years of life when the competition goes closer to six… Right up there with… Ford Pinto Chevy side saddle fuel tanks GM ignition switches Boeing Max single AOA sensor AP option for third world carriers… Boeing outsourcing fuselages and not checking to see if all the bolts are installed in the plug door… Boeing Starliner internal clock magically running 11hrs slow…. Let’s launch anyways. What could possibly go wrong? Tacoma Narrows bridge AKA galloping Gertie… Almost forgot… BK relabeling other company’s products… that hasn’t worked very well for Mooneys either… Always good to compare the various suppliers… Every one has challenges… it’s how they handle the challenges that makes a difference… Old rants only… not a mechanic… Go Maggie! Best regards, -a-

The long bodies got the extra long nose gear that adds to the panel angle while parked on the ground… The older Mooneys got the bend in the middle of the panel… vertical above the line tilted below the line… The parts and service catalogs most likely have a reference of the tilt… it is a common number for typical instruments… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… +1 for the Mooney service reference given above… Best regards, -a-

Pure Mooney marketing… of the 60s new marketing group in the 90s really brought names to a new height… TLS - Turbo Lycoming Sabre TLS version 2 - kicked off a naming cover-up… the B model got oil cooled heads for the engines… M20M Bravo! M20R Ovation M20TN Acclaim M20K Encore Rocket Engineering added a few to the list, including… Standing Ovation I suddenly feel like flying to an opera for a Standing Ovation! Ovation was up to version 3 before it got a major upgrade to Ovation Ultra… Get your O1 Ovation with… MSE Mooney Special Edition… O2’s G1000 color screens… O3 power… 310hp Then trade it for the O4… to get the Ultra door and composite roof… Go Marketing!!! Best regards, -a-

This would be the best stroke of luck… ^^^^ The C and E often get used as forever planes… fully grown kids don’t like the backseat very much… (no issue here) F and J are great forever planes that are often upgraded over the years… Marauder must be in year 30 with his, Doc Jon’s has been refreshed like a new Ovation…Stinky pants has an older J that has been getting newer every year…for a decade. Bob’s M20E looked like a new plane when it was 50 years old…. The early years of ownership/flying…. Has a steep learning curve to get through…. most people avoid making an extra high powered, or TCd Mooney their first experience… Not real tough… if you like to train and fly often… that steep of learning curve takes an extra commitment…. We have a few people that have purchased a long body to do their primary training in… Buying and selling a Mooney is a more common experience for some… get the easiest plane to sell while deciding on what your real Mooney is going to be… Go M20J…. While hunting down your Acclaim! Take the wife to see the nicest J for sale…. Watch her reaction… Do not take the wife, parents, or kids to see the ratty Mooney. It can take a few decades to get over that experience… modern cars have a tendency to set the expectations bar extra high… push button start, big tv screens, back up cameras… while we go through elaborate starting techniques depending on temp and field altitude… Get the M20J Get the transition training Get some miles under the wings, hours in the logs, altitude under the fuselage, and four seasons in the experience log… Expect after a year… you will have a great plan for what you want to do next…. keep it, get the IR, trade up… Go Mooney! Best regards, -a-

DINK…. No college bills…? Does the spouse want to fly? The first Mooney acquisition is the start of something spectacular… the second Mooney is where you get the chance to buy the perfect forever-plane…. Based on your own experience… Enjoy the hunt! We started with a ratty M20C before moving up to the O… don’t go ratty unless you have to… Go Mooney! best regards, -a-

Thanks Joe. indeed brass won’t cause mag deviations… my quirky response comes from the fact I didn’t know if the rivets could actually be brass…. Or some other fancier alloy… that only appeared to be brass… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… best regards, -a-

Hey gents..! Some things we learn from the modern NA Mooneys… that most likely apply to the older Mooneys as well. both old and new were built for nearly the same mission… just, the newer models have more development time collected through the decades… 1) the Ovation has the NA IO550… 2) it’s EGT gauge is calibrated with actual numbers. Mounted in a specific location where there is a confluence of three exhaust streams on one side of the engine… 3) the climb procedure includes leaning in the climb… 4) the EGT is maintained by using a blue box on the EGT gauge, white for the G1000… 5) the box or arc is 100°F wide, and runs from 200-300°F ROP. 6) adjustments are made as needed… 7) the needle falls safely out the bottom, colder… as altitude increases. 8) airflow through a modern cowl was highly studied… 9) My M20C’s cowl met basic requirements of the day… some of its airflow did exit the front of the cowl. Every now and then you could see where an oil drip would show signs of its escape… out the front. 10) its tach also suffered by being mismarked… some things changed over decades of knowledge… Red arcs became yellow by rule change… the avoidance arc was changed, and remarked, or added, using a piece of tape on the lens… 11) These important arcs only apply to the engine/prop combination that came with the plane…Updated markings can be put on the tach for a small charge at an instrument shop… 12) if you change the prop or the engine… make sure the markings are appropriate… the yellow arc helps keep the pilot from operating in a zone where harmonic vibrations can break engine mount welds… harmonics can’t be felt by the pilot, because the usual vibrations feel the same to even the best calibrated buttock… The M20C only used four bolts to hold the engine to the firewall… I have the experience of losing two welds, that left the engine holding on by three bolts instead of four… 13) The POH is a great resource of info… and so are the STCs that come with a new prop. 14) for a great reference, get a copy of the latest POH published for your model… especially for the older models that only got owners manuals… 15) Vx, Vy, and cruise climb are very similar for all Mooneys… the heavier ones are marked in kias, lighter are in mias… 16) climb rate is all about excess hp to weight ratio… get as light as possible, and add hp… 17) 200 rpm is 10% of my engine’s hp… make sure the gov is set up properly… also be sure the prop stops are set up properly. This is really important when the gov fails! (To flat, causes rpm over speed… controlling rpm with mp, the engine can be woefully underpowered. ) if I use (in the O…) 2500rpm instead of 2700rpm, my take off distance increases from 800’ to 1200’, when lightly loaded. A 50% increase. 18) Vy, like best glide, is weight dependent… 10kias faster when near MGTW, than very light…. PP thoughts only, not a mechanic, or CFI … stuff I picked up over the years… Best regards, -a-

It will probably be difficult to find our GB / Guy Ginsbee. but not too hard to search outside of MS to find him… he makes a high quality product, worth looking for… Best regards, -a-

Hey munnerlyn! you mentioned the plane is new2U… there are about a dozen places that the small Lycoming is know to possibly have drops from… Get the bright light out… and start at the top where there are seals, gaskets, and hoses… simple solution to a common problem… often, people find these things are ancient, and can use a nice replacement… See if you can identify the valve covers… their gaskets may still be ancient cork… their screws could be equally ancient and have uneven torque applied.. nearby is a group of oil return lines that drain the valve box area… lots of hose clamps that may be ancient… The M20E makes a great forever-plane! Welcome aboard and best regards…, -a-

hey gents! The goofy battery relay works ok when brand new… … and you don’t take a lot of time when pushing the switch… But… if you push the switch real slowly… you can either find a dead spot with no power running through it… or both batteries connected allowing for excess voltage from one battery finding another way to go to ground… if you study the electrical drawings for the switch and relays…. you may find that they theoretically make sense… but, in real life, with a bit of wear… remember to push the switch with intention… there are a few relays by the batteries that share the same part number… I bought a spare because the relay wouldn’t switch batteries… it turns out… the battery switching relay was attached to my dead battery…. O1s didn’t get the nice set of CBs in the tail… (‘94) pp thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

For Dan, that used to be a single fill up… not sure if his Acclaim has the same max fuel capacity…. Gotta love José’s extend fuel tanks! Best regards, -a-

All this talk of bottles… I need to invite José…. See if he is up for the conversation…. @Gagarin The ziploc bag is a nice general purpose device, that doesn’t look like a urinal. nobody picks up a ziploc and asks what is this for? Best regards, -a-

When looking at the fuel necks of various long bodies…. you can see different lengths of the neck… and how air can get trapped above the bottom of the neck…. Mooney did this intentionally to the M20S eagles… to additionally limit their volume. Strategically installing a vent hole in the neck can restore the full volume of the existing tanks… There are three or so placards that indicate the ‘legal’ fuel volume… on the panel, at the tank selector, near the fuel caps…? Filling the tanks above 100g takes time for air to pass through small holes drilled in the wing ribs… of course, the plane has to be parked on level ground…. The POH has the placards and locations in the limitations section…(?) Over filling the volume doesn’t become apparent… the tank vents are so far up hill the fuel doesn’t reach them…. If you strategically use a hill to put even more fuel in each tank…. When back on the level, fuel will try to escape out the fuel cap if its seals aren’t up to the task… The Cg of the fuel tanks doesn’t change from fully full, to fully empty… at least the POH on gives one Cg location for the tanks… regardless of their status… Sooooo…. With proper venting, about 103 gallons usable can be found without modifying the tanks…. Adding the next bay outboard… brings usable fuel up to about 130g… PP thoughts only… @Cris and I discussed this back in 2011 for his Screamin’ Eagle. Proper drilling technique is required to avoid dropping aluminum bits into the tank… and avoid lighting a gasoline fire… The O has a slotted vent to avoid the usual air trapping issue… consider buying that part from Mooney in place of modifying the existing one… note: the fuel nozzle with auto shut off, will keep from filling the tank unless you hold the nozzle while filling the last few gallons… Best regards, -a-

… disassembly of a Mooney for flat bed hauling is done via removing the tail cone and firewall forward…. Our local MSC does this as needed… usually a recovery process… In the event of landing in a field…. I keep a business card with their number on it… Select your favorite mechanic before going down this road… His signature is going to be important to the ongoing future value of the machine…. oddly, having an N-numbered plane in Europe has its advantages… Speed and efficiency is preferred world wide… PP thoughts only, not a mechanic… Best regards, -a-

Odd notes on door opening in flight… 1) everyone has had at least one… 2) Check lists usually cure it from happening again… 3) There are odd reasons to do it on purpose… like a seat belt hanging in the wind… (really loud vibration sound) 4) They mostly happen in the traffic pattern at low speeds… where the door doesn’t get or cause any damage… 5) A couple of baggage doors have opened in flight and wrapped around the fuselage… the piano wire hinge stayed intact, requiring a replacement door. 6) MS has had one baggage door open in cruise flight… get torn off, and wrap around the horizontal stabilizer… It is one interesting read… if you are not familiar. Lots of rearrangement of the tail feathers occurred… Fortunately, a very professional (test) pilot handling the rest of the flight… Fuzzy PP memories only… not a mechanic. Best regards, -a-

Eric is always helpful… and we also have a really good Whelen guy around here if you need any help regarding the new bulb you are trying to use… See what electrical connectors the plane has already…. Often, the landing lights use a ‘blade’ style connector(?)@OSUAV8TER Best regards, -a-