cliffy

Make sure you look at the tube structure in the fuselage BEHIND the sidewalls for evidence of water leaking through the side windows and running down on the tubing and rusting the tubes. There is a SB on this and a newer sidewall insulation that should have been put in. If you can remove the interior side walls for a prebuy then you might run it near a wash rack and run water down the sides over the side windows watching inside for any leaks. There is also SB to check the bottom rear ends of the tubing frame by removing a bolt each side and checking for rust inside that tube. Corrosion on the main spar between the main wheels (and under the rear seat on metal wing Mooneys) is another big issue as are fuel tank leaks showing up in the wheel wells on the main spar (blue stains soaking through the rivet)s Be prepared for a high $$$$ first annual next year. This is a fact most of the time on this website with newly purchased Mooneys. New airplane owner gets hit with high $$$ annual first time in the shop because of "differed" maintenance by the previous owner not disclosed at the purchase. I'm not trying to scare you off but you have to be aware of the pitfalls of ANY airplane purchase. You don't know what you don't know. As my second caveat on any airplane purchase- NEVER TRUST ANYTHING SAID BY THE OWNER OR THE SALESMAN, PERIOD! Check everything out yourself with the help of a Mooney knowledgeable mechanic. EVEN down to the data plate on the engine and the serial numbers on the prop to make sure they all match the log book entries. Just things to bear in mind as you look at candidates to purchase. Cool your jets and take your time Below is a prebuy check list I made up years ago for Mooneys Check that all the model numbers and serial numbers match on everything with the log book, engine, prop, airframe, I do radios also. Actually read the data plates and compare to the logs. Check that the parts actually installed match what is contained in the TCDS and/or the logs show an STC change for the big stuff and changes for radios and electronics. Anything added like engine monitors, fuel flow gauges, etc should show an STC listing in the log books. Pull the rear seat bottom and open up the inspection holes to check for corrosion on the spar caps. Look at the spars real well in the main wheel wells for same. As noted fill up fuel tanks the night before and look for leaks the next day. If you can jack the airplane do a gear over center torque check. Make sure the A&P has the correct tools to do it. While on jacks, move the main gears in and out toward the wing tips for excessive movement. Lift the main wheels to check for play in the donuts. The donuts should expand enough after 5 mins unloaded to not have much movement. Check the mouse boots for condition in the main wheel wells. While down by the main gear look at the spar bottom between the fuselage and wheel wells. Look for smoking rivets there. The rivets that hold the spar sandwich together. That can be a big $$$$$$. I found one in AUS with almost every rivet loose on the bottom of the spar. It was grounded by the owner when Kerrville said it had to be repaired. Nose gear area - if on jacks this is easy- twist the nose wheel left and right to check for excessive play in the steering linkage. More than about 10-15 degrees either side of center before tightening up on the linkage is too much. You will see the slop way at the top of the nose gear on the rod end linkage up there. Most important on the nose gear! Look and feel for dents where the steering system touches on the tubing for dents where it touches. Turn the wheel by hand and you will see where it touches and stops. MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO DENTS THERE! The limit is 1/32" depression. Any dents and the nose gear comes out for repair $$$$ On the tail surfaces grab the tip of the stabilizer and try to move it up and down and fore and aft. If it moves or clicks you might have work to do. Limits are about 1/10th of an inch either way. Usually fixed by changing out the "close tolerance bolts' in the hinge. As noted lift up on the rudder to check for play in the jackscrew. Same limit about 1/10 of an inch. Lots of times it is wear on the 2 bolt hinge bracket at the aft end of the jackscrew and not the jackscrew it self. I found one stabilizer that moved 1/2 inch either side of center! Look over the outside surface of the entire airplane for dents, filliform corrosion, hangar rash (the elevator tips seem to be especially susceptible to this damage and NO repairs are allowed to control surfaces (no patches, partial skin replacement, etc). The FAA in one case here on MS made a big thing out of this stuff on a routine ramp check on one of our posters. Basically they said it didn't come that way from the factory so fix it. I check all the exterior control surface rod ends to see if they are loose enough to move or if dry and frozen. If dry and frozen I start looking at the logs real close to see if the lube and gear swing AD had been being done. One item missed almost always due to the effort but it can cause big headaches, is pulling the sidewalls inside and actually looking at the steel tubing frame for rust. If the windows are not sealed well, water gets in there and runs down inside on the tubes and rusts them. The insulation SB aside. There is actually a SB describing how to check for leaks by pulling the sidewalls and directing a water hose at the windows looking for leaks. Make sure everything, and I mean every switch, knob and button works as designed! Put power to it and try all radios in all modes, all lights, all warnings (landing gear warning horn, stall warning horn, etc), all exterior lights, everything that can be turned on or off or moved in and out. There was one write up on here a while back where someone bought a Mooney and the stall warning didn't work nor did the gear warning (IIRC). That makes the airplane unairworthy. If on jacks (and it should be) do a gear swing and make sure the gear works properly. I've seen them signed off 3 months ago and they hang 3" from the wells when sucked up. If its electric gear do a manual drop also to make sure it works. Had a couple on this board recently that went in for annual and the manual gear drop didn't work. So check it out. Look to see if the gear actuator has ever been removed, cleaned, checked for proper gear lash and relubed. If it hasn't you may be doing that on the next annual yourself It's that important. Disregard if its a manual gear. It goes without saying that a full log book check is required for all applicable ADs and required inspections even though the annual has just been done. The logs tell a story and knowing how to read them is a skill. Make sure you know what to look for or have someone that does. The engine stuff is the normal stuff. Compression check, oil filter inspection, looking for leaks, cracks, anything not normal. Pull the plugs and read them, they too have a story to tell. My caution to any whom I help buy an airplane? Trust no one selling an airplane period. Take nothing for granted. Don't trust anything even though it just had an annual. If you do, it will bite you in the arse. Check and verify everything before money changes hands. Once you pay for it , its yours! Good luck and show us pictures even of the prebuy! :-) :-)

My mistake in saying "Trio" I was referring to the Dynon autopilot with bridles for the pitch and yaw. The roll servo uses a push/pull rod. I guess because I had just been researching the Trio one the name stuck in my head. The TT/BK Aero 100 uses only 2 servos (pitch and roll) both with push/pull rods. In addition so far only the J/Ks are approved for the Dynon AND another limitation on installation is that some Js have tapered rod ends on the rudder push pulls and only the ones with flat/square ends are covered by the STC (page 2 below) https://www.dynoncertified.com/downloads/documentation/mooney/104368-000_RevB_AP_Install_Manual_Mooney_M20J_M20K.pdf

I've been at this flying game for 60 years and I have a firm saying- NEVER BUY THE FIRST AIRPLANE YOU LOOK AT- PERIOD! You need to look real good at many Mooneys before you can calibrate just how good one is over another Many new pilots before you have gone down that path to their detriment. Many right here on MooneySpace You don't know what you don't know yet. SECONDLY- I'm also an A&P and grew up in the time of wood and fabric airplanes- Wood airplanes are another arena all together. Not 1 in 1,000 A&P mechanics today even knows what to look for on a wood wing. Does he or you know what dry rot looks like? Or delamination of a wood wing Mooney In today's market conditions, a "really good price' brings skepticism to many of us A "free" annual by the guy that has been doing all the maintenance on the airplane for years is also subject to skepticism. As with all airplane purchases- Caveat Emptor You need to find someone very familiar with Mooneys to check things out with you Do not go into it alone.

We also see it here with SR22 pilots in training across the field. SR22 training school always lands long, long float and lots of PIOs. Many can't make the midfield turn off about 4000 down the runway.

On areas that get rubbed from the outside apply opened up fire sleeve with high temp red silicone as a chafe barrier At some point our antique airplanes will become beer cans. No one can stop that.

Having looked at the Trio install drawings for a Mooney I think the AC 100 is easier to install Also the Trio uses 3 servos with cable bridles for control connections unlike the AC 100 with solid push pull rods on 2 servos. The Trio uses a tray across the width of the tail cone aft of the radio access hole on the left side of the fuselage with 2 servos mounted side by side to connect to the Mooney push/pull rods with clamp on cable bridles. I guess I'm just not a fan of cable bridles but they have been used on many A/P installations in the past.

Actually the angle on mine was the same as supplied IIRC 105 degrees Only the length of the mounting tray was changed moving the position of the upper attachment on the tray but always using the same mounting hardware and design. Basically a minor alteration. . Nothing changed but the length of the tray and mounting location of the upper hanger on that tray. The roll servo went in with no issues. The tray flanges had to be modified for clearance of the flap cross shaft (as denoted on the drawings). Stayed well within the limits allowed on the install drawings for that.

Fair point also!

BIG QUESTION- When was the last time the CHT TOTAL system was checked for accuracy? That means gage, wiring and probes? Is it 40 years old and never recalibrated? You don't know how hot you really are until you know your gages are accurate.

This might work well for those seats with factory built in headrests but if on the earlier models where no head rests were installed, modifying the older seats to use them might not work as the lever arm of force from the top of the seat compared to the top of the headrest might not be accounted for in the hinge strength of the seat I have read something about this in IIRC 43.13

I've installed an AC 100 in my D model and it seems rock solid on 2 test flights Will have more to report in a week or two after more testing Follows the magenta line on my Dynon HDX just fine Bear in mind this is in a VFR only airplane as I do not do SE IFR anymore. Duncan has been very helpful for me YMMV

Lets not conflate VARMA with OPP. They are different entities. VARMA is one way of obtaining "off the shelf" parts for use on vintage aircraft. Not manufacturing parts. IMO it is not a very viable option for most anything after having done a webinar course on it but that is just my opinion. On the other hand OPP has a lot of ability for owners to get things done if done properly. One still has to have some sort of "approved" reference for the part being considered. NOT just it looks the same. If one were to reverse engineer (metallurgy and design) a gear set with a DER and get his sign off then the gears could be made FOR THAT AIRPLANE ONLY. Each airplane owner would need to go through the same process except the design has already been approved by the DER so quite possibly the DER would only require a fee to be paid to use his approval. The aircraft owner still has to have a hand in the design of the part (by writing down, "make it to this drawing design as approved by a DER") and sign the log books saying he supplied the OPP part. Then the A&P can install the OPP part knowing that it comes from an "approved drawing". We can't just go down the path of thinking we can just install some other "similar" part than that which was installed in the Type Certificate Data package. That just won't work without an STC. Also as stated before- A PMA only relates to a companies approved quality control procedures to produce "approved" parts from "approved" drawings". It really has nothing to do with the part being made. The part still has to be made from approved drawings by the PMA holder if they are to be sold on the open market. My right arm is not as strong as it was 25 years ago but it can still work my Johnson bar :-)

One thing no one thinks of is- Can I physically do it? Can you work into tight places with your arms both from the top and then bottom holding them up over your head for long periods of time? I cant anymore. Used to do some Boeing tank repairs and won't consider it now, The stuff we used (in the enclosed tank) smelled like fresh dog crap!!!

Yes usually 4130 is quite stiff even in thin material Nice looking part

We're not alone I know of a Comanche that got twisted 90 degrees and popped the cylinder by using a tug and long bar. Stupidity had no limits. At least on the Boeings we could pull the link pins! :-)

Was it just ordinary 1024 steel or could it have been aircraft 4130 steel? Just one of the many things to consider in making OPP parts. I'm jealous of those who can do the CAD stuff. I'm stuck in the slide rule era!

Do nothing until you can get a mechanic to put it up on jacks! That way it is in SAFE mode Be careful with taxi and tugging until its on jacks Definitely do not try jacking one wheel at this point. If it were me I'd be locking the gear over centers with clamps and rods while I maneuvered around to get it on jacks BTJM Now with it on jacks the trouble shooting can commence - SAFELY!

Tire pressure and steering linkage in the top of the nose wheel well. Lift the nose wheel off the ground and see how much loose left/right steering play you have If more than a few degrees check the gaggle of linkage parts up in the top of the wheel well to see which ones are worn. LASAR sells the parts and shims. Axle position for caster plays a part also in the diagnosis. Drop a line as shown in the SB. The main vertical bolt that the gear rotates around has a bushing that can be reamed for a larger bolt if loose That bolt has a torque value that needs to be checked each annual along with greasing it the torque value was lowered by Mooney in later years by SB, Torque to the newer SB each annual.

On the Brittian system a big issue is the alt hold "eyeball" There are 2 different ones - a black plastic housing and a brass housing. The eyeball line needs to be exactly in the middle of the window to be a good "used" unit. IIRC the brass eyeball housing is the better one but check with Brittian. Remember it only works if you still have your vacuum pump installed.

Age and treachery beat youth and looks any day of the week! :-)

If McFarland doesn't have your cable in p/n stock they will make one with YOUR participation in the design process as the owner of the airplane. THIS IS THE OPP (owner produced part) PROCESS. You fill out their :design" sheet that they supply and then you have them make the part using their "approved" manufacturing methods. You then sign the airframe log as owner and having participated in the design and supply of the part after which your A&P will sign off on the installation of the OPP part - IF he likes the process and the part. Keep a copy of the design sheet in your logs just in case BTDT

On the ailerons and flaps one can come close just by clamping a wooden bar across the top of the control wheels and then aligning the balance weights of the ailerons to match the top of the wing skins (taking care to account for aerodynamic forces pushing up on the ailerons) and while those two are clamped secure, adjust the flaps to match the ailerons. One would still have to make a few trim control check flights and adjust the up stop of the flaps to counter any small roll tendencies. The aileron balance weights generally run about faired with the top of the wing in flight ( w/ flight loads) Then use a Devil level to check the control throws. Always check the ball both on the ground and in the air for perfect center (in flight adjusted with rudder tab) When doing the pitch controls you do need some sort of board to set the stab to the correct angle in relation to the C/L level position of the fuselage (3 1/2 degrees LE down on some) in order to get the correct deflection angles on the elevator. One can clamp the elevator weights to the stab and then make a board that keys on the LE and TE and has a flat parallel top to the LE/TE notches and then use a Devil Level to set the correct nose down angle

Lets digress a little here- Yes an A&P can make some "parts" that conform to some "approved" method. (accepted? -) In the two items you cited, ribs and cables both are covered by the "approval" of 43.13 Accepted Techniques and Practices But even with that there is the limitation of- This advisory circular (AC) contains methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator for the inspection and repair of nonpressurized areas of civil aircraft, only when there are no manufacturer repair or maintenance instructions. This data generally pertains to minor repairs. It goes on to state - The repairs identified in this AC may only be used as a basis for FAA approval for major repairs. The repair data may also be used as approved data, and the AC chapter, page, and paragraph listed in block 8 of FAA form 337 when: a. the user has determined that it is appropriate to the product being repaired; b. it is directly applicable to the repair being made; and c. it is not contrary to manufacturer’s data. SO while yes an A&P CAN "make" some parts they are always made to some kind of approved or accepted data. And it is always in the realm of "REPAIRS" to a particular airframe. No A&P can make parts (say a rib) in bulk and sell it on the open market. A&Ps do repairs - they don't "manufacture" parts. The connections you cite for P&W and GE are way beyond the scope of this forum. We are confusing "parts" for repair and parts for manufacture and sales. The "Type Design" package that describes every bolt and nut on any complete airplane is the property of the Type Design holder. That "package" of data is submitted to the FAA for approval so the manufacturer can make exact copies of the airplane for sale. Every airplane made is compared to that data package to make sure it "conforms" in every way to the approved data ""Type Design" Any changes to that data require some sort of approval. Every part, item, screw or nut in that package is verified to the approved design on every produced airframe. Each part has a drawing describing exactly how that part is to be made. What material, what process, what heat teat, etc. If you don't have access to that approved data you can't make a part conforming to the approved data. One can always hire a DER to design a part and APPROVE a part and that also works when the original drawing is not available. As I noted in some instances the FAA will open a Type Design package for a request to make a part available but this is a rare occurrence. In short = the Type Design package that the holder owns is protected property by the FAA and not usually released As to the PMA holders- YES they can make any part they have the capability to make YET they still have to make it to an "approved design drawing". they can't just pull the design out of thin air, It has to have 'traceability" back to the original drawing OR be approved by some other manner such as a DER. Think of a PMA as approval of your quality control process rather than an approval to make a particular item. A PMA approves the process and not the part.

I don't know if they still do that. Haven't needed it in years. Mine still works fine :-)

That is basically the OPP route with them YOU take a part in designing the cable via their paperwork I did mine that way. They then make it using their APPROVED manufacturing procedures. YOU have to sign the log book that you took part in the design of the part (saving the order form) and then your A&P can install it a sign it off.