cliffy

Now wax it! Good for another 10 to 15 kts TAS :-)

I was going to suggest a $15 book "How to Buy Used Aircraft Without Taking a Dive" BUT I just looked on Amazon- YIKEES! The price is in the gold standard arena not even for used. I'll hang onto mine! https://www.amazon.com/Used-Aircraft-Without-Taking-Dive/dp/B000NNB1CA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478550035&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=how+to+buy+a+plane+without+taking+a+dive

"I feel your pain" :-) But, I don't know your mechanical ability or experience to do the job. What at first seems "car simple" can devolve into a struggle to get it right without the requisite knowledge. If you don't have a spin on filter then you have 2 screens to check. One is the main oil screen (very fine mesh) and the other is the suction screen. Both use copper crush washers of different sizes that will need to be replaced (and placed on the respective screen in the correct orientation). Both will need tightening to the correct torque spec. The drain plug on the sump is a pipe plug that also has a torque spec. All three then will need to be safety wired correctly. I'd be willing to bet someone at your local airport (maybe even an A&P) would be willing to guide you through the process so you can do it perfect the first time. This might be your best bet. Glad you are looking to do it correct. It's not difficult but needs to be done perfectly. You can do it with the correct training. Find it and do it and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. Another skill to add to the resume!

1395 Exactly what I've done and heard for 30 years. I always make the call JUST to be legal.

A short story- At one time many years ago while flying for an unnamed airline (all names changed to protect the innocent:-) late at night we checked in on Center and then heard derogatory comments about our airline. This went on for three iterations when Center came on and said, " OK everyone, listen up, I'm working 2 airplanes, Speed Streak 101 turn right heading 270 for radar identification, Blue Skies 32 (my airline) CLEARED DIRECT JFK!" :-) :-) Now to throw gas on the fire- You are at 12000 with a PD to 8000 clearance. You stay at 12000 for some time and then decide it's time to go down. DO YOU CALL CENTER AND SAY "Mooney XYZ OUT OF 12000 FOR 8000" or do you just start down without saying anything?

FAR 91.3 The Capt. and only the Capt. is always responsible and the final authority for the safe operation of the airplane. You did the right thing! ATC is for traffic separation only. If they miss something it's your responsibility to correct it if you see it first. Fly the airplane first, communicate last. Things happen fast, fly first, communicate last. Always remember, as good as they are, if a pilot makes a mistake, he can die, if the controller makes a mistake, the pilot can die. Not trying to malign controllers but everyone makes mistakes at times. We all have to be vigilant. One last item, as I used to teach my 121 students, NO is always an option. Just because ATC wants something done (like driving through a T storm), if the pilot thinks it's unsafe (and can back it up by HIS observations), NO is always an option. FAR 91.3

Tell your shop you will get it repaired WITH correct paperwork on return and send it to Maxwell. yourself. It may take longer than just plopping a new valve in but you'll have more money for avgas when done:-) You don't have to waste your money. There is nothing too difficult about resealing and cleaning up the valve. I did it on mine (I'm an A&P with a 64 also). There are two very tiny ball bearings inside that work as the "detents" that will disappear if one is not careful on disassembly (do it over a clean white towel).

I just mop the painted concrete floor of our community hangar and slide around in old clothes. I find that easier than on and off a creeper.

Getting up off a creeper is harder than just sliding along the floor!

You need to get your mechanic to look at the TCDS sheet (Type Certificate Data Sheet) for your model and check the elevator and stabilizer movements with a travel board to see if they match. Make sure you use the correct SERIAL NUMBER section. I guessed at that by your 1967 year. But the process is the same. I've clipped it out here but look it up here- http://www.67m20e.com/Mooney TCDS 2A3 Rev 52 dtd 9DEC10.pdf Track down to F models and you'll see this- Control Surface Movements Wing Flaps ................................T.O. Position ......... Down ........15 1 ...................................................Landing ................. Down .........33 + 0/ -2 Aileron..............................Up .......12½ to 17 ....... Down ......... 8 ± 1 Aileron static position............................................... Down ......... 0 to 2 Elevator ...........................Up .......22° + 0°, 2°........ Down ........22° + 0°, -2° Rudder ............................ Left .......23 to 24 .......... Right .........23 to 24 Stabilizer (L.E.) ................Up .......½ to 1 ............. Down ........5¼ to 5 ¾ Elevator Trim Assist Unit (for Aircraft with Serial Nos. to 680001): With stabilizer set at 3½ negative setting to the thrust line, adjust trim assist unit 740128 for elevator up angle of 5° +/- 1 at the zero spring travel position. Elevator Trim Assist Unit (for Aircraft with Serial Nos. 680001 and up): With stabilizer set at 3 negative setting The items to note are that the elevators moves 22' up and down AND that the "stabilizer" (used for longitudinal trim) is set at about 1' LEADING EDGE UP and about 5 1/2 degrees LE DOWN for travel limits. You need to level the airplane to measure this. Next and very important is the "zero spring force" setting of the elevators (elevator trim assist unit paragraph above) with the STABILIZER IS SET TO 3 1/2 degrees STABILIZER LEADING EDGE NOSE DOWN (in relation to the center line of the airplane,{air flow}) This means you will need to level the airplane front to back correctly before you can use the travel board to make this setting. Set the stabilizer at 3 1/2 degrees LE DOWN and then measure how far UP the elevators project. They should show about 5 degrees UP WITH NO FORCE PUSHING OR PULLING ON THE BUNGEE SPRINGS. Kind of a neutral position. If they are not at 5 degrees then they are adjusted by loosening the jamb nut ON THE FORWARD END of the bungee rod (you need a crows foot wrench on an extension to do it) and then turning the entire bungee in or out of the forward rod end to get the correct setting. BOTH elevators need to match. Don't forget to check the witness hole in the forward rod end for thread engagement after setting the angles (ask your A&P what that is but it's important). At this same time, just to cover another base, check your tail for loose (worn) hinge bolts by moving the outboard end of the stabilizer tip up and down and fore and aft to see if you see any play or hear any clicking or noise. Go easy, you don't have to bend anything. If it's bad you'll feel it move. If you can feel movement you may need to change the bolts. There are limits in the MM (near control surface balancing 3 small lines of info) but suffice to say it is a limit about a 10th of an inch either way measured at the tip of the stabilizer. Many times just changing bolts WITH THE CORRECT BOLTS cures the problem. Hope this helps.

Have you ever done a fuel burn check on your airplane? Fly one hour on one tank, switch to the other for one hour, land and refill to check fuel burns. Go 2 hrs on the first tank the next time and an hour on the other and refill. Do that for 25 hrs of flying and you'll have a pretty good idea of what you can do. On my D with the 180 HP engine I know from much experience and testing that I can ball park the burn and be pretty accurate at 10 gallons the first hour, 9 the second and 8 every hour there after, at the power setting that I use all the time. So that gives me 5 hrs flying (10+9+8+8+8=43 burned with 8 for reserve) ON MY AIRPLANE! I don't do 5 hour legs anymore either. As a quick check for your airplane look at your Owner's manual for fuel burn and then be very conservative until you have hard numbers from experience.

Started with a 56 Caddy in 63 then a new VW in 65 thence Camaros, Porsche 911SC, Corvette 65 coupe, MBs, more caddys, and now, in my advancing years, it seems my needs are met for both airport stuff and other stuff in my Ford F-150. Maybe I can say, been there done that, have moved on from the "trophy" cars :-) :-) Now, if we want to talk airplanes, then my M20D has no peers! Trophy value 10!!!!!!!!!

Not trying to blame politics solely but just stating what I know as fact after being raised and having lived in the area for over 45 years and being based on the airport throughout the early days of the disputes. I was there for several decades. Santa Monica has gradually moved way left in politics for 4 decades. The attack on the airport was brought about by noise complaints first, then "safety" was brought into the mix in an effort to expand the negative base. NIMBY does play a part as when the surrounding property becomes so valuable that a level of NEW residents move in that don't want the noise, negative things pick up. Likewise, when the airport was "primarily" a small GA airplane airport it wasn't as obtrusive as it is now with primarily corporate jets. The same transition took place at KVNY over 4 decades. It was the largest, busiest GA airport in the world 50 years ago and now you are hard pressed to find SE GA airplanes there comparatively speaking. Where were all the SE GA airplanes sent? Whiteman Airpark (as it was known in the early days). KVNY didn't want them, they wanted only the gas guzzling blow torches. You used to have a thousand SE GA airplanes on KVNY now you have a thousand jets. The corporate jet boom is what has caused the problem and will be the demise of the airport but the drift to liberal politics has had an effect on the issue, of that there can be no doubt. As i mentioned, we called it "Moscow West" when I was there. Maybe we should blame ol' man Lear for bringing corporate jet travel to Hollywood and starting it all! BTW, I was there then also working for the first Learjet distributor on the west coast AT KVNY.

I was based there for many years, years ago, way before they first put up the big sign on the approach end hill saying- "NO JETS". They lost that one but in the end the airport will close because the city father's see nothing but $$$$$$$ for the property. We called it Moscow West when I was there. Santa Monica city itself is a bastion of way left liberals where if you don't think like they do you're not welcome. Ken Krueger and all the others will be gone and only a footnote in the history of aviation will remain.

Do you have a PC system installed? If so you might have a broken vacuum line to one aileron actuator

When you do your rerig of the gear (and you WILL have to rerig the gear) do start at the beginning and rerig according to the complete procedure. Don't short cut it and thing you can just do a couple of rod ends to make the preload come out. It sounds like some of your push rods are maladjusted. If you have electric gear make sure you have starting point 1 correct by having the correct amount of actuator extension showing (measure it) before it is connected to the major bellcrank. You can measure the bellcrank position buy putting a bolt in the bellcrank hole (as shown in the MM), and measure it from the datum (with a sheet metal gauge cut to the correct size minus 1/2 the bolt diameter), as the distance required is measured to the center of the bolt hole (refer to the MM for this). Then you can work forward to the nose gear and back to the main gear getting the push rods and bellcranks lined up where they belong. It's not hard, it's just detailed work

Did this turning problem suddenly appear or has it been there since you bought the airplane?

It's nice to know BEFORE you have an accident because the events after happen rapidly (within a few minutes of the accident) Knowing right away whether or not it is a reportable accident eases everyones nerves

Here, taken right from the FAA TCDS for the B model- Interior Equipment: 401. .......FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual (a) Flight Manual Supplement, dated July 16, 1962. You should be able to get the correct one from Mooney. In the USA this is the required manual if one was ever checked by the Feds.

Disassemble it on a clean white towel so if you forget (DON'T FORGET) about the 2 little ball bearings and springs they will be on the towel and not bouncing along the floor somewhere where you won't find them. Make sure you use a smooth brass pry tool on the shaft oring to avoid marring the aluminum housing.

There is an AC for substitution of certain parts that allows the use of a Green Strip Gates belt on lycomngs A Green Strip Gates only no other type of auto belt.

Actually it was just to pique interest in a discussion on the subject as I was reading previous threads and some confusion seems to be involved not only here but at my airport. I'm surprised not more have chimed in. As mentioned, the FAA doesn't get notified, only the NTSB AND only if the incident meets certain parameters. Death, serious injury qualify but a gear up landing, a hard landing damaging the gear prop and engine do not qualify. It's the NTSBs responsibility to coordinate with the FAA Many airport managers think that the FAA needs to be called for any "incident". They did here until they were taught NTSB 830. We even had an FAA person here last year, after a gear fold accident yelling at the shop manager about removing the airplane from the runway before the FAA could see it and why didn't he call the FAA. It was a hard landing that folded the gear, got the prop and in turn the engine. It didn't qualify for notification to the NTSB and NOT him, the FAA. The shop manager didn't have the correct answer to stifle the FAA rep.

Just to be clear- normally a compass swing tries to remove as much error as possible but removing all error most of the time is not possible. A "master compass" usually is mounted on a gun stock type mount and the operator stands in front of the airplane "shooting" nose to tail for the reading' The procedure goes something like this- Line the airplane up on magnetic north (compass rose or master compass) and reset the aircraft compass with the N/S compensator to indicate exactlly north Set the airplane up on east via the compass rose or MC and reset the "east/west" compensator to exactly east on the airplane compass. Set the airplane up on south via the compass rose or MC and remove half of the shown error on the aircraft compass with the N/S compensator Set up on west and remove half of the error shown also Now start at north and go to every 30 degree cardinal heading on the compass rose or MC and record what is shown on the aircraft compass. Technically no more than 10 degrees error is allowed at each cardinal heading. 43.13 has the entire procedure and it also says when a new swing should be done (outside of the airplane MM requirements). Even a hard landing is called out for a compass swing. Hope this helps.

Just thought I'd start this thread, after reading several other threads, to see what the general feeling is on notifying someone/anyone about an aircraft incident or accident. The questions are- When does the FAA need to be called to report an accident or incident? Who else (if anyone) needs to be notified? Do all incidents or accidents need to be reported? Jump in, this might be fun!

I was taught by an old time radial engine mechanic (he changed hundreds of plugs a week) to use clean engine oil on the threads. I dip a drop on my finger tip and roll the plug one time to spread it around. I've been doing this for 55+ years and never had a plug stick coming out. I clean the threads with a wire brush before hand. My Tempest massives have 750 hrs on them and are working just fine. I think too many plugs get changed way too early. Look at 43.13 on spark plug wear and see how far they let it go.