cliffy

If funds are a concern there ain't nothin' wrong with a good C model. Sure, it's 10 or 15 kts slower but you're looking at 30 mins difference in 4 hrs flying. Big deal especially if you like to fly. You do like to fly don't you? Lots of good ones available at buyer's prices. Buy one set up close to what you want in in radios and stuff and go flying. Far better off buying what you want than trying to "build" what you want. Look carefully at what your flying profile will be and if you find your pax load 85%+ of the time is you and maybe one more, a cheaper C model will fill the bill nicely. Look at the Johnson bar gear and hand pump flaps for less maintenance and ADs.

Yes start by putting a level across the seat rails on the floor(left to right). Level airplane by removing air from a tire and then see if the ball is centered. If not, have it leveled by loosening the screws and rotating in the hole if you have slotted screw holes. Re-air your tire.

I want I want I want a TN F although my C does pretty good.

Only 2 items are needed to bring you into compliance if the records can not be found The control surfaces have to be checked for proper balance conditions per the maintenance manual. No options here. This must be logged after any paint job. If it was an "over paint" and not a strip and paint on the control surfaces, that can indeed throw them out of balance. Secondly, a simple reweigh of the airplane should be done and logged. If it was an over paint it will weigh more than it did and way more than the 1 pound allowed for modifications that don't require a logging of the weight changes. Best of course is to find the old records. Good Luck

Most of this junk comes down to the airport sponsor (the city, county or whom ever) taking Federal money to improve the airport. Lots of entanglements when that is done. If the airport takes Fed money it can't sell the land to private folks unless the Feds agree (ya right). Hangars on Fed supported airports are required to be used for aviation purposes only (no condo hangars with living quarters). The sponsor has to comply with fire regulations dictated by a national standard book and the definitions are astounding if you read it. The airport must have a "Master Plan" on file with the Feds. It has to be updated on a certain schedule and the Feds have to approve it. If the airport has ANY commercial airline service it's a quagmire to wind your way through the rules especially on the "Security" aspect. How many airports can a kid on a bicycle get onto today and just wander around getting interested in flying? I did it when I was 15 every day but NOT NOW! Go volunteer for your local airport advisory board and see what I mean. I did it for 3 years here. And we wonder why the thought of flying is dying out!

GREAT JOB IN A VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION MY HAT IS OFF TO YOU!

Skybrd makes sense How many hours on your alt? Mine had worn brushes and the slip rings were worn out. I'd probably look at the brushes first if I had lots of hours on it. Why spend bucks if the reg is not the problem. If the brushes are gone, my bet is that the rings are also worn out. Maybe time for another alt.

Just to verify what I said, by changing the depth of the rod into the inner (fwd) rod end it will vary the angle that the elevator sits at in relation to the stabilizer centerline at a neutral bungee pressure setting. As is called for in the TCDS, this angle is set at a specific setting of the stabilizer in relation to the center line of the of the fuselage. It will vary for all other settings of the stabilizer.

I also fly a Twin Mooney er, Twin Comanche and hot starts on the IO320s are easy. Throttle 1" open. Mixture cutoff, electric pumps on, start cranking and slowly advance the mixture, when it starts to fire advance the mixture all the way. Works every time.

Unless you change the depth of the threads in the forward Heim joint you won't change the adjustment. The rear nut only tightens on the internal sleeve/bushing that sets a predetermined tension on the double bungee springs. It can be removed , the springs removed, cleaned, lubed and reassembled without disturbing the elevator setting. One could also use a "brake cleaner" spray can to clean the springs without disassembling them. If you live in a dusty area like I do, oil and grease attract dirt. I just use silicon like on the rod ends for the control surfaces.

I was at a CBP "Wings, FAA" forum recently and mention was made of some regulation that said in effect, that their authority to "inspect" extended to 100 miles from the border as being "proximate to the border area of responsibility". If the airplane at any time was within 100 miles of the border they said they had the same authority as if you were at a POE airport. Not a lawyer and haven't seen the regulation but that is what was said. This is why I feel a flight from Denver to Salina KS being inspected may have issues. Those who fly from or to CO now with the new reefer law may have issues of being checked. Have heard it said (I know, second hand info) that border states to CO have police watching the border and tagging cars that may be hauling grass out of CO. Why wouldn't CBP do the same? But, beyond 100 miles from the border.

#3 is still OK at 72. Not to worry, #4 is still OK at 60 but jetdriven has a good plan. Fly it and recheck. If it's still 60 you might think about lapping the valve, in place, in the cylinder. Can be done, is done all the time and it works. Takes about 2 hours shop time and can bring it back to the mid to high 70s. Just did one last week (56/80) and brought it to 76/80. If you decide to pull the jugs ( I don't think you really need to at this time), you might contact Pacific Continental Engines in L.A., Calif. for the cylinder work. They're fast and do good work. Do you have any idea if your cylinders are first run, have thousands of hours on them (well used at the last overhaul) or if they are standard or ground oversize ? That info plays into your decision also.

Jerry does make a good point about oil level vs oil usage.

jetdriven- Had not seen the Whelen stuff you show. The reference to Hoskins is noted and looks good to me too. Can't see any issues now. Learn something new every day. Thanks

Unfortunately you are looking at near 30 years on an overhaul (that's a long time), 70 hours to overhaul time hrs wise (if you follow the 2000 TBO), and having to put money into an engine right near pull apart time. You can patch the cylinders with some work but you need to decide how long you are going to run this engine. Do you want to go to 2200 hrs? Then you have to amortize what you spend now (and what may happen in the near future) on those 200 hrs. No requirement for you to overhaul at 2000 hrs but how much do you want to spend now before you do. At 2000 hrs in 30 years your're looking at around 5 hrs per month for its lifetime. Has the engine ever sat idle for months at a time in these 30 years? That means rust inside on the cam and lifters is a possibility. That means more wear in its lifetime. If I were you, with the current issues and the total life this engine has had, I would be looking for an overhaul shop. You've gotten your monies worth out of this engine. It's time.

AC 23 27 only covers certian parts substitutions and not "owner produced parts" Another AC covers that. Both have very strict requirements on how the parts are to be documented and approved for installation. Unfortunately the AC 23 27 is very specific on how a substitution can be done and in most instances it requires a Field Approval by the FAA. As far as TSO parts go the AC specifically says- "A TSOA does not authorize the installation of a TSO part in a certificated aircraft. The standard procedures for the installation or modification of an aircraft must be followed (i.e., STC, field approval, etc.)." Doing substitutions is no different than the minutia that the FAA went through on the current thread here on the "Junk C Model" and all the picky crap they filed on. If they ever get involved in your airplane EVERYTHING down to the last placard gets looked at for LEGALITY. It doesn't make any difference if it it a small or large issue, it will be noted and filed on. The guy hung on the line is the A&P that signed off on the installation of the strobe power unit. If no A&P signed it off then the owner is the one who the Feds come after as he is directly responsible for full compliance with the FARS and the airworthiness of his airplane (FAR 91.403). I can be said also that even if the Feds go after the A&P the owner can be held responsible due to 91.403 AOPA has a very good article on ownership responsibilities https://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/Aircraft-Ownership/Guide-to-Aircraft-Airworthiness.aspx#1 We just had the Feds here at one of our small operators doing a white glove inspection and they spent one entire week going through every piece of paper, every cabinet, every airplane, every log book compared to what the airplane showed, even looked at the certification dates on the tools inside the mechanic's tool boxes and on and on. I've said it before, you don't want to be "on the fringe of being legal" if they ever investigate you. Yes the new Pt 23 may be a big help if it ever gets done.

Like I said I'm just curious at this time as I've never seen this issue before. Normally an STC covers and entire "system" All parts in the "system" have to be made under a PMA process. The general process is to get an "STC" for the "system" then you get a "PMA" to be able to manufacture the parts of the STC approved system. So just because something is "PMA'd" doesn't mean that it can be used in a particular or different STC'd system. I would think it would be akin to doing a 201 STC cowl install but using a 252 cowl because it was a PMA'd part. I think the Whelen strobe light system STC calls for specific parts to be installed and no allowance is given to use say Hoskins parts on the installation. I've never heard of "like for like" in STC'd systems. Is there anything with the Whelan part that says it's a direct replacement for a Hoskins part? Like I said, I'm just thinking at this point.

You are correct on your comment about low compression given Continentals take on the issue. It all depends on where it is leaking from. Have your vac pump checked to see if it came apart internally. You may have reached its service life as a rebuilt even considering the warranty that they normally give on them. How old was the pump? Years? I'm still going back to cylinder work on the failure. Loose screws at 12 hrs? Hmmmmm! Does the inside of the rocker cover show and marks of being hit by the rocker arm? 110 hrs on an overhaul? Was any indication of total hrs on the cylinder given when you first installed it as a serviceable unit 700 hrs ago? Could have had thousands of hrs before you got it. Was it ground oversize when you got it? Was it standard size?

Just curious guys as to how the log book was signed off for the change from one side being Hoskins and the other being Whelen. ? If I remember correctly one is original and the other is an STC install. How can the two be mixed legally? I think Aveo makes some good looking LED position lights that are STC'd.

BTW How much time does the vacuum pump have since installed?

You say the rocker wasn't hitting squarely on the center of the valve stem? A couple of thoughts come to mind. Has the engine been overhauled lately? Has that cylinder been off recently? Could the wrong rocker arm have been installed on that side of the cylinder? Is the rocker on the other side of the cylinder hitting on center or off center? Maybe they were swapped from side to side. I would look into the other side and see what's there. With the rocker cover loose, that tells me someone was in there recently. That is why I surmise that the rockers were swapped from side to side in the cylinder head. Really need to know what has been done to this cylinder recently. I presume the chunk of cylinder that came off was part of the boss that the rocker shaft goes through? If so it could have been compromised by the off center hitting of the valve rocker. You say there is something "inside" the cylinder? Please let us know what it is when the cylinder comes off. I can't think of anything that is concomitant with a cylinder and your vacuum pump. The two may not be connected. You are one lucky flyer. Sounds like you did everything as good as it could be done in flight under IFR conditions. Very well done my friend!.

Dugosh told me that he wasn't working in the office any more Glad to hear he's still doing OK Does anyone know if he would accept a letter with a couple of historical questions to be answered?

There are many instrument repair shops around the country. Where you are sitting at say 2400 feet your guage should read around 26 to 27 inches of mercury not 22.so it does need work. Get a copy of Trade-A-plane and start looking or just Google "aircraft instrument repair" many will come up You may find a better price in TAP though.. Be sure to call a few and get pricing and delivery. I just had mine done last year and they couldn't save my inards so they had to send me a replacement. Mine was a "Mooney" one also. .

Sudan Ambassador? HMMMM!

The fabric fire requirements are contained in FAR 43.13-1B Chapter 10 Section 4 Cabin Interior For CAR 3 aircraft (our older Mooneys) the materials must meet "a National standard" for "flash resistant" if smoking is not allowed in the cabin area. If it is, other criteria has to be met. Probably easier just to use FAR 23 approved materials. http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/list/AC%2043.13-1B/$FILE/Chapter%2009-10.pdf