cliffy

Seeing as how over the years we have seen so many requests for what constitutes a pre-buy inspection and having seen numerous new owners surprised by what turned out to be problems after their purchase due to no or poor pre-buy inspections- Why don't we (many of us have very good maintenance histories on Mooneys), why don't we come up with a reasonable check list for a pre-buy inspection and make it a sticky on this website? I'm sure we could come up with a good comprehensive list that ANY A&P could do without special tools that would cover most of what we have seen over the years here. We don't need to include travel boards as that problem is not a deal killer nor do we need to cover internal engine inspections as most owners wouldn't want their engine torn into (but an educational triste would certainly be appropriate). The Beech boys have their Bonanza Service Clinic Inspection which is quite good and that has an extensive check list to which we might not need to dig so deep in Mooneys, We would however want to include the reoccurring issues we all have seen as deal killers after purchase like wing spar corrosion that can be mostly seen if you know where to look, cabin tubing rust, fuel leaks, dents in the airframe, stabilizer play, etc Don't need to go into gear over center torque as that isn't a deal killer and requires special tools that the average mechanic doesn't have but jacking the plane up and making sure the gear works and the nose wheel steering play is checked should be done. Of course general condition is subjective to each IA at annual. I'm sure we have enough expertise on this site to come up with something that would be of great help to new or prospective Mooney owners. If we don't help those who are looking to buy then when we want/need to sell our airplanes there won't be any takers. Chime in- my shields are up

I hope it stays together as the engine really wraps up in rotation on start up and shut down and that is where the bellows gets its most work out Glad you found a good bellows though. Many here have been looking for a long time. You're lucky! If anything touches it put some baffle material on it there and secure it with high temp RTV to the boot. It will last twice as long that way

My panel was simple to cut by saw and file :-)

Have you ever powder coated an engine mount? They crack and craze with the flexing after a while BTDT

Did you use something other than plastic zip ties to secure the boot to the air box?

O-360 950 hrs @9-10 hrs / qt at 6 qts full. 9500 WOT 2500RPM ROP leaned

Heat from the sun is the enemy of both sealed tanks and bladder tanks!!!!!! Get them out of the sun.

1 to 2#s heavy where? One main gear? Nose gear? Any time you change ONE setting you have to go back and check ALL settings because one affects all. Its can become a circle the drain exercise. . Really hard to see 1 or 2#s torque. Won't make that much difference in feel. Make sure every joint and connection that moves is well lubricated. Dry connections make the gear hard to move. What airspeed is she trying to retract the gear? High speed (+85 mph) makes for a hard retract.

Maybe like a Ford Model T? :-)

Just cut a slim shim from a soda can with scissors and us it. Make it as long as you need. Cheap, available, throw it away when you're done. Forgot to add- I do better just by feel but I've done it for 3 or 4 decades

God save us! How did we ever survive in flight before we had TV screens!!!!!! Some knew every item on this panel pretty well "-)

Any speedo shop can make a new one with the old for a pattern. Have done it that way for 50 tears. A mechanical tach is only a speedometer with different markings. You just need the cable to be wrapped the correct direction (L or R) and the drive end swaged on and the other end squared in a hammer mold to the correct length. . Could even qualify as an "Owner Designed Part" as you are supplying the design to make the part to but normally I just sign it off as replaced tach cable.

It might be noted that those with InterAv alternators will notice that the fan on the alternator draws air through the alternator and out the front into the engine inlet. Just the opposite that one would think In talking to an InterAv engineer many years ago he told me it was designed that way for the best cooling even considering that there is a reverse fan available.

I have to restate what was said above- WHY did you do 4 approaches on your first hour of IFR training I never put a new 121 qualified pilot in a sim through 4 approaches on the first trip in a new to him airplane I have to ask why your instructor did that to you? That's not the way to learn for your IPC You might want to consider a new instructor. How well is your airplane dialed in hands off? Does it fly good or does it roll off a wing as soon as you release the control wheel? If it flies well then there is no reason why you can't learn in your current airplane given that you find a good instructor!!! How much total time do you have and how much Mooney time? that helps us help you. As said above keep the power and speed down and things are a lot easier for learning. Less issues with engine concerns and the world goes by slower so you have time to think about what you are learning. You don't need the speed of heat to learn IFR!!! SLOW IT DOWN. Life will be much easier then. Speed is not mandatory YOU can do this in your airplane with the right instructor Once you learn you will be able to do an entire IFR flight without the A/P and YOU SHOULD be that good because someday the autopilot will fail just when you least expect it.

Many here are 70 years old and way overweight to even fit through the door. Let alone trying to contort ones body over the seats and out the hole. Show me pictures of anyone doing it :-) 6 ft tall and 250 lbs!! Now try getting 4 bodies out that same door in an emergency (fire?) Go ahead try it and post the pictures please.

Using the baggage door for an exit????? How many of us could even get out that way at our age and do I dare say---- size? Maybe someone should post pictures of actually going out that way :-)

1/4 inch wooden dowel rod about 2 feet long Drain tank (by flying::-) Add 5 gallons at a time - dip in tank by holding against the inboard side of the fill hole and mark where it is wet with fuel MARK with a pencil so fuel doesn't dissolve the marks Don't let it sit in the fuel too long or it will capillary up the stick and give a false reading Just a quick dip to touch the bottom of the tank. Pull it out and mark it Now- Why the 2 feet long? Hold the dry end and wave the stick around like a flag to dry it off for the next test You can very easily interpolate between 5 gallon marks. Stick sets just inside the baggage door along the right wall of the compartment Dries off very nicely (and no smell) because its long and easily dried. Always check fuel by putting the stick against the inboard side of the fill hole as you did when you made the stick.

Maybe another notation for everyone to pass along a pre-buy needs to be an annual inspection as a base line. Although I find it hard to believe that a condemned stub spar could not be seen on a general pre buy especially if done by a Mooney knowledgeable A&P. Its a known location for corrosion. Where was the stub spar corrosion found?

Just making some observations here not taking anyone to task- Having been on this board for many years and we seem to have this same discussion every few years. It seems to always be from the same view point - "never knew just how much $$$ it took to own an airplane" or "my first year or two costs were out of sight". The answers have always been the same - "Prebuy"!! inspections and unreasonable expectations. Many newer pilots (say under 45 yrs old) are used to "Start engine -drive car" change oil once in a while mentality. Many newer pilots have never purchased (or would even think to purchase) a car as old as they are. Even more senior pilots have never done this. We are for the most part USED to NO big issues with transportation vehicles. And, we trade them off often enough to avoid the myriad of mechanical problems older age brings along. Why don't we all drive 1970 cars? RELIABILITY!!!! Folks- these Mooneys are antiques!! They come with all the bumps and warts any antique vehicle would have. They are 75 year old technology at best. Lets wake up to that fact! Do we hear the same lamenting from the sub-15 yr old Cirrus crowd? If you want - "turn key-fly airplane" then buy a new airplane. We can't compare apples to oranges. Likewise, maintenance is a variable issue in itself. How many of you manage your automobile maintenance to follow the maker's maintenance program exactly? Take it back to the factory repair shop and do every item on the maintenance list every time its due? How many airplane owners do the same? Who here says- "I want a cheap annual" or "I have to keep costs down" or "it didn't fly that much last year so it should be a quick annual"? We hear the same things year after year. Just talk to a few shops to understand what they deal with. And the quality of the total airplane goes down every year. What are we to expect when we go to purchase a 50 year old airplane? New, just off the assembly line quality? NOT! On the other hand I too have issues with the quality of work that I have seen coming out of many shops over the years. I have said as much here over the years. Cheap and airplanes just don't equate. Mechanics don't grow on trees - cars or airplanes. There are not enough to go around. Good shops have what they usually need. Small town America less so. I know of one very good shop with lots of new airplane business that decided to elevate their shop rates to the point of eliminating most of the "bad" customer issues they had. It solved their issue but didn't help those not so affluent. Their shop rate matches my local Ford dealer rate---------$145.00/HR Private aviation is not something to go into with your eyes shut or with "pie in the sky" expectations. Its a world full of land mines to the uninformed. Has been since the Wright Bros. Idealism and reality are on opposite ends of the stick! You find the balance point.

Go look at ADlog adlog.com Tracks everything and notifies you of new ADs to boot.

For those of us with time on our hands!! :-) What part of "retired" don't you understand? :-) I've also heard of punching a hole in the top of the filter and blowing air in to drain it. Never done it.

Those who have an Interav alternator you will see that the air flow is also from inside to outside by the way the fins on the fan are set up. Talked to an Interav engineer about it and they designed it that way. ENGINE COOLING IS A PRIME FACTOR IN CERTIFICATION so any design changes to that can affect certification status. Something not to be taken on a whim or "minor mod" IT DON'T QUALIFY THAT WAY Sealing the dig house is essential to cooler temps. All around the engine case and accessories in addition to the cylinders. Double check the case seals and the alt/starter seals. Are they hard as a brick? Are they touching the affected parts? Check to make sure you have the "inter-cylinder" baffles along with tight outer bands with the small threaded rods holding them fore and aft. The cowl lip seals are as mentioned a big area of cooling air lose if not sealed correctly after every cowl removal Check each thermocouple in boiling water to see if it reads correctly or hot oil with a candy thermometer (350') I have no problems on my D except when over a 100 at my airport altitude (4000') Then only after a couple 1000 feet I have to accelerate to 110-120 and MAYBE pull back the cruise power (2500 and WOT) for a few minutes and even then never above 400

Drain it over night and remove the filter cold That way the oil inside is thicker and won't go everywhere. I just push a rag or two up, under the filter (use a screwdriver) all the way to the rear case and I only get a little drip or so on the rags No muss No fuss

I have some friends (2) with way over 3000 dives each and they occasionally do mixed gas dives.

What is the total market value in $$$$ What is the cost to succeed in the end? Strictly a cost / benefit ratio If its worthwhile financially someone would do it.