Kwixdraw

Thanks David. I like to hear what remedy was found as I think it gives us all a bit of peace of mind when it does turn out to be something realativly simple. Also it gives us a way to improve on the service we give our airplanes.

Quote: docket It looks like the boys down here in Texas are going to have the best avionics.

Don't bet on that red light advice. Now days the cop might just follow you to the hospital to issue you a ticket for the violation. Time changes everything.

Great. Thanks. I understand that the timing is set with a different buzz box that accounts for the ultimate full advance of the spark. I'm kind of suprized that there aren't more of us using them.

Thanks Rustler. I thought I had read that in another post but wanted to confirm it as far as the the A3B6 engine is concerned. My aircraft has been down so long there is no more flying to be done in it before a major refurb so I'm trying to get my ducks in a row before I get seriously into it.

I'm putting together a sort of wish list for engine overhaul time. I would really like to get away from the A3B6D and just drop the D. Anyone know if this requires an STC and then of course is anyone using the Laser ignition?

Since lots of us are always asking about how to modify,clean or refurbish our aircraft I thought I'd pass along a recommendation to look at the Airmod website. Airmod (or AirMod) has done two or three of the AOPA sweepstakes aircraft interiors, including the Millenium Mooney. At their site they have a number of great articles available that were written for the Cessna and Beech owners associations dealing with plastic repair, corrosion control, noise reduction and window care. I have spent quite a few hours going through these articles and learned a lot that I will use in getting 3721H back in traveling condition.

I found the Filter kits from the STC holder which is Challenger Products. Available online without the Magna Labs connection.

Anyone do any recent biz with Magla labs? I know they were part of the MOA bunch but I kind of like the K&N filter elements and wonder if I can still get one. Just a little shakey about doing online biz when MOA is kaput.

Anything get solved on this yet? Just curious.

Thanks Jim, A good article from MAPA. More good stuff on Mr. Maxwells shop site too.

Not to try sounding like an authority on this subject but the Mooney nose gear has a number of wear points and adjustments that have to be constantly maintained or you can have the veering problem you are talking about. The steering arm can (and according to old MOA articles, frequently does) break and cause off runway excursions too. My particular aircraft has not been flown in years but I did most of the maintenance on it under supervision when I was flying it regularly, so I know that there is a lot of slop in the steering pivot and also general slop in the retraction linkage. Much of the adjustment for this is done with shims, bushings and eccentrics and mine are getting to the point where it all needs a good rebuild. Shock pucks and paint too. Shes a tired ol' warhorse but we can make her better. What I hear is that the Lazer control arm is a heavier unit that is less complicated to build and maintain. Supposedly the clamp on stud makes the nose gear easier to adjust properly and also gives you a stud that is not worn or deformed from wear or porpoising/ propstrike adventures as in my case.

Cliff Morris here. Trying to get my first Mooney back in traveling condition. She's pretty far out of date because she was last flown in '96 (victim of a nasty divorce) and then timed out on the Lycoming oil pump impeller AD. N3721H is an '81 J model that really has had kind of a tough life. I bought her with a damage history because I was planning to have her on a leaseback arrangement and didn't want to pay a premium price and put the aircraft where it might get dinged. The damage seemed to be taken care of in fine fashion and the plane flies well but needs new paint and interior work as well as the mechanicals being brought up to date. The interior took a beating while she was on leaseback and the paint has degenerated froom being a ramp queen for so long. Now I'm retired and have the situation to lavish a bit of TLC on her and get back to flying.

I'm interested in Lazers mod for the steering control arm for our M-20s. Specifically the one that replaces the stud welded to the frame tube. Is anyone using this setup and how do you like it? The nose gear was wiped off my aircraft back in it's early days and the stud has a lot of slop in it. If there is a better way to take care of the problem I am interested in that as well.

Jim's right, the rubber mounts are a nothing in the grand scheme of things. Might cost you a hundred bucks to replace all of them if you can turn a wrench. Look hard for thr "right" aircraft and don't fall in love with the first available one you run across. That can be a real moneypit.

I had a similar situation once when the J was outdoors in a hard rainstorm. Popped the belly panel and hit the motor with some ACF-50/Corrosion-X and all was good in short order. Just something to try.

Quote: Rustler George Perry wrote: I've been following the string and I had an idea. If we could combine forces and if 5 or 10 or who knows how many folks were willing to go in together we could probably negotiate a pretty good deal. I think this is an excellent idea. When I owned my Cheetah, the Grumman association did exactly this and reaped a significant saving for its members who utilized the broker who did the leg work. How many folks it would take to make this work is hard to tell. Anyway, I'd be interested.

I would just about bet money that a couple of the rubber dampers behind the panel are broken. You can't tell without getting behind there and just a couple will cause the load to overload the remaining good dampers. One of the little things that you'll find on the J.

Does any have a company to overhaul an exhaust system that they are really happy with? I'm not interested in a PowerFlow just a good job onthe stock system or upgrades to it.

You may want to do oil analysis next go round if you don't already. Someone posted on here that the loose mag can affect the oil supply too. I assume that is from the drive gears in the accessory case. Check the filter well too. I might even do the oil change early just 'cause I am paranoid and would like to go on living pretty much forever. At the FBO where I had my 201 based they put a Cherokee Dakota in the drink off Long Beach in exactly that way, so it isn't just Mooneys.

It don't think the SB was issued when the unit was serviced . I suppose then I would have to have it checked again to be in compliance.

Thanks gents. My aircraft was on a leaseback before we went inactive and the actuator was serviced and yellow tagged by Eaton maybe 150 hours ago so I guess I'm in good shape.

Is there a good fix for the cowl cracking along the center ridge on top and around the prop and cooling openings?

What's the current scoop on gear actuators and the manual extention clutch springs and gears? The Eaton one ar3e what I'm asking about in case there is something newer. MOA was making a big flap about these some time back.

I have the O&N bladders in my M-20J. There is/was a clear acrylic tube with calibrations on it that I bought probably 15 years ago. Sorry I don't know what the thing was called or who made it but I bet you could find one in Sporty's or about any pilot shop. After you work with it a while it's no problem to measure within a half gallon or so. Nice thing is that you measure by inserting the tube then capping the end of the tube with your thumb. You can then remove the tube from the tank to read the calibrations and not just guess from where it its wet. With a stick what would you do if the second tank was at a lower level? Meddrsign is correct you do not have the ability to measure below a certain level but I never found it to be an issue for me. I just wouldn't fly with fuel that low.