rturbett

heres a little late follow up- this twitching has persisted. we rebuilt the alternator with no change. I do feel better about the new brushes and diode though, so not wasted- But, I tracked the ground and when I touched it, Black wire/ pink cover it fell off the bus... cleaned it, squeezed it, reattached. Seems to have fixed it. I did impress my local mechanic.... I told him any time I had an electrical problem with a car, it was always a ground issue... I have a nice vid of the ammeter before and after, but don't know how to load it here Rob

Just waiting to hear the responses.. this has nothing to do with altimeters and dirt.... Is there a list of all the grounds and their locations on a 1980 m20 J? I'd love to clean each location. I've gone through the service and parts manual, but can't find what I hoped would be there. Thanks, Rob

All great advice- Thank you! Rob

So- as I build up my experience and start stretching some of my comfort zones- I'm used to adding 1/2 the gust factor to my approaches. Usually not a problem, as there is usually part of the wind component coming down the runway. Last flight, the wind was 90 degrees to the runway. I accepted that I would have some extra speed, and touched down further down the runway. (no other runway options) Any tidbits on what you do when presented with this situation? Thanks Rob

I've been very impressed by the electronic magneto installed on mine. The surefly has almost zero drop in rpm when its tested in runup.

working on the same issue- turned off strobes, etc with no change. Pulled the alternator breaker and it completely went away with the clearest radio communication imaginable. Working with the mechanic to check all wiring, and likely put an inline filter. The alternator was just rebuilt, ( new brushes and a diode) but the problem existed before. Rob

To heck with the trim switch- tell me about the cup holder!

Nice write up!

If the covers are good, the foam inside can be replaced for about $150 in foam / materials and and two hours work.

I was gifted a plug in timer that would turn the engine heater on every morning and off every evening. Sounded like a great idea to me, but when I discussed it with my mechanic he said DON'T DO IT. He's said he has seen multiple engines ruined by people who have done this. Apparently the daily repetitive cycles causes a significant layer of condensation on the top inside of the engine. So now I am trying to find out who has extended wifi on the field already. Reception in the hangar is a challenge, so I will work on a boost antennae. Previous owner left the plane plugged in all the time with no issues. Happy holidays from 26 degree KSDC! Rob

PT, is it normal to clean and ensure connections, or just plan on replacing? going in to annual in a few weeks. Thanks, Rob

Flight to Saratoga NY, I hour at 5500ft, outside air temp low 40's, cowl flaps full closed engine leaned rop, the cylinder temps never warmed up. On the flight back, same conditions and settings (alt 4500) all was normal. Is the sensor serviceable? FYI- I really like the yellow mark the previous owner put in place- if I move my head, I can make it perfect every time! Thanks, Rob

Congrats!

I'm considering a new prop for my 1980 m20J Are there any options to consider within the McCauly 2 blade family, or just stock replacement? any source you can recommend to get further educated on this? (i'm google-smart) Thanks, Rob

Thank you PT- ive combed through the catalog twice for this, and couldn't find it You convinced me it was there- and now searching the index- found it chapter 60, page 283... Rob