Steve65E-NC

The Marshbell reference is very interesting. Can you provide any gridance on the most likely candidate for the step boot and its cost.

Now days this looks like a viable option. I have been quoted from $13,000 to $15,000 to strip and paint an E. I asked the $15,000 guy what he did in the gear wells and if he stripped them. No "we just spray up in there without stripping" was his response. Maybe if enough folks start doing this polishing the paint shops will stop gouging.

Sorry, your senerion does not wash for me. I hope you hac checked alternator output at battery and all connections before discarding the battery. Even a very dead battery will hold some sort of charge longer than you describe.

I don't believe you will get much argument from the Insurance company on this. You may want to involve your own insurance company to put pressure. If a wheel was torn off, it is possible that a seam in the tank was actually torn open. Black stuff may be dirt from the outside. Do not delay in pursuing this.

Where is the best (least expensive overall) place to order a trip kit of charts. I need 3 sectional, 3 low altitude and 5 approach plate booklets. The best prices I have found have been around $7.50, $4.40 and $4.95. However, at one place the shipping came to like $26.00 on a $60 order. The problem seems to be with shipping the approach plate booklets. Oh for the day when most fbos had a good inventory. I purchased my first sectional around 1958 for $.25. I know everyone is going electronic, but even then you might want paper backup. Thanks.

You have an airplane not a holy relic. Make it look like what you want to have. I kind of like the paint job that I designed a decade or so ago. Also like my 201 windshield, Laser Cowel closure, Wingtips etc.

Make sure to look at all engine ADs. Two areas that come to mind are the several on rear gears in the oil pump area and the change to the oil line that runs from the prop governor to the front of the engine. Also check any ADs on the prop and hub. Many IO360s need a top overhaul at about this many hours. I agree about pulling a cylinder to look at the cam. Not that hard a job for a skilled A&P.

For the future. A day glo colored tennis ball. Cut x for pitot tube. Cut smaller slit for knotted end of 1" x 24" strip of orange sunbrella fabric. Five years later, still looking good and going strong. I do a pre walk around removing: Chain with prop lock, Intake plugs, pitot cover, tail hole bra (see my gallery). I have a small bag that just hold all the above. Keep right inside baggage door. Reverse order at end of flight. This walk around is just for the covers, avoids distraction.

As I recall, next inspection panel inboard gives some access. You may, or may not, have to remove servo to accomplish task. Tight, but not the toughest job on a Mooney.

I think it is worth the extra money to run Exxon Elite oil for this profile. Also, do all you can to control humidity. A dry hanger is better than one with a wet floor.

If you wonder about all the labels on my instruments. They are so that young folks both hear and can read the name of each instrument. Everything on the panel is labeled like this.

I like to always leave my rotating beacon switch on. That way if I start to walk away with the Master still on I have a flag. Awfully easy to just sweep all switches off. I made up this little tapped Z of stainless steel. It attaches from behind panel with a single screw. Plenty of room to turn switch off if I so choose.

I have some nice thin leather and wish to stitch up a boot for my 65E gear handle. Anyone have a cutting pattern that they will share as a pdf??

In the mid-west, if the radar shows a line of thunderstorms you probably should not try to fly through it. I flew up to one once and it was a vicious wall of boiling weather with lightening shooting out at all levels. I turned around and landed. After the line passed, with buckets of water coming down and very strong winds, I flew on to Chicago. It was about five hundred miles wide so flying around it was not a possibility. I have never seen such a thing here in the Southeast.

Help, please. This seems like a good topic to look for information related a local problem. Our fbo has one large steel communal hanger that was, long ago (maybe 25 years) , just put up on the now un-even ramp slab. Later overlays to the surrounding ramp have left this floor lower and lower. The fbo, without much success, seems to focus on channeling the rain water to a central drain. Puddles of water are left standing under aircraft a week or so after rain. Someone here, in an earlier topic, hinted that this could increase engine corrision. I am looking for arguments and data to convience the fbo to put in a level scab overlay on the existing floor. With solid data I can get other owners to join me if this investment is indicated. Any data, scientific or antedotal appreciated.

Might be worth checking your tank vents. If one is plugged it might cause enough heat or cold induced vac or pressure to pull fuel even through good seals. If I have this right, I should get a prize.

I use a "brake bleeder and vacumn pump" from Harbor Freight (about $25). With my 65E you can easily isolate and disconnect the red or green tube going to each of the four bellows. You can use the pump to draw each down and see if it holds without further pumping. You might need a cut-off valve or not, check pump to see if vac holds on a clamped off tube. If the wing units hold the aileron down without leak, I think I would leave them to later. As I recall, one of the tricks to removing the wing unit is to do part of the work through the adjacent, inboard inspection port.

I had a recent tear in the similar Step Boot. Brittian says that step boot is not available for a number of months yet. I used a small piece of clear Gorilla tape (advertised for patching air mattresses) over the tear itself with maybe 1/2 inch margin. Then I overlaid that with longer overlapped layers of black electrical tape. I had a little leak still right at the lower end. A tight wrap of the stretch electric tape all around that lower disc seemed to get it stopped. It is very difficult to identify leak location with the vacumn test. I attached a separate tube to the nipple, coated the suspect area with a dish soap/water solution and used my lungs to slightly inflate the bellows. The smallest leak showed right up with bubbles. Rinsed with fresh water and dried carefully as I went. Also, is your pilot valve working properly. This can throw off the apparent trim center. I had mine rebuilt by Brittain and the trim centered right up, yoke disconnect switch also works now.

Can someone list the 0-ring or rings for this main fuel screen inspection operation on a Lycoming IO-360-A1A. I am assembling parts for my May annual. We usually use something like Hoppes #9 gun cleaner on individual injectors. Would this also be appropriate on the main screen assembly?

Start with Plane Plastics for the panels. Worth considering a coat of paint (SEM) for them after fitting as all plastic of this type has poor UV resistance and tends to yellow.

For a few months after a tank reseal I had a problem with several events of partial injector blockage. Luckily I had a JPI all cylinder monitor installed and was able to back off from sky-rocketing cylinder temps. Now I have a little injector flush kit with my onboard tool set (wrenches, solvent). As usual, being prepared seemed to end the problem as it has not occurred since. At takeoff power with a partially blocked injector, temperature went way up and I had audible engine distress. I immediately backed off the throttle to reduce temps and returned for landing. It was at a Wings event, I think the volunteer check pilot wet his pants. After injector solvent cleaning I flew home with no problem.

105 smoh??? Why are you talking to us? You should be talking to the rebuilder. If they will not help you with this low time problem, let us have their name.

So, how much and where are your located?

Hmmm. Winglets on a Mooney, I never really considered that. Wonder if they would help much.

I tried making my visual extension with my dark blue trim color. Did not look right. Made it again with gloss black and liked that better. I used PC Paint to try several lengths on a photo of aircraft.