PWL

Just missed seeing your post, but I live in Los Alamos and fly an '84 201. I would be happy to pick you up in SAF sometime and give you a ride if you haven't already found someone else. PWL

Just to follow up on the topic -- the A&P replaced the fuel strainer with a part from AVSTARdirect.com and found the right fitting to avoid mashing the new strainer. The screen was $109.70 and a new o-ring was $0.96. There are IPCs on the website for several makes of carburetors and fuel injection servos for anyone interested. Thanks for the information for everyone who contributed.

Here is a picture he sent with the fitting and the damaged screen.

There was a right angle fitting that extended into the screen and deformed it. I cannot understand why that is a problem as the screen is a very coarse pitch, but the A&P insists on replacing it. I have not yet seen it up close.

During the annual, the A&P found that a high-angle fitting had been screwed into the fuel servo screen holder and destroyed the screen. It looks like the screen and holder have to be replaced. Any ideas about sources that might cost less than getting it from the manufacturer (it even possible). The engine is an IO-360-A3B6.

Thanks, great advice.

My 1985 Mooney M20J is undergoing the annual inspection and the A&P notified me that the floor-mounted Amerex 403 fire extinguisher was out of specification (2 oz less than the required weight) and since it was mounted, it has to be replaced with one meeting specifications. Does anyone know if that is correct? The Amerex 403 apparently no longer available, if it has to be replaced, does anyone know of an acceptable replacement? Finally, is the fire extinguisher required equipment for airworthiness?

By cutting a Phillips X-country oil container across the narrow side, it is possible to make a container that just slips under the oil filter of a j-model that will hold all of the residual oil in the filter. It is then possible to remove the filter (wear rubber gloves as it gets oily) and then extract the oil container. After two small oil leaks that developed at the filter seal (didn’t show up immediately after the leak test runup), I bought a Tempest oil filter torque wrench and have not had a problem since.

The center button on the mixture control knob that engages/disengages the vernier is stuck in and as a result the vernier no longer works. The mixture can be controlled by pulling or pushing the knob in and out, but I need to get the vernier working. has anyone else had this problem and, if so, is there a fix other than buying a new control? I have an 85 J-model with relatively new controls for throttle and mixture control.

Has anyone had a recent annual done by Arapaho Aero at Centennial airport in Denver? I’m looking for some place with Mooney experience and a good record of satisfied pilots to do my ‘85 J-Model later this year.

I have about 2,500 hours in Mooneys, having owned both a C model and a J model. I’ve never had a door problem – until yesterday. After a short proficiency flight, I landed and pulled up to the self-service gas pump and discovered that I couldn’t pull the door opener lever back. It was as though the door was locked. The only escape was through the luggage compartment, and that is pretty tortuous. I patiently waited for another airplane to arrive at the gas pump, but, after a few minutes, decided to call my wife to help me out. She verified that it was locked, and when I passed the door key to her, she unlocked the door and I escaped. Although I have several possible, but to me, unlikely ideas about the cause, I have no real reason for this to have happened. It has obvious safety implications. I’m curious, has anyone else ever had the same problem? How about ideas about what caused it?

My experience with a KI-300/KI-310 system installed in our M20J was flawless, and I was surprised by the recent Emergency Airworthiness Directive (2020-18-51). When the AD came out, Depot Avionics in Alamosa, Colorado contacted Bendix-King (BK) to ask for their help in finding a solution. Because my A&P in Los Alamos, New Mexico had already removed the nearly end-of life vacuum pump, and my vacuum AI needed overhaul, BK refunded the cost of the KI-300/KI-310 units and the installation cost. Depot Avionics was then able to replace the BK system with a Garmin GI 275 interfaced to the autopilot with no additional cost to me. Although I don't know if this is a general BK policy, but I think that both BK and Depot Avionics went out of their way with exceptional customer service. Others in this situation might want to talk to their avionics installers to explore options as I did.

I’m making this post in the event others are thinking about installing the Bendix-King (BK) KA 310 Electronic Attitude Indicator, KI 300, and newly certified Autopilot interface, KA 310. I fly a 1985 M20J that until a couple of years ago had a KLN 94 for GPS navigation along with the other original electronics. Two years ago I had a BK KNS 770 with a DAC GDC-31 roll-steering adapter installed to allow full use of the KFC 150 autopilot. Last week I had a new BK KI 300 and KA 310 installed at Depot Avionics in Alamosa, CO to replace the original analog vacuum-driven KI 256. It cost about $6,500 for everything. Given the overhaul cost of the KI 256 and the fact that my vacuum pump was near end-of-life, I considered the price quite reasonable. In my opinion, the KNS-770 is a great instrument, and with the KI-300 after 2,800 Mooney hours, am inching towards the digital world. The KNS-770 performs flawlessly, is intuitive, and is relatively easy to update from maps downloaded to a usb memory stick. Too bad BK has stopped further development and marketing. The KI 300 is an enormous safety improvement over the old AI. It has a lot of essential information in one place and a backup battery that allowed removal of the vacuum pump. This means no longer replacing the vacuum pump every 600-800 hours and no further KI 256 overhauls.

I just discovered this thread. The links are all broken, but I would be interested in learning what happened to the project. Any update?

I had exactly the same problem. The glare shield lights and the flap indicator light are on the same dimmer circuit. Whenever I turned the dimmer switch to 'on' the expensive little fuse blew. I soldered two 22 gauge wires to the terminals of a 12 volt automobile light and plugged them into the fuse socket. When the light illuminates, there is a short circuit. I finally found the problem, a t it was in the cannon connector with the wires from the dimmer switch.

What year is your Mooney? My '85 gets signals from the ignition switch directly. I've got a perfectly good spare that happened to be next production serial number that works and would be willing to help out if you want to try it.

The schematics are specific to your aircraft serial number. I can upload one for you if you post your serial number. I have an 85 M20J and my schematic is valid for only 8 aircraft.

We have an '84 M20-J with the IO360A3B6 dual mag drive STC. The previous owner said that the tachometer began fluctuating by about 100 RPM on BOTH after that installation. On either mag alone, the tach is steady. Our A&P claims that the two mags are well timed, and after several annuals with different A&Ps asking the same question, we believe him. Has anyone else had this problem and found a fix? I suspect the tach is responding to slightly differently shaped signals that are combined through 15K ohm resistors at the ignition switch. Does anyone know the pulse shape and amplitude of the signals going from the ignition switch to the tachometer? Thanks

I had an oil leak at Oshkosh this year, the source of which was not obvious at all. The A&P in the emergency repair shop came over, used a can of white spray-on foot powder to cover likely joints and seams and in about 30 seconds of operation forund a hairline crack in the weld of the oil cooler. Hope this is helpful for others.