Bartman

You cleaned the shaft, lightly lubricated it, and stated it seems to be a solution. After lubricating hemi joints and ensuring nothing is causing binding of the push/pull tubes to the tail, I would not hesitate to fly.

The key that came with my plane would only work if you jiggled it up and down as you turned it. It was the wrong key and probably a cabinet key. A friend on the field had a Mooney and the key works like it was made for the lock. I made three copies, and keep one on the key ring, one in the headset bag, and one hidden in the aircraft.

I have an Aidyne 440 driving a King HSI and a nice audio panel and that’s about it. My Century IIb requires the vacuum AI so even if I added the G5 in that position I would have to keep the vacuum, but I have never found a justification to get a new autopilot. If my Century IIb augmented by the STEC Alt 30 for altitude hold ever dies, it will be the start of a whole new panel.

I have flown there several times and have used both MLB and TIX. If I was going to Cape Canaveral, I would fly into TIX.

Leg room side to side may be model dependent. I have the early J with the quadrant levers and it does box in the legs. Other models with push/pull engine controls on the panel without the quadrant should have more leg room.

By the way, we did the same thing on my A3B6D with a refurbished case due to a crack, and my oil temps are lower than before the repairs. The only thing we did was have the oil cooler flushed.

Ensure the hoses are hooked up to the oil cooler properly. I'm not sure how accurate this information is or if I'm stating it correctly, but previous threads have suggested that reversing the oil cooler hoses can cause this issue. Not sure if this is even possible due to length and fitting configuration, but worth mentioning. While at it, I would flush the oil cooler and ensure the baffle seals are in good condition. You said nothing about CHTs so probably not baffle seals.

I had a mag die in flight once. All EGT increased by over 100 across the board, and there was no roughness. A stuck exhaust valve would allow combustion gases into the exhaust and increase EGT. That is not what you are describing and that's not what I see on the screenshot. This appears to be a partially clogged injector to me. I had that happen once right after I had my JPI installed and right over an airport. I circled down, taxi to the shop, and asked them to clean the single injector. After a test flight around the pattern, I completed the remainder of my 4-hour flight that afternoon. Under IA supervision, I just cleaned all four injectors at the annual inspection using Hoppes #9 and a basic ultrasonic cleaner. Using knowledge from previous threads on this website, I used a water bath in the ultrasonic cleaner and put the injector and the restrictor in separate baggies into the water. I ran it a couple of times and used fresh Hoppes #9 each time. I did them one injector at a time, and they were returned to the same cylinder. In 2020, all injectors were cleaned, and my EGTs all changed nearly simultaneously in transition to LOP. That drifted over time until the GAMI spread reached 0.6 in 2024, and you could feel a slight vibration while in LOP. Now I'm back to simultaneous EGT transition and zero vibration LOP.

break in - expect higher temps oil level low Bad sensor bad gauge Oil cooler fins, flush, etc vernatherm Outside air temp baffles and seals cowl flaps

I removed the plenum for repairs many years ago. Overnight, a rogue hangar elf tossed the hog hair material. I now have great overhead vent airflow, and sacrifice by not flying with the vent open while raining.

I would consider this, but you have to weigh the equation's benefit/cost/time components. You already have 6 new cylinders that will get you back in the air quicker than playing whack-a-mole, which is a significant benefit too. Even if you don't send these new ones off, I would definitely send the ones you remove for rebuilding. Store them properly and you have 6 ready for the overhaul a few years down the road.

I watched the video from the original post. What's up with that extreme nose angle? There appears to be no rudder input, and it's got to be complete weathervane into the wind and at least 30 degrees left of center.

I made these decisions a long time ago. If there was a lot of runway left, I MIGHT consider adding enough power and level off just to put the gear down, but I would not go around. If not enough runway, slide it in. I also have a plan for complete gear failure, including the manual crank. A few years ago, there were threads about trying to stop the prop, and I think those discussions were about achieving the best glide range. Some members tried it and reported that it is not as easy as it sounds. I won't try to slow the airplane to stop the prop at altitude. Not worth the effort and stress. The prop might stop in the flare, but mine always stops with the blade in front of my face on the pilot side at 10 o'clock. The other blade is going to take the damage. If that happens, I won't waste my time trying to bump the starter. GUMPS out loud 3 times before landing.

I would remove the seats and inspect. You may find cracked seat frames. If you can wiggle the seats and disengage the pins, it can be caused by worn rollers. There are many threads about different sources and materials, but if you are thinking about replacing the rails, you would want to replace the rollers. While the seats are out, you can easily clean the holes in the rails with a drill bit using just your fingers. I replaced my 40 year old rollers and am very pleased with the results. Finally, I would also swap the seats. I did this and found the seat padding more comfortable. You may have to swap the seatbelts too.

I chose 5,000 but that’s just a general guide and if it’s just fair weather cumulus I’m in. If it’s building I’m asking for deviation.