Bartman

Maybe I’m just lucky, but in 1,500 hours I have had exactly one problem with my dual mag. That was 10 years ago and one side died in flight. Keep your own magneto maintained by a shop known for that, not named Kelly. Do not exchange. YMMV

I ran my engine at 26/26 and other high power combinations for break-in and later for a speed test, but I do not cruise low enough to see that MAP. My engine monitor is set to alarm at 380 and that seems to be a commonly accepted maximum, but I have never seen a CHT over 360 in cruise. If it is hot outside and gets over 360 in the climb, I lower the nose to flatten the climb and increase speed, and if I have previously leaned in the climb to maintain Target EGT the I add more fuel to go more ROP. That brings the temps down quickly. I agree with @ArtVandelay above. I generally cruise 7K - 9K and LoP at 2450 for the same reasons he stated. I will also add that my plane has no Hobbs meter and only the original tachometer. As has been discussed before the tach is 1:1 at about 2550, records more time as RPM increases and records less time at lower RPM settings. I cannot point to data to support this but it is commonly accepted. So from my perspective there is some element of longevity both from a wear consideration, and also from a timer recorded on the tachometer perspective. Lastly the IO-360 is known to develop cracks and I generally cruise where the engine feels smoothest, which is 2500 +/- 50 RPM.

https://www.avweb.com/features/avweb-classics/pelicans-perch/pelicans-perch-64where-should-i-run-my-enginepart-2-the-climb/ I read these articles by John Deakin many years ago.

I forgot to state that the higher I go the closer I run to Peak EGT. Above 10k I would typically cruise at peak EGT or maybe even a couple degrees ROP. It does give just a little more power. Also, I have the A3B6D and the magnetos are set at 25deg BTDC and from what I have read, it does make a difference over the 20deg limitation on come other engines.

The engine is rated at 2700 continuous power. I can’t quantify it but I think I use a little more oil at higher RPM. Here is how I run my J Takeoff full RPM and full rich. Climb 2700 RPM and adjust mixture in the climb to maintain target EGT. Level off and close cowl flaps as speed increases and CHTs decreasing. don’t touch prop control until speed stabilizes. I usually set 2450-2500 in cruise if lower than 8k. My Prop balance is optimized at 2500. Lean as desired. In cruise I am almost always LOP. The higher you go the more RPM you need to maintain power. Above 10-12 it is my experience that 2600 works well The one time I cruised at 15k it felt best at 2700

My experience with flaps stuck down was after landing, but resolved during taxi back to the hangar. Having been a Mooneyspace member for years I immediately knew what the problem was. I personally cleaned the limit switches and have no problems for the 5 years afterwards. Assuming it was not the flap motor or something else in the circuit, I knew the two potential solutions. 1- My simple ongoing solution includes preventive cleaning at every annual inspection. 2- If it ever happens again the limit switches get replaced.

Continuation from my post above…..Try an in flight magneto check and see if your problem resolves on either the left or right mag.

Not all “antenna problems” are really the antenna. In my thread from about 5 years ago I documented replacement of the retro 7 antenna with the CI-196 along with new RG-400 cable. In the last post I mentioned clear reception on one mag and static on the other and that was the clue to the answer. We did have the dual mag serviced but the problem remained. After replacing my magneto cap and spark plug wires my problem vanished. Ultimately it was RF interference from bad spark plug wires and worked great even with the old antenna. I was already committed and installed the new antenna to replace the 40 year old one. No transmission or reception problems since.

@redbaron1982I wish mine looked as good as yours. I will also take the advice of @hammdo and consider something to cover the nipple on the quick drain. Mine always has a drop on the end, just like yours.

Good on you for getting the correct hardware. I agree with Clarence @M20Doc above that it should point aft and for a couple of practical reasons. First, with it pointing aft I can easily drain the oil using a piece of clear vinyl hose from your favorite hardware or home store. I change oil around 25-30 hours and filter every other time and it makes it easily done without removing the lower cowl. I don’t do that every time, but it gives the option. The other more important thing is if it’s pointing aft then any drip will fall unimpeded directly to the floor, or the mat I have under that cowl flap. If it’s pointing forward then drips will end up in the cowl and maybe even on the exhaust itself.

My plane had a K&N filter when I purchased it. I tossed it and installed the Brackett air filter at the first annual.

You can’t see all of it in the picture, but mine has a 90 out of the bottom of the sump, and the quick drain coming out of that.

I deleted my air/oil separator when we installed my rebuilt engine. Just for giggles I poured mineral spirits into it, let it sit, shook it up and then poured it out into a clean pan. Did that several times. That was an eye opener ! Never would I recommend one of these.

I have noticed that the batteries on our aircraft with two 28-volt batteries do not have a good longevity record, while those with one battery enjoy a longer lifespan. Two of my Concorde batteries (RG-35 if memory serves) lasted over 7 years and I was pleased. Is it a 28V thing? Is it because you guys fly higher and in colder temps?

I think @papapatoto came by to check on his son @toto I'm sorry I just thought it was funny and could not resist

As stated on the previous page, when you do find the leak and get everything cleaned up, and you will, then you should apply Cross Check Torque Seal. When I installed my engine I applied it to every hose and nearly every fastener on the engine.

If the engine is just “warm” from taxi to the fuel pump I have never had a problem starting. Don’t touch anything and just start cranking and always starts quickly. If it is truly a heat soaked engine I’m with @larrynimmo and treat it as a just open the throttle all the way and leave the mixture at cutoff, but don’t touch the mixture. You have to be ready to bring the throttle to idle at the first sign of ignition and quickly move the hand to the mixture, but it always works.

Remove the cowl and take a look. Push tube seals are often a source of leaking oil running down on the exhaust pipe and pretty obvious when it is happening. Could be any number of leaks as simple as above, and as bad as a cracked case, or anything between.

I actively participate in getting parts and supplies and turning wrenches for my annual inspection. My IA is a Beech pilot with no Mooney experience and he has offered to fly right seat. I insist on installing all access panels and the cowl so this allows me to confirm no misplaced items are left behind, everything is tight and safety wired, and no leaks. Never a problem. One day after avionics work at another field I allowed someone else to fly my airplane after maintenance two times....the first time and the last time. The pilot was well qualified with thousands of hours flying hundreds of planes and met my insurance requirement for Mooney time. When I came to pick her up, he was telling me about how hard it was to land and bounce on the landing. Immediately we inspected the propeller and all was well, but it illustrates to me exactly why I should not allow someone else to fly my plane. Don Maxwell or someone like that I would not hesitate. Otherwise, they can sit in the right seat, but nobody else is flying my airplane after maintenance.

I remember having mine worked on about 15 years ago. They found the hydraulic fluid had turned to gel and after flushing the entire system it worked, but I have never used it. I am either in my hangar with a chock or on the ramp with chock on the nose, and if anything more than a fuel stop or meal they are on all 3 wheels. In fact, the line personnel usually ask me to be sure the parking brake is disengaged. Long story short my parking brake is used so infrequently that I do not trust it to engage, or to disengage, therefore I do not use it.

My idle is very low as well. Less than 500 when fully closed, and it sounds like she is about to quit sometimes on rollout.

When we installed my injectors after my 2020 rebuild they only went in a couple of threads before beginning to get tight. Using the NPT tap I cleaned the threads, but being concerned about debris getting into the cylinder I used a shop vac while turning, and then stuck the shop vac over the entire tap periodically. After screwing the tap in by hand I think I only turned it maybe one full turn, but in like 1/8 increments and applied the shop vac periodically. After cleaning the threads, it made a big difference. You definitely don't want the idle higher than specs or you will float, and someday at a short field, it may result in a rapid increase in sphincter tone.

It takes a lot of guts, confidence, and experience to literally fly across the country safely, especially with predictably unstable weather in April. It was not the weather that caused your troubles, but the snow shower delayed your progress, and that kept you close to Longview. If you think about it, the Mooneyspace ecosystem helped minimize the impact of your challenges and, and with your good judgment, helped you find your way home safely.

Years ago there was an area about 1" x 1" with bubbling and peeling paint at the joint from the cabin to the empennage near the top of the aircraft. I prepared it properly including alodine and used a rattle can white that I got from local parts store. Using the layering technique that I read here on Mooneyspace I peeled the tape back on every pass so that there was minimal stepoff from the new to the old paint at the boundary. After sanding with progressively finer grit to the finest available at the parts store I buffed the area and applied some wax. 5 years later even though I am the one who did the work, I cannot see a difference in color or shine, and I cannot it feel it. I have challenged others and even showed them where it was done and they cannot find it either. It is completely invisible. This would not be appropriate for a larger area and definitely not for colored paint, but don't snub your nose at off the shelf white paint options for a very small area.

If we had discovered the crack prior to disassembly I may have looked for other options. We thought my case was repairable, but Divco said it was not. After that it's hard get Lycoming to accept a box of parts. When they said they had a serviceable case I jumped on it before they finished the sentence.