Mooneymite

Quote: smccray Just thought I'd follow up on this... Don Maxewell looked under the cowl a couple weeks ago and and addressed his preliminary hypothesis about the MP and found one other problem that was fixed/possibly related. From time to time the hard line on the right side of the engine that leads to the MP gauage gets clogged. There should be a small hole in the hard line near the number 1 cylinder, but if the like gets clogged (oil/gunk/etc.), or if the small hole is clogged/missing, it's possible that the MP line is blocked causing the problem that I experienced. The solution was to remove the MP line and clean it after making sure the small hole was there- apparently it's not uncommon for this vent hole to be missing altogether. The hard line transitions to a flexible line between the engine and the firewall. There should be some play in this line, but the length of the line on my plane was too long. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say that there was large droop in the hose that Don felt could accumulate gunk (yes that's the technical term) and block the line. The solution was to shorten the line between the hard line mounted to the engine and the firewall. No solution for the gear warning horn issue as it doesn't seem to occur regularly, but I did get down underneith the panel and it doesn't appear that there's any play in the throttle that would keep the switch from engaging. I haven't tried the flight test Mike suggested above but I'll put that on my list for my Sunday flight.

Quote: M016576 I would follow George's advice instead. It will pay off in the long run if you can hone your full flap landing skills, rather than try to rely on half flap approaches.

Without going into an in depth analysis, I would suggest you try landing with less than full flaps and see if that helps. (Unless your landing distance is critical.)

I've always done my own oil changes since I've owned my Mooney. It is a great time to do a mini-100 hr inspection on the engine. That being said, changing the oil is simple. Cutting open/inspecting the filter medium is a nasty, messy, rotten job. Anyone who does an oil change on an engine with a filter, but doesn't thoroughly inspect the filter hasn't done the whole job! You may not like what you find, but it is one of the first ways an engine has of warning you of impending failure!

Mike, you might take a lesson from tailwheel pilots....you fly the airplane until it's tied down! Just because the wheels are on the ground doesn't mean the flying surfaces have stopped working....keep flying the airplane during the rollout. Because of my training in other airplanes, I'm loathe to move the flaps just before, during, or after landing. For me, that's something to be done when there's less going on. However, I seem to be in the minority. A lot of Mooney pilots swear by this technique. In strong crosswinds, I use considerably less than full flaps....this works just fine for me instead of moving them in the flare. Mike, do you have a tail wheel endorsement? If not, it might be good training to add to your logbook.

Keep flying it, but keep watching it, too. You don't want to get into a condition where the engine, not you, decides when it's overhaul time! Once you have a fresh overhaul, reman, or new engine.....then you REALLY have to watch it.

Compression numbers by themselves really don't mean much. If there are low compressions, the important thing to determine is where the air is going. Is it going by the rings, or is it going out through the valves? A simple determination in most cases. Unless there is a valve problem, most engines' compression comes up as the engine is flown more regularly. Sometimes a piece of carbon or lead under the exaust valve will make a cylinder read low...there's a simple procedure to clean it off. And as another poster has mentioned, when and how the compression check is done can vary the numbers significantly. Compressions are just one indicator in engine condition. Don't ignore them, but understand what they're telling you.

Thanks, Dan. Much appreciated! Better than the original paper version.

Quote: N9154V What serial number do you have? Ron

Does anyone have a POH (AFM, owners manual?) applicable to a '74 M-20C in PDF format such that I can load it onto my iPad? If you'd be willing to upload it to me, I'd be most appreciative! Mooneymite 7.dayflier@gmail.com

I replaced this duct some years ago on my 'C' model. I had a terrible experience with it: after spending an exhorbitant amount of money for it, it got a hole in it almost immediately. I contacted a manufacturer's rep who told me a couple of things. Based on the serial number, this particular duct had apparently been sitting on a vendor's shelf for years and years and was quite old when I got it. Second thing (after a lot of back and forth discussion), the rep told me the manufacturer's cost of the duct was about $10 including manufacturing, inventoring, shipping and handling. However, they had an iron-clad agreement to only sell at Mooney prices through the Mooney network, and "NO", he could not sell me one. I suspect that if Mooney would "let go" of this item, we could get them easily/cheaply. Regardless of where you come up with one, try to make sure it hasn't been sitting for years and years. Patching/repairing may seem like the only way to go, but consider the negatives if the patch/repair material gets sucked into the carb! '74 M-20C.

Other than load and balance, is there specifically a limitation to the number of people that can be carried in a Mooney?

Parking outside is a part of a plane's "natural habitat". Even those of us lucky enough to own hangars park outside when we're on the road. Hangaring/not-hangaring is not an absolute. The real question is "HOW LONG" will the aircraft be outside? Will the tie-down situation be permanent into the foreseeable future, or is it just until a hangar can be found? Anyone who has shopped for aircraft knows that the difference between long-term hangared aircraft and not-hangared aircraft can be quite dramatic.

Nov 11-13, 2011 ATL area to HEG in the Jacksonville area. Twenty-some knots of direct tailwind on the way down.....We'll see what happens for the return on Sunday! Over 5 hours by car. Fltplan.com says under 1+30 in the Mooney and only about 14 gallons!

Quote: thinwing I dont think carb heat use increases an engines efficiency at all...you are correct that it causes a richer mixture with the hotter,less dense air supplied to carburator causing at least an in drop in manufold pressure.I really tested this with a full throttle takeoff with carb heat left on from a 4500 lake in B.C.That power loss meant that I could not get an amphib Husky on the step(carb lycoming 0360)at full throttle...soon as carb heat was removed ,it was another in and a half manu. pressure and up we went.I dont call that efficiency,just another trade off while deicing a ice choked carb...kpc

Quote: jetdriven The engine breathes filtered air. It is a 20k$ unit out there. Since you fly from a grass strip, the inside of your cowling is covered in dust, and your engine is eating it up. Lycoming says 1 TBSP of dirt can cause need for an overhaul. the engine is more efficient. A carbuteted engine using carb heat is running a less dense atmosphere. Run less MP, less FF, and a lower intake temp for the same crankshaft horsepower without carb heat. Powewr on descents are more efficient, IE less fuel burn per trip. Using a higher power setting in descent eliminates need for carb heat. If you get ice, you can detect it by a slow reduction in MP. The engine runs richer with carb heat on. This adds more lead and carbon fouling into the cyinder heads. Nobody believes this is good for an engine. Air cooled engines are designed to run a minimim of 250-300 CHT due to their tapered cylinder barrels. let downs at low power ruin cylinders.

Quote: jetdriven I just doubt the need for carb heat 30 miles out.

Quote: jetdriven I was more referring to Mooneymite. I use carb heat too, but only when there is a risk of carb ice.

Quote: Hank

Quote: jetdriven You run the carburetor hear from cruise all the way to landing? In clear air as well?

Obvously not all descents are equal depending on traffic, clearance, etc. On my O-360, normally aspirated "C" model, when I am allowed to descend as I like from cruise altitude (usually 8,000, or above): MAP: 19' RPM: 1900 IAS: increasing to maintain cruise TAS Carb heat: on. Mixture: as lean as it will go and still run. This combination normally yields about 500'/min average ROD. .

Quote: N4352H This is what sparked my quesion. I knew of the mast, but would devolop a diffrent opinion of the bladder system if it involved heated venting. Any other operational differences or maintenance of the bladder system?

Quote: Parker_Woodruff Bladders wear out, too. Get it resealed by someone who has a good process. Willmar, Don Maxwell, etc...

Okay, this thread has been way too peaceful with way too much agreement. I just have to ask: What MAP/RPM/mixture do you set on descent and what IAS do you use?

Quote: JimR Don't count on no more leaks for good. Plenty of bladders leak. Wasn't there an AD on them a couple of years ago ? The one time AD that you are referring to applied to Mooney bladder systems installed prior to February 1, 1998. It involved adding anti-ice masts in front of the fuel tank vents. It should have been a non issue for many years now. When properly installed, leaking bladders are rare, but are usually attributable to a loose clamp or a bad gasket on the fuel senders or fuel filler rings. Chasing bladder leaks requires time but no special skills, unlike tank re-sealing, which seems to be somewhat of an art best left to the masters. Of course, when bladders start to deteriate from age (after 20, or 30, or 40, or 50 years), they will need to be removed and sent out for overhaul, which can be done relatively inexpensively directly by one of several manufacturers throughout the country. Funny how most everyone that has then loves them. Jim