BillC

I believe you need a new prop as well.

I have a Castleberry standby AI in my Ovation. Had to send it to Castleberry for repair. (It was an internal power issue) I believe the cost was about 1200.00 USD. After getting it back It was still very slow to erect without caging it first. Now caging it is part of my after-start checklist. Also, my Ovation only has 970 hrs. tt. When you cage the AI, don’t pull it hard like we did in our training days. A slow steady pull will do.

Thanks for the offer but I’m only a short ride to KFLL when I get back. I’ll let Edison do it.

Hahaha.....that’s OK, I did get a laugh out of that one. I needed it.

UPDATE: The tank still weeps. Same spot, same problem. Called Edison. He will do it when I get back to Florida.

Mike, I did call Arnold Holmes first but as all good mechanics, he was about four weeks out. Since I’m heading back to Maine for the summer, I couldn’t wait that long. Next winter I’d like to PM you and get your opinion about other Mooney mechanics in our area if you wouldn’t mind. Thanks, Bill

Just called Laura at SWTA. their price is $95.73 USD.

Yes, it’s American Aviation in Brooksville FL.

UPDATE: Apparently they had to remove 8 panels to access the leak. Tank was then vacuumed to remove sealing particles and refueled. It sat with fuel in the hangar for 3 days to be sure the leak was fixed. An inspector verified all work and signed it off as repaired. All seems OK. The total ended up being 1200.00 USD. They refuse to replace the fuel gauge saying that the Florida sun caused the needle to be brittle. Funny, the airplane is hangared all it’s life and never sits in the sun. Oh well, I have my baby back now and I’ve learned a valuable lesson. Thanks for all your input. Bill

No, the gauge was not broken.

Haven’t heard a word. I’m waiting for them to call me. I’ll keep you all posted.

Anthony, I was getting ready to return North for the summer. I thought it was a good idea to have the tank repaired while still here in Florida. They assured me they had the capability to do the work. Besides, they are the only shop on the field. After almost three weeks waiting they finally pulled the airplane in the shop. I almost called to cancel the work because of the wait but they started it before I could call. I wish I didn’t delay. I just had a hip replaced and wasn’t on top of it like I should have been. Otherwise I would have flown over to Wet-wingologists in KFLL. Unfortunately, I guess there will be some scars. Not looking forward to seeing the condition of the panels or the paint. Their shop is always full of airplanes. From singles to jets. I felt confident they were capable of doing a thorough and professional job. Anyway, tomorrow will tell. Thanks for the input. Bill

Thanks...where did you find it? Just found LASAR price is 119.06 https://lasar.com/product/dial-face-880024-009/

Thanks for the replies. Tony, as I said, when I was an A&P I put tape around the outside of the panel and used a heat gun to carefully warm the panel then used a sharp putty knife to work around the panel two or three times before lifting it off. NEVER had to hammer anything to remove it. Just needed patience. Also I did ask a lot of questions. I was quoted a price of $850.00 USD. The mechanic said he was told it was time and materials. I would NEVER agree to that. That being said, the mechanic has never worked on wet fuel tanks before although the shop forman told me they had plenty of experience with them. Apparently he put the most junior mechanic on the job. The question is......Is the shop responsible for replacing the broken gauge?

Wondering what your opinions are: I have my Mooney in the shop here in Florida for a small seep in the right wing. The mechanic called to say when he was ‘banging’ on the top access cover (with the external fuel gauge) to remove it and, the needle broke off the inside the glass. He says the company is not responsible for damage caused during maintenance. My first question was “Why would you be banging on the access cover?” He said he needed to. In my own personal experience as an A&P, I’ve removed many fuel tank cover plates and have never had to bang anything. I didn’t explain to him how to safely remove these covers. I was not happy at the time so I’m letting the weekend go by to cool off and address this on Monday with the shop manager. The gauge is about $150.00 USD. so.....should I escalate this to upper management or is this the way maintenance shops operate these days.

Does anyone have a pirep on the new Kannad Americano- Fit ELT as a replacement for the AmeriKing ELT? Seems to be an easy replacement.

I replaced my Gills with Concordes on my Ovation. Had the BatteryMinder converted to Concordes as well. Bought them from AC Spruce. It was the best deal (?) I could find.

Yes, Mike. This is my new base for the winter. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Dennis but I'll be on the lookout for him. Thanks.

Your right Don, I found a Mooney retrofit kit for the timer/switch. It would definitely be the fix. Thanks, Bill

So far they are holding voltage at about 25.4 but the capacity check is still in question. Hopefully the BatteryMINDer will help over the next few weeks.

UPDATE: After a few days troubleshooting the electrical system the mechanic found no obvious problems. All relays were functioning properly, the diode pack was operating correctly, and all switches and wiring were in very good condition. After reinstalling the batteries he noticed the baggage light ON. I thought I had removed the light months ago but apparently during annual, the mechanic reinstalled it without me knowing. When I called him last night he mentioned replacing the bulb but forgot to add it to the logbook entry. I must have hit the switch while removing bags after arriving in Florida and in the bright sun I didn't see it. Unfortunately what we did find, after the light fiasco, is that my electrical system is different from the Mooney maintenance schematic. My baggage light operates on BOTH batteries. Not just #1. That is what threw me. Both batteries dying when I thought only #1 should have failed. This is a hard post for me to write. I should have known my great mechanic would have caught everything and checked the light myself. Anyway, I want to thank you all for helping to resolve my problem. I owe you all a frosty beverage.

Yes Mike, I 'm currently the only Ovation at the FBO. Blue and White, N2121S. I was there, sorry I missed you.

Thanks A, I have the batteries wired with quick disconnects in the hat rack. This way I can leave the BatteryMINDer plugged in via the baggage door without having to remove the side panels to access the batteries. I spoke with the tech at BatteryMINDer yesterday. He thought by leaving the unit plugged in for a week or two might get the capacity numbers back to normal. We'll see tomorrow how the mechanics make out. Thanks for the advice, Bill

No. The first thing I checked was to make sure I had secured the airplane before leaving the airport. Even if the master was left on it should only have drained one battery. Not sure what powers the baggage/overhead lights, but I pulled the baggage lightbulb when I found out it is not on a timer like the newer Ovations. The thoughts now are a bad solenoid or a blown diode. The avionics/electrical guy will troubleshoot the system Friday now that the batteries can be used for test purposes. Oddly enough, they just had a Cessna Columbia in the shop. It also has dual 24v batteries. They found both batteries had failed at the same time. After they troubleshoot my system I'm having them do the SB M20-275 which is the install of three fuses to preclude the possibility of a diode or solenoid failure and draining both batteries. The saga continues.

Your right Don. I believe it's 80 or 85% minimum capacity check. I just returned from the airport. They are back on the charger and are up to 25.4 volts. Another capacity check after charging should tell the story. I believe after three capacity checks, if they still fall below the 80 or 85 % they are off to the recycler. Or maybe good for a GPU. I'll keep you all in the loop. Thanks.