M20F-1968

I am in Boston and have never had a problem with the system in the winter. It is a PITA to maintain and change pumps, but once it works it works. Of great help is to make lines that access all the pressure pot fittings and fittings in the system. I have a large pressure pot and a smaller one for the front. When filing the system, open it in the middle, hooking a line to the outflow of the pump, and push fluid forward bleeding it out the front. Then rehook up the rear line to the pump, and push brake fluid forward and bleed in out the front. The hardest part to prime is the pump itself. John Breda

This can easily be made from fiberglass. You will need flame retardant resin and antimony trioxide (as extra flame retardant - hard to find) however. John Breda

I have this part which I made as a hand lay-up. I now have it as a mold as I made another part from it using fire-retardant fiberglass. John Breda

I bought mine at LPAero Plastics when in Oshkosh years ago. Perhaps they still have them.

FYI: The claim has been made (by LASAR 20 years ago) that wingtips were not compatible with twisted wing Mooneys such as my 68 F and your 67 F. I never understood that given the nature of the twist, which installed the outer wing section with the outboard forward corner of the wing about 1" lower. That was the only change as I believe. Can anyone explain the incompatibility. (Not that I want to do anything to my plane now, but I might have 20 years ago).

I have collected many quality tools over the years of working on the plane during the rebuild and beyond. Many of them are SnapOn bought on e-bay at discount prices. You need to have a keen eye on what is acceptable. You will start to recognize good tools at discount prices that are essentially new. You will also learn what imported brands are actually high quality. The mechanic's work first of all is created in the mind of the mechanic, then comes the plan on how to perform the work. The tools are just a means to an end. But, you will find that the special job that requires a smaller, longer, modified, magnetized, or modified tool will make things easier. It is best when you have taken a section of the airplane apart more than 2 or so times, and know what to, how to do it, and with what tools. John Breda

You do not need to take it back out. It is difficult to prime and that is one of the obstacles. The second obstacle is a bend in the tubing near the front of the system. Both can be addressed by opening the system just after the pump by taking off the outflow AN fitting from the pump. You will need to make a new hose with the same type of AN fitting to connect a pressure pot to the pump, and pump new brake fluid forward, directly into and through the pump, and forward filling the brake fluid reservoir and out the reservoir overflow. You will have a clear tube attached to the outflow so you can see when there are no more air bubbles. When that is accomplished, take off the hose from the pump and re-attach the posterior part of the system to the flap pump. Do this quickly so as not to introduce air. Then move your pressure pot to the rear of the system and attach the pressure pot there. Push clean brake fluid from the back to the front until the fluid exiting the reservoir overflow tube is without air bubbles and is clean. Disconnect the pressure pot and seal the system. As I recall, the gear release handle needs to be in the down position to push fluid through the pump (but I may be wrong on this). There are only 2 positions so just try it. Once the pump is primed, the flaps should work directly. You may need to work the flaps and top off the reservoir. It is 4 to 4 1/2 pumps to lock-out. Time retraction per the manual. The adjustment screw is very sensitive. 10-11 seconds to full retraction is about right. Dont try to be cheap on this one. Buy a good pressure pot (BRAKE BLEEDER TANK - Aircraft Tool Co.- aircraft-tool.com) and a smaller pressure pot to fill the reservoir from the front. Most importantly, make up hoses with the proper AN fittings to connect to the hydraulic pump, the rear of the system, and to reservoir - (Vaper 19419 Red Spot Spray Non-Aerosol Sprayer (Red) - 32 oz - Amazon). You will need to find fittings to connect AN Fittings to the can. This will make life much easier, the project go faster, and will eliminate the mess usually made from leaking brake fluid everywhere. You may want to install pressure gauges on each.

I have travel boards and was planning on making some for owners needing them, but life gets in the way. I do not lend them or ship them as they are too big, too easily damaged, and too difficult to reproduce to lend or ship out. I do not see being available to make these in the near future (perhaps later in the year when it is warmer and I can get my shop cleaned out and workable) but I may be able to scribe (precisely mark with a sharp scriber) the outline of the travel boards onto marine plywood and make 1:1 cop[ies of the scales and which can be printed onto a suitable material to be mounted onto the boards. You could use that to make a set. I would give you the best location information for mounting the scales based on what I have. Cost would be for the marine plywood (which is what was used by the factory before aluminum), cost of reproducing the scales, my time and shipping. It is not feasible to make a paper template since it will not be sufficiently accurate. It will need to be a direct copy of an original board scribed onto new plywood and cut extremely carefully to the very edge of the scribe mark. It can be cut carefully with a variable-speed jig saw with an appropriate blade or a band saw with a large table.

A DER approval based on prior approved data, with the installation inspected by an IA, and paperwork subsequently filed with the FAA is sufficient. The cargo door has always been the same. The difference lies in the locking mechanism. The location of the locking pins remains the same.

You will likely need to physically trace the wiring.

That solid cable is quite stiff and the bend is likely longer and more subtle to still create binding. Stuff like that takes a lot of patience and time to resolve. I would not rule it out so quickly. Look carefully as to the position of the bend and the potential for binding.

When I did my rebuild I replaced the original F model door with a complete baggage door from a 1998 Ovation. Replaced the side of the piano hinge that is riveted to the airframe. It was cut and aligned to fit the other side that is attached to the door. Once installed, nothing needed to be changed or adjusted on the Ovation. Even the door seal is the one that was on the Ovation and it still seals. You do need to do a 337 and have prior approved data to support the replacement. I used a DER to do the paperwork. PM me if you need more info. Another advantage is the Ovation door can be opened from the inside. John Breda cell (617) 877-0025 email: john.breda@gmail.com

The exposed section of your solid wire cable is not perfectly straight. Not sure if that part is entering the cable housing, but I would try to straighten it as it will bind if that part is involved. Also, ACF50 is a great penetrant and lubricant. I have never used it for that cable however. I have used Triflow at the cable entrance in the cabin, and have also sprayed the outside of the cable along its length at each annual and let it work it's way into the hable housing through the spiral wire wrapping. John Breda

Another reason for installing 3" Rudder Pedal Extensions: I have wide shoulders, and had 1 1/2" extensions installed but still felt cramped by the L side panel. I installed 3" extensions on the pilot side only and feel less constrained. Food for thought. I have 3 holes exposed in the seat rails and the seat locks into the 4th hole. The Ovation (from which I obtained my brake system) comes with 1 1/2" extensions.

I may have one from when I restored my F and installed a J cowling. John Breda (617) 877-0025 emai: john.breda@gmail.com

ASRS meaning NASA report?

So you know, that fuel valve is a part that was made for Mooney as a retrofit part to replace the original that is no longer available. I have a fuel selector made by the same shop in Ohio which is why I recognized the label and blue anodizing. My fuel selector and fuel bowl/filter combination for the later Vintage planes is listed in the Mooney parts manual with a selling price of something like $5000 or so. Treat it well. After searching I got the manufacturer's name (a machine shop in Ohio) from Mooney. John Breda

I agree, but it is such an important part, I would just be sure that your work is done properly, with the correct seals and installed without damage to the seal. John Breda

You do nothing differently. Fly your approach by the same numbers you would otherwise. You will need to carry more power to keep the same numbers (airspeed) and the plane feels heavier, but that is a good thing. In a crosswind the plane is more stable given that you are carrying more power. Some of my best landings have been when I extended speed brakes, forgot they were out, landed and realized they were still out on the ground. My mechanic (high time very experienced Mooney person) does all (or nearly all) landings in the Ovations and Acclaims he flies with speed brakes out. On a go around the plane will climb but realize the configuration you are in and do not be aggressinve. Keep the nose lower than you might without speed brakes out, retract the speed brakes as they are quick to retract, then raise gear, then flaps. John Breda

Rather than slipping to loose altitude or slow down, put out the speed brakes. I have speed brakes in my F (highly modified) and some of my best landings were done with full flaps and speed brakes. The plane flies just as well, you need to carry more power, it feel heavier (since I believe wing loading is increased) but you use the same numbers. Works well in a crosswind as it allows you to use more power. I have done one go-around in this configuration as well, getting rid of the speed brakes first as there is no altitude loss in doing so. John Breda

Your seats look quite nice. Who did your work? I am looking to cover my 4 head rests as well. Could you send me the name and contact information of the shop you used. I was going to cover them myself, but it may make more sense to have a shop do the work. I have an old Singer machine that will do straight stitching in leather. Roll Royce used a similar machine to manufacture their seats, but shops have the experience I do not have. If I did it, I would sew the cover inside out, but I do not know how the stitching on either side of the seam is placed. Are the two lines of stitches on either side of the sewn seam decorative, or do they reinforce the actual seam? John Breda

The reason I asked is that the original Rajay exhaust and wastegate parts are essentially junk. When you make new parts, have them made of the next available thickness stainless. The wastgate can be, and should be considerably thicker. At 500 hours the turbo should be OK. The scavenger pump likely should be rebuild by someone who does them routinely. They are very simple but if they fail you have lost your oil. John Breda

Which system do you have, the Original Rajay or the M20Turbo system?

There is no need to take them in and out. A reason not to do that is that the threaded hole extends into the tank and is sealed by PRC and the threaded shaft. (That may be because I have Monroy extended tanks - that aspect and placement I have forgotten.)

Thought I wouldn't put this out there for comments. Last week, I took the airplane out and landed at a towered and actively controlled airport. I taxied to the hold short line and waited. After a few minutes, I was given the instruction to "lineup and hold". I understood that to be essentially the same direction as "lineup and wait" or "position and hold." I crossed the whole short line and took position at the very end of the runway, stopped and waited for further takeoff clearance. I subsequently heard the tower controller to ask incoming traffic to go around. The tower controller then said to me that "lineup and hold" meant to taxi to the whole short line and hold. I realize that this direction is many times misinterpreted. I was already holding on the safe side of the whole short line. I understood, I believe correctly, that his instructions to "lineup and hold" were essentially instructions to line up on the runway end, wait for further in clearance to takeoff, and expect that clearance to be quick as I may be waiting for an aircraft to come off the runway, or there may be someone on approach behind me. Other seen this misinterpretation by ATC has something that needs to be watched out for. Given what occurred, I feel like I need to verify what the tower means when it gives instructions to "lineup and wait" before I do anything, but that is not the intention of the direction as the tower is trying to expedite due to traffic. What have you all experienced? John Breda