47U

If your vent scoop is flush with the aircraft skin, there’s an arm inside the air box that is attached to the scoop. The arm has a retainer fitting and screw to attach the wire to the arm. There are plugs in the air box, one of them for screw driver access to loosen the screw so the wire and be removed and the new wire installed. It’s a challenge to thread the wire through the fitting, but it can be done without hacking the air box apart. I had removed the scat tubes to replace them so could ‘kinda’ see inside what I was doing. Kinda. Soak the screw with some Kroil first thing you get the plug out. If you strip the Phillips head on the screw, it could get ugly. I happened to get busy on another project, for about a month, and when I came back the screw came out like butter. Good luck! tom

That’s a really nice looking C. REALLY nice. There’s a guy near Omaha looking for a C right now. tom

I’d say that replacing the empennage with a factory new (more than 50 years ago) is a proper repair and shouldn’t affect the listing price at all, similarly with the gear up 30 years ago. It’s a non issue because most vintage C’s (I’m guessing) have had a gear up. It does sound like a really nice airplane. The tie breaker between your’s and other’s on the market might come down to the paint color/scheme. That’s superficial, but often true. Someone is going to get a really nice airplane. Good luck! tom

Brice, I’m not following the market closely enough to make a guess on price, but regardless of the substantial engine work, TSMO is TSMO, and you’re past it. It’s going to impact the appraisal, in my opinion. Damage history? Complete logbooks? Got the FAA CD? Curious to know the story about colliding with wires and power poles back in 1967. Excerpt from the NTSB report: REMARKS- WIRES BROKEN,POWER POLES DAMAGED.PLT MADE NO REPORT AND DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ACDNT. If it’s all fixed up good it might not be an issue. But damage history should be disclosed and the repairs explained in detail (to the best of your knowledge), even if it’s ancient history. https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=18724&key=0. My apologies if you didn’t know. tom

I grew up on a farm in the mid-west and Kroil was the go-to for rusted/frozen parts. But, you have to give it some time to work. How well does it work on aluminum oxide? I’m finding out. Project is to replace the cabin door hinge, ship-side half, with a broken lobe (50+ years ago). Soaked it down two days ago, yesterday the punch and ball peen hammer doesn’t move it. We’ll see if I have better luck today. I’d rather replace just the ship-side half, and not take the door all apart to replace both halves. I’ll probably have to cut the top lobe off so I can put a locking pliers on it. tom

A big piece of cardboard (or carpet remnant) to lay on while cleaning the belly. The height of even a low-profile creeper is uncomfortable steering around antennas. I’ve become fond of my mosquito fogger, during that season, and a spider web brush. tom

Back in the day... She let me refinance our paid-off Astrovan to buy a Cherokee 160 for $7,500 (there was an M20E in the same paper for $16,500, but I knew I wouldn’t have been able to care for her like she would require). Later, she complained about making “airplane payments” and I had to come clean and tell her that if we didn’t make this payment, they would come get her car. Now a days, she really likes the Mooney. She let’s me spend about whatever I need (want), and knows where I am when I’m not at home. Of course, I let her reciprocate with her spending, within reasonable constraints... so far. tom

I’ve never seen the PF installation up close... Pic taken from the PF website. The tube on the right side coming out of the muffler shroud is the cooling air exhaust? How does that work as compared to the linkage closing the exit valve on the original installation? tom

The conspirator side of me thinks ADSB is the pathway to user fees. tom

I observed, weekend before last, that NORCAL (Sacramento TRACON) had combined sectors to the extent that upon your initial call, you’ll walk on X number of other pilots talking to the same controller who’s trying to work those other sector frequencies. Following one radio call I heard (paraphrased reply from the controller), “You just walked on seven other guys.” WTH? Where are the all the controllers? I hope they’re not out sick, or furloughed because the airline traffic is almost non-existent. But, frustration was rampant all around... not a ideal situation from a safety standpoint. tom

I think removal is a valid question. I discovered my windscreen temp gauge has a 5 degree error. To read it, I have to move the visor, crank my head over to an obtuse angle, tilt my head again to focus my bifocal glasses on the needle and digits,, all to see a 5 degree error. I say, get rid of it and gain the 0.005 mph (estimated) speed gain. I’m not sure there’s a clean way to plug this hole. Appropriately sized screw with washer and o-ring? Plugging the hole with plexi/acrylic approved welding methods seems over dramatic. I thing I’d go with a piece of clear speed tape, inside and outside and call it good. Replace as necessary as it deteriorates due to the elements. tom

The Electroair option is attractive... and STC’d. In the end, though, it’s just two rocker switches and a start button. Couldn’t the same be accomplished with three independent MS35058 toggle switches? For maybe a third of the cost? All it would take is two standard SPST toggle switches, one for each mag position, and one spring-loaded SPST toggle switch for the starter solenoid. What we loose when the Bendix-style mag switch is replaced with the Electroair panel is the key. The Electroair doesn’t have a key. So what’s the downside of just putting in some toggle switches? They’re standard parts, no STC required. Panel space is a premium in the vintage birds. I’m contemplating putting my toggle switches in the dead space at the top of the center stack, same as where the M20A/B had their push/pull master switch and mag switch. This is a simple log book entry. Nothing major. Am I missing something obvious? tom

The Slick style I ordered from Spruce (Champion) for the Surefly replacing the left mag was marked with the same plug locations as the right mag Bendix harness. Hmmm. I ended up putting all the Surefly leads on the bottom plugs and the right mag leads are on the top plugs. I’d ordered a new Champion harness at the same time for the right side, but they (Champion, not Spruce) sent the wrong model (transposed the numbers) and I wasn’t going to wait another month lead time to manufacture and ship. tom

That’s correct. The open end of the hose goes on the barbed fitting on the SureFly. The 193-2 hose is thicker than the hose SureFly provided in the install kit so the interference on the barbed fitting is tighter. It’s not going anywhere. tom

I replaced my left mag with the SureFly. My manifold pressure solution was to replace the manifold pressure bulkhead fitting through the firewall with a T-fitting, AN804-2. I fabricated a new hose with an Aeroquip MS27404-2D (471-2D) flared fitting and Stratoflex 193-2 hose. The fittings were from KRN Aviation Services in AZ and the hose from Aircraft Spruce. I ran the hose along the firewall and dropped it down to the left mag between the master solenoid and starter solenoid (not sure my early C is arranged the same as later production). There are a lot of right ways to make this connection, but picking up the manifold pressure at the firewall looked like a simpler and cleaner solution than new plumbing off #4 cylinder. And I think takair is right, the only way that hose is coming off the barb is with a blade. tom