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Good day! looking for the mooney mechanic in Ohio for annual and prebuy inspection. Does anyone know somebody in this area?

Hello fellow Mooniacs! I pulled the trigger on a purchase agreement for a 1966 M20C located in Leeward Air Ranch near Ocala,FL. I am looking for recommendations on very sharp I&As to inspect this plane that has only 20 hours flown in the last 15 years. I know it's a long shot but I tend to have great luck and need confirmation there is no looming issues with her and she is one sharp bird! Most likely if all goes well,I would ask to complete the PPI and finish it as an annual. Any recommendations on specific points to be keen on are also welcome! I.e. spar corrosion,fuel seepage, pucks,camshaft corrosion, and anything else I'm missing or specific ways to analyze these big ticket items. Thank you in advance for your time! -Michael Brian

I just got my plane back from Annual, It ran perfectly beforehand and no squawks going in. (A little history ... Converted the engine to Ovation 3 (310hp) at last annual – Only engine change required is increasing prop governor speed and increasing fuel flow. Anyway as I said it ran perfectly for a whole year.) Nothing was found to be an issue during annual except the Spark plugs were apparently out of tolerance and replaced. They ran engine afterwards and everything was OK. Went down today to fly it for the first time since signed off a couple days ago. Engine running rough. #1 cylinder not making power. They checked it out and thought fuel injector nozzle to cylinder #1 was getting plugged (as part of the annual they ultrasonically cleaned all injectors). Recleaned the injector put back together. The issue then changed to Cylinder #2, Repeated the process, Recleaned put back together. The issue change to Cylinder #3, Repeated the process, Recleaned put back together. The issue changed back to Cylinder #1, - They tried with the old plugs back in; They rechecked magneto timing - no change. (BTW The Magneto is hundreds of hours away from it’s 500hr overhaul) They disconnected and checked the fuel going to each cylinder using the fuel pump and reported has debris?? They think a gasket or something might be disintegrating in the Fuel manifold that sits atop the engine. That’s as far as they got today. (BTW The spark plugs were changed from Champion fine wire to Tempest, but they’re convinced it’s the fuel side of combustion that’s causing the problem.) Questions: 1) Is this just incredibly bad and coincidental timing – (first time check out after annual – running fine beforehand) or could it be related to annual. To my knowledge the only part of the annual that involves the fuel system is cleaning the fuel screens and Injectors. 2) Does it make sense to jump from Cylinder to cylinder? 3) Any other thoughts as to cause, or what’s gone on would be appreciated Thanks in advance Roger

Hope you’re all safe and able to fly despite the circumstances. I’m getting closer to my first annual for the 252 and feel like I still have a lot to learn so it would be great to make this one owner-assisted. I don’t mind flying half-way through the country for a great shop. So far, I’m considering the following shops but don’t really know which would be happy going for owner-assisted or not... Weber, AGL, Cole Aviation, Maxwell, Minnesota, Canada? Thank you!

Going in for my first annual.. fingers crossed and breath held that nothing major comes out of it.

Hello fellow Mooniacs, If you're looking for a knowledgeable Mooney IA/Mechanic in the SoCal area, DM me for further information. This gentleman has over 15 years of Mooney specific experience and has worked at 2 MSC's. He holds several certifications from Mooney (Kerville, TX) on various systems and procedures. He has in depth knowledge on all model Mooney aircraft and troubleshooting skills that are to die for! My experience over the past 5 years has been nothing short of exceptional. He is very meticulous, detail oriented, super flexible, and reasonably priced. I know it can be hard to come across a trustworthy and knowledgeable mechanic at a decent rate. Just thought I would pass this along and help others in the Mooney community. Happy and safe flying!!

Folks, My new (to me) Mooney is coming up on it's first annual and while I have a shop that can do the work (and several vintage Mooney annuals each year), they seem a bit pricey for just the annual. So, I figured I'd seek input on A&P/IA / Shops that get high marks. I'm in Las Vegas NV and don't mind hitting SoCal or AZ (just more reason to fly). 1967 M20F / N135JC Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Cheers,

My A&P is going to start doing the annual on my '67C on Tuesday. I've downloaded and printed the Mooney 100h/annual inspection checklist and have been studying the maintenance manual. He said I could get started by taking off inspection panels for him. I observed the annual last year as part of the pre-buy, but I didn't really participate to a degree that I remember much detail about what was done when/why. I've got some questions: Must all the inspection panels beneath the wings be removed or just some? I know not to take the ones off that are below the fuel tanks. My a/c does not have a 1 piece belly, I presume that all those panels must be removed between the wings? The empennage access panel comes off, as do the gap seals where the tail rotates in response to trim. What else? Surely one of you long-time C owners can give me some marching orders so my co-pilot and I can productively spend our Sunday helping get ready for the big inspection. Any hints on how to keep stuff organized so reassembly is made easier? Any warnings about things _not_ to do? Should I take the cowl off yet, or should I wait until after we warm it up to do the compression test? Will the engine warm up faster or slower with the cowl off? I'm full of questions. Thanks in advance for any advice. It looks like very nice day tomorrow in the 60's and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time in the hangar learning more about our Mooney.

Just got my M20c back from annual. I’ve been using Bobby Norman at 42I, the airport where I had my prop strike. I’m still mad at myself, that should have never happened. So, the airplane got its annual inspection and an oil and filter change. It got new gear doughnuts and a new part from Mooney for the front gear. Got my step fixed too, now I can crank it without calling on Mr. Atlas. What did your annual cost? I’ll spill the beans on mine if and when I get a few replies and/or guesses. By the way, this year I just left it without turning a screw or taking apart anything. Not how I like to do it but how it had to go this time.

Does anyone have handy a shopping list for the annual on an IO-360? For example, eight copper plug gaskets, the crush washer for the oil screen, oil filter, etc.? Possible 'contingency' parts--like those assemblies (springs/drilled bolts/castle nuts) on the exhaust. I am doing 'Owner Assisted' this year with an A&P/IA buddy who has the jacks and inspection tools, but I need to lay in the consumables. TIA, Harley

I am looking for a recommendation for an annual inspection in Bismarck, North Dakota. I have had two shops recommended but neither were from Mooney drivers. They were: Bismarck Aero Center, Inc. and Executive Air in Bismarck in North Dakota Any Bismarck / North Dakota Mooney owners have experience with either of these two? I thank you in advance!

Trying to do a comparison of a typical "normal" (if that even exist in our world) cost of an annual on a M20E or more recent M20. If you care to share the cost of your last couple of annuals, I have my spreadsheet running. If major work was done beyond the normal during the annual, new Garmin 430W installed, etc, it will skew the results. A good friend tells me that a Bonanza annual will run 2 to 3 times more than a Mooney. I find that hard to believe. Look forward to replies.

We are looking to share the new expansion to the entire Mooney Community. What are you looking for? What are you interested in doing in the near future? Please give us an opportunity to earn your work and make a good difference not only with your aircraft, but throughout the community as well. We can accommodate your needs from an annual to a full avionics stack upgrade. We are running several different specials and are booking installations for the upcoming ADS-B mandate that is right around the corner in 2020. Give us a shot, you will NOT be disappointed!!! Shoot me an email, text or call me if you have any questions and to schedule your visit. Greg Baker 541-205-9141 gbaker@bakeravionics.com

Does anyone know if the laser gear set is all you need for rigging the gear on the 20C? It has one tool for the nose and one for the mains. My mechanic seems to think that I need two main gear tools to rig the gear. Can anyone shed some light one this?

AD Compliance Spreadsheet View File Keep track of your current ADs and reoccurring ones. Simply do a FAA search for your airframe, engine, prop, and any accessories and put them in here. Print out for easy reference during your next annual. Submitter Raptor05121 Submitted 11/16/2017 Category Safety & Techniques

So, I just got my E back from Annual and, as always, I have three stickers for my logs--airframe, engine and prop. Since I am also readying for 'owner assisted' annuals sometime in the future, I've been studying up on the annual process. It occurred to me that the annual can be partitioned into three parts, as per the stickers. Could you, in theory, have three different IA's sign off on those parts? Like IA1 comes in and does prop, IA2 does engine and IA3 does airframe.

Does this site have a sticky for Mooney mechanic recommendations?

I just wanted to tell everyone how great of a service that I got at this place. I need my wing rigging checked and these guys stayed late on a Friday to hook me up, and wouldn't go until it was finished and I test flew the plane several times. It is a family run business and also an authorized service center. This guy knows mooneys very well. I am going back there for my annual for sure. He is base near Charlotte at Foothills Regional.. I know people usually get the bad posts, but I wanted to post a good one. Mark Weidner

I just received the invoice for the first annual on the 231 I bought last fall. As with most of the 14 airplanes I've owned, I did not do a pre-buy inspection. And, as with a number of airplanes I've owned, I did not see this airplane "in the flesh" until it was delivered to me. The flat rate annual at my shop for a Mooney M20K is $2,380.00. The main IA I work with personally flies a Mooney Rocket so he knowns Mooneys and Mooneys of the 231 persuasion. First annuals are always eye opening, right ? And if you don't do a pre-buy, you're a fool and most here would tell you to add a zero to the invoice if not just expect to part it out once you do that first good inspection. My annual was in and out of the shop in five business days and the final shop invoice was $2,796.64.

Just wanted to put in a PIREP from my annual at AGL Aviation. I have to say that they were great to work with,reasonably priced an I will take my bird to Lynn for service anytime. AGL is located @KMRN (Foothills, NC). If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Hi All, Looking for a new shop to do my annual this year and wondered if you had any recommendations? Plane is located in Charlotte, NC so I have a lot of flexibility. Prefer a shop that knows Mooneys well. My guy is busy and I wanted to have a different set of eyes looking at my bird once and while (my guy has been doing my plane for 7 years). Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thank, Jim

I decided to take my 1964 m20c to a mooney repair center this year for the annual. The mx for the past 5 years has been completed by the local airport mechanic, but they do not have much mooney experience. The plane has been at the service center since March of this year( and I have no estimate of when I will get it back). A few of the bigger problems found during the annual inspection were: 1. Crankshaft gear bolt lock tab in engine oil screen (and no, I did not have a prop strike that I am aware of from looking through the logs) 2. Lower tube on roll cage assy on pilot side has pen sized hole - and turns out the entire tube is corroded thru 3. Left mag shaft is loose The shop has replaced the lock tab, but is stalled on the tube repair and the mag. I call the shop every 2 weeks to check on my plane, and when the corrosion problem was found, they had to figure out if they needed to replace the entire tube or find a part plane and weld a new section of tube on. The shop has decided they can do the latter method by pulling off skin panels to access for welding. The shop also got "busy" and stuck my airplane outside for a month to figure out this solution. The shop is a 4hour drive away and I have driven there to check on my plane and show that I am an involved owner that wants to understand the aircraft mx. So my question for the forum is how long does this kind of repair usually take? Have you had these repairs done on your plane? How do repair shops prioritize the work? I feel like whenever I call now, even though the shop has a way forward for the repair, there has been no progress made on the repair. I am getting extremely frustrated that the shop cannot even give me an estimated date for completion. I have also asked for an estimated price for the repair(s) and they have not provided it. I am struggling with making demands of the shop and being understanding about the workload of the shop. But why isn't my plane higher priority!!!! How do you all handle extensive repairs with mechanics and ensuring timely completion? Do I need to give them a deadline and be more demanding? I missed many beautiful flying days and I want my plane back!!!! Thanks for reading and providing me any recommendations and experiences you may have had.

So I just completed my first annual with my 1968 M20G. Got out with about 42 hours worth of work, with a new tire, new windshield install and a few other little odds and ends. Since this is the first time the IA has seen the plane I expected costs to be a little more than normal. What I would like to inquire, what is the normal amounts paid for an Annual inspection on a Mooney? I realize different shops in different areas charge different rates. So price is one point, but how much time is your AP/IA spending on your annual? I would think if all went well, that should be somewhat stabilized. Thanks Neal

I had a list of things that I wanted to look at before we even started: Starter bendix doesn't always engage Ram air light inop My propeller control is really hard to move, particularly when the engine is cold. Throttle idle adjustment incorrect, engine dies if throttle pulled all the way out Idle mixture adjustment incorrect, engine rise of 150RPM or more when leaning starting at 1000 RPM Gaps and cracks in engine baffles My left fuel tank cap has had the locking lever pop up a couple of times and it does not want to stay all the way down. LED Landing light intercom noise. (It may be because the power for it is routed right along the alternator line) The ELT Antenna broke off; it's just a stub now. Repair left fuel tank gauge / sensor INOP Check ailerons / flaps / rigging for true as aircraft tends to roll left, particularly with the flaps extended Remove the rest of the pink fiberglass insulation and and replace as necessary and completely comply with SB-208. Remove ADF from panel and replace with empty slot cover. Consider applying corrosion-X or similar. During the first part of the inspection we found that there is a crack in the exhaust. I was thinking of a powerflow exhaust, but if it's $300 to repair and re-install the existing one Vs. $4900 for the powerflow, plus a 6-12 week delay, I'll save my money and buy more avgas. But so far things are going well!