Unnoticed on the pre-buy

[Ras]

Hello Mooneyspace folks, I'm new here.

 

So I bought a 1962 C-model back in May.  My wife & I have had a great time putting ~50 hours on the tac since then.  However, after reading some of your informative posts about bubbling paint and corrosion in the wheel wells, I decided to take a closer look.  I found one bad spot near the right gear aft attach point.  Another spot I'm not sure of- it's right under the wing walk.  It looks like it could be some sort of adhesive/sealant chipping off...or more corrosion.  What do you think?  Is it safe to fly?  What's it going to cost to fix?

 

Thanks!

 

-Ras

 

[mooneygirl]

I would talk to Teresa at ArtCraft Paint in Santa Maria.  In the past five years she has painted 30 plus Mooneys.  She would be able to give you a good recommendation.  http://www.Artcraftpaint.com

 

You can check out my gallery for examples of her work. 

[Rwsavory]

I would fly it and have a Mooney expert examine it soon.

[jetdriven]

You can clean that off with a Nylox wheel and a drill to se the extent of the damage. It might not be bad, but you dont know until you get the peeling paint off it.  At a minimum, retreat the bare metal with chromate primer to stop the spread.

[Sabremech]

Have your shop or A&P clean It up and evaluate it. Flaking paint, sealant or corrosion isn't something that only an MSC can evaluate.

[Shadrach]

The spot on gear attach point does not look like corrosion to me, just grease and pealing paint which is not atypical of the M20 airframe. That rivet seam definitely displays signs on intergranular corrosion. I'm not sure exactly what section it is. The problem is intergranular corrosion typically starts beneath the surface and works it's way outward. It is conceivable (but not likely IMHO) that this was not visable when the prebuy was done. Who did the pre-buy? I would clean it up and have a closer look before I did anything. While nylox is a good choice for aluminum, I would avoid using power tools out of the gate. Start with a brass brush and clean it by hand. As you get further into it, a determination can be made as to whether a more heavy handed approach is needed. It does not look too bad, but that does not mean it isn't. It may be possible to remove the affected section of stringer and replace it with a doubler. If the corrosion is confined to a small section, now would be the time to do it. It will only become more costly as it travels. The other option if it's minor, is to clean it up, seal it and monitor it regularly...

[OR75]

Tough to say on pictures but a mechanic will be able to examin and direct you. If needed ask a second opinion. Not sure a MSC is needed at this stage unless major work will be required .

In general, if it is surface corrosion , it should be an easy fix. If the metal is swollen, that's bad news.

[N201MKTurbo]

FWIW. You can still get real Zinc Chromate from West Marine.