Door

[Seth]

My mooney door has three "pins."  One toward teh front of the door at an angle.  One on the top of the door that "grabs" an attachement point, and one directly rear of the exterior handle that extends toward the back of the airplane.

 

The one near the handle that extends near the back of the airplane has stopped protruding and does not lock in place.  Is this an easy fix?  I have not taken the door apart yet, and I'm probably going to simply have this looked at by an A&P, but does anyone have any experience with fixing the pin that doesn't extend anymore?  It's as if that pin is not connected ot the rest of the system anymore.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.  The cabin was just too drafty during my flight yesterday and I realized this was the culprit.

 

-Seth

[OR75]

the plastic on the door is very easy to remove .( remove handle and many tiny screws)

once the plastic is removed, you can easily adjust the latch system

[Seth]

Thanks!  I hadn't really looked too closely yet - but I did see the two screws on the side. 

 

For referance, the airframe is 1983 J model.

 

-Seth

[The-sky-captain]

I had the same issue and found the pin had broken in half at the turnbuckle. I got a new turnbuckle from Maxwell and fixed it myself in about an hour.

[Seth]

Finally going to go open up the door on Saturday to see about figuring out the problem and fixing the horozontal door pin (maybe the turnbuckle).  Anything I should be worried about when opening up the door?  Any springs going to pop out and shoot across the hanger?  tips?

 

I plan to lay a blanket on the wing under the door so if anything falls out I'll hopefully stop before rolling along and onto the floor.

 

-Seth

[FlyDave]

Seth,

 

There is a washer at the rear of the door that holds a large spring inside the door. Those should be the only pieces from the mechanism that will fall out when you take it apart. Door parts are interior screws and a washer at the handle on the inside.

The turnbuckle has a reverse thread on the side that is at the front of the door and regular thread on the side that is at the back of the door. When you put the new turnbuckle in, screw it together all the way, then back it out expanding the length of the rods to adjust for the correct length. Also note that the flat side of the pin goes to the outside of the door - not the inside.

PM me if you have questions.

 

Dave

[PMcClure]

On the topic of doors, I have an adjustment problem maybe you can help me with. The latch at the top is adjusted tight and on the ground alignment looks very good all around. But in flight, the low pressure is pulling the bottom of the door out. The bottom, back corner leaks. If I adjust the top tighter it gets worse. If I loosen the top, it leaks at top and bottom. I don't see any adjustment at the mid latch. Thoughts, ideas?

[Seth]

Seth,

 

There is a washer at the rear of the door that holds a large spring inside the door. Those should be the only pieces from the mechanism that will fall out when you take it apart. Door parts are interior screws and a washer at the handle on the inside.

The turnbuckle has a reverse thread on the side that is at the front of the door and regular thread on the side that is at the back of the door. When you put the new turnbuckle in, screw it together all the way, then back it out expanding the length of the rods to adjust for the correct length. Also note that the flat side of the pin goes to the outside of the door - not the inside.

PM me if you have questions.

 

Dave

 

Thanks Dave - exactly what I was looking for.

[Seth]

On the topic of doors, I have an adjustment problem maybe you can help me with. The latch at the top is adjusted tight and on the ground alignment looks very good all around. But in flight, the low pressure is pulling the bottom of the door out. The bottom, back corner leaks. If I adjust the top tighter it gets worse. If I loosen the top, it leaks at top and bottom. I don't see any adjustment at the mid latch. Thoughts, ideas?

That may be your seal.  That may also be the issue I'm having - the fact that the horozontal aft bolt is not bolting into place.

 

Maybe a better/thicker seal on the bottom may help.

 

 

 

-Set

[PMcClure]

That may be your seal.  That may also be the issue I'm having - the fact that the horozontal aft bolt is not bolting into place.

 

Maybe a better/thicker seal on the bottom may help.

 

 

 

-Set

I have replaced the seal and also put in a new type automotive seal. The thing sure seals up tight on the ground and I see the imprint of the door all around the seal. But up in the air, it leaks every time.  what's the story on your aft bolt?

[Seth]

That does sound like an issue.  Pure speculation?  Maybe a structural brace or component of the door is warped or bent.  I'd have a good Mooney shop look at the door.

 

For me, I did not have a chance to make it to the airport this weekend to tinker - hopefully soon I'll get to the rear pin issue as I don't like my bird sitting for over a week and I'm at eight days right now.

 

-Seth

[Seth]

I finally had a chance Saturday to open up the door and take a look. The pin that extends from the rear of the door into the frame horizontally is connected to the door lever by two tubes and a screw (turnbuckle). The screw itself did indeed snap.

So I need to replace the screw between the turnbuckle, really the center piece of the turnbuckle, and have called my MSC for the part. I figured I could have simply gone to the hardware store, but I'm not sure of the strength of those screws/bolts and though I'm sure it's probaynunder similar to the 30 times more expensive aviation certified part, I'll go with the certified piece.

-Seth

[N201MKTurbo]

While I wouldn't use a part from the hardware store, I would try to find the standard aviation part. It will be much cheaper.