What is this thing?

[PTK]

I felt something drop on my feet on the floor from under the panel the other day after shut down. It felt like maybe it was a pencil as I do keep a couple extra pencils. I didn't see anything at first and I don't like unanswered questions! So I looked better as I was exiting the airplane and found this thing on the floor. It is a metal (aluminum?) cylinder with a hole down the middle. Looks like some sort of a spacer maybe. Anyone know what it is?

[Super Dave]

It's a quarter. You can buy gum balls with them.

[triple8s]

Looks like it may be a panel spacer.

[Rhumbline]

It's probably a spacer. I have come across several where they support a span between the metal sub-structure and a plastic trim piece and where there is a fastener (screw). I have also found a couple that had migrated to nooks and crannies which had probably been dropped during the manufacturing process since it can be a challenge to hold the spacer in place behind a piece of trim while getting the screw through.

[Alan Fox]

Its Bill Wheats special good luck charm.....He's been looking for it for many years now.........mail it to him ASAP.....

[Marauder]

It looks like a part from your Garmin.

If it is not that, my vote is panel spacer.

[PTK]

Assuming it's a spacer the next question is where did it come from exactly?

The main instrument panel is attached to the tubular frame members with shock mounts which are spacers and vibration dampeners themselves. I replaced these a couple years ago and don't recall any such spacers. The smaller left panel, iirc, is attached directly with screws.

So it doesn't seem this spacer can be from the panel attach points.

Where are these metal spacers found behind the panel?

I flew twice since then and happy to say the panel didn't fall on my lap!

[bonal]

Found one similar to that only it was longer but same diameter came from the seat assembly found lock nut as well on a previous trip. The 2 pieces were part of the bolt spacer and nut that connects the seat back to the pan. Since the bolt was still in place the seat never failed but it was sloppy. Showed it to Dan at LASAR and he knew what it was right away. All fixed.

[N201MKTurbo]

I just took a quick look thru the parts manual and the only spacer I could find was one that supported the ram air door cable.

 

That doesn't look like an aircraft spacer. I would expect it to be cadmium plated, alodined or chromated. That spacer probably came from some aftermarket modification like avionics.

[bonal]

The piece I found other than length was exactly like that same material and diameter . Get hold of Dan at LASAR and send him the photo if it came from a Mooney he will know from where.

[N201MKTurbo]

The seat back spacer is a bit shorter and made of aluminum and it would not fall out from behind the panel.

 

I just put everything that falls off in the pouch in the front of the seat. When I'm working on the plane if I need some odd screw or spacer or whatever I usually find it in the pouch.

[bonal]

Could have been turbulence or a negative G push over (kidding)any way I found the spacer on the floor it was steel and it came from the seat and other than length based on the scale to the quarter was exactly the same. If there are no spacers like that behind the panel then what. Obviously different models will have different parts but that was my experience.

[marky_24]

Look like a roller bearing to me, but I have no idea if there is a roller bearing like that in a Mooney.

http://www.smith-renaud.com/Holo-Rol_Bearings.html

[Awful_Charlie]

Its an 820328-<dash number indicates length> spacer! There's lots of them, mainly behind the top edge of the panel, but also some vertical ones at the bottom of the panel

[DAVIDWH]

Hmmn:

 

Seems to me a classic case of an improper pre-flight.

 

I always look for any loose spacer type cylinders,  high up and under the panel that may fall off in flight.

 

Be thankful your BFR is not pending.

 

Best...

[cbarry]

I agree it looks very similar to a panel spacer. Be thankful it dropped to the floor! I had one drop and land on top of the gear actuator breaker after a rough flight back from CO. Of course when I went to lower the gear, it popped the breaker (thank goodness the breaker worked as designed) and I had to use the emergency gear extension procedure. All of this ended up uneventful, but was just after some work by an avionics shop.

[triple8s]

My 96 ovation has spacers on the right side panel between the tubing structure and the aluminum panel. They aren't all the same length either. It could even be a piece of junk an avionics shop or a mechanic had laying in the cockpit and it's just now rolled around to where you can see it. Maybe......

[alex]

That thing is a sign that you should immediately take your airplane out of service and ground it until you can tear apart the panel and figure out where it goes. The owner is responsible for the airworthiness and that responsibility should not be relinquished by any means, Mechanically inclined or not. ; )

[1964-M20E]

I think you need to rebuild the engine major overhaul

[PTK]

I just took a quick look thru the parts manual and the only spacer I could find was one that supported the ram air door cable.

That doesn't look like an aircraft spacer. I would expect it to be cadmium plated, alodined or chromated. That spacer probably came from some aftermarket modification like avionics.

Thank you N201MKTurbo!

This makes the most sense because I had the SI M20-93 (RAM air system removal) prior to painting my plane. It was most likely that spacer and it was left there when they removed the ram air door cable! It came from around that area too!

[Fritz Kaiser]

Hella PTK,

Take a look to the panel spacer.

The pic is from my ovation .

[carusoam]

Way to go Fritz!!!

I was thinking of going to the airport just to see what is under my panel holding things together.

Your photograph is perfect.

Thank you for sharing.

Peter, is that it?

Best regards,

-a-

[N201MKTurbo]

Looks good to me....

[Releew]

Looks to me like the spacer in the door that provide rigidity between the plastic and the inner frame.  I just repainted my plastic and two fell out when I removed the plastic from the door frame.