Wanted: Manifold Pressure Transducer APT-231-100-25A

[chrisbre]

Looking for the above part for a TLS Bravo . Estimated delivery time at Mooney is 275 days, but I can't wait till 2016 to get the Mooney in the air again! Thanks for your help!

[Danb]

omg

[FloridaMan]

Steam panel? EI and Aerospace logic make aftermarket gauges. Granted, my plane is a lot older than yours, but I replaced all of my engine instruments with a JPI EDM-900 with one of the motivating factors being sourcing a replacement sensor or gauge. 

[Cruiser]

Yep, you don't say the cost but it will be a big chunk of the purchase price on a JPI 900 or equivalent.

[chrisbre]

I already conidered an upgrade to EDM900. Parts are $5000,-. Just changing the broken sensor would save a lot of money to spend on 100LL

[N1026F]

Is that the stainless steel cylinder transducer?  I have a 2004 Ovation2 that lists the part from the OEM Mfg named KULITE. I'm having some intermittent problems with the factory gage but I have an 850 that serves the purpose rather well (landings). If the factory is going to take that long and jack up the price, I'm going to the OEM. The site says they are FAA approved components.

[Cruiser]

I already tried going to the OEM.

 

They don't manufacture this item other than special order, if we could get a few thousand others to commit to an order, they might consider making a run of them.

 

What Mooney needs to do is issue revisions to the parts lists that approve the current part numbers for past models.

[Piloto]

Check on the transducer itself for a part number. Google it and likely you will find a supplier for it.

José

[N1026F]

I did exactly as Piloto recommends with the cabin dimming rheostats (turn knobs).  Turns out, the OEM did have to make a run of them. I paid for 5 so I now have 4 extra. Any one need a rheostat?

[N601RX]

I already conidered an upgrade to EDM900. Parts are $5000,-. Just changing the broken sensor would save a lot of money to spend on 100LL

You can get the EDM900 for around 3K.

[N1026F]

I just called the factory and talked to Shanna in parts. She confirmed what Chris said on the lead time of 275 days but said that if we ordered through an authorized service center (I recommend calling Gemini/Dugosh  (830) 315-2222 and talking to Vanette), that she would request expedited processing from Kulite as soon as she heard from Vanette.  Shanna said that its possible we could have the parts in three months. I have nothing to lose--my part has been out that long and the other options are not as attractive. 

 

UPDATE:

 

Oh $#!+--Vannette just told me Mooney wants over 2000.00 for that part!  If you get the same part from Beechcraft its still over $1000.00. Options...options...options. crap.

[Piloto]

I doubt this part was made only for airplanes. Check with the manufacturer to see to who else they sold the part to. Would not be surprised if Pep Boys has them in stock for $19.95.

José

[KSMooniac]

Before you dismiss spending a few thousand on a modern replacement engine monitor, just consider your plane is full of these boutique/expensive instruments and sending units that are pretty much un-supported now.  How will you feel if you spend $2k on a sending unit you get in 3 months, install it, fly for a few months and then the oil pressure sending unit throws craps?  Wait another 3 months and spend another $1k?  

 

It might be time to just bite the bullet and put in a new monitor with modern sending units that are much easier to source and replace, and offers much better capability than what Mooney put in there originally.

[Piloto]

For $160.75 you can get from Aircraft Spruce this

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/in/uma_manifold/manifoldgauges4.php

genuine 2-1/4" MP gauge with no transducer to worry about.

José

[M20R]

About two years ago, my Ovation's manifold pressure transducer started reading low (Moritz gauges). When I contacted Mooney, they said the transducer was no longer in production, but that they had a kit that used a different transducer. I ordered the kit witch included the transducer, installation instructions and a different connector. The new transducer was from Omegadyne.com. If you check their website, they have all sorts of transducers.

Last year someone needed a transducer and called Mooney and they had no knowledge of the kit. Luckily I have all of the paperwork from Mooney.

Note: it has worked perfectly for the last two years.

[M20R]

I pulled out the paperwork for the Mooney retrofit kit for the manifold pressure transducer for Moritz gauges. The paperwork is for Ovations, Eagles and Bravos M20M, R,S. You can buy the transducer directly from Omegadyne for $225.

[N1026F]

OmyGodyne!! That's the best news I've heard all day! Got a part number?

[M20R]

The Mooney Transducer retro kit is part number 94103.

[N1026F]

I just ordered the Omegadyne transducer.  Thank You Don and thank you MooneySpace! Saved me from spending over 6 times as much and a thorough cross-examination from my wife (a very good trial lawyer).

 

If you haven't contributed yet to the continued operation of this website, understand that it will save you more than your voluntary contribution.

[Cruiser]

What did you order and from who?

what is the authorization to install the replacement transducer?

[N1026F]

One of the previous iterations of Mooney specified and approved it with a full set of drawings. But, for some reason ( I suspect not enough profit margin due to aftermarket availability of JPI and the like) it is no longer listed as a "retrofit kit" on the presently-owned website. The design drawings list the MAP and oil transducer part numbers from Omegadyne. It's the exact transducer in the Mooney Factory Retrofit kit part number 94103 approved for the Moritz gauges found on 2000 to 2005 Ovations and Bravos and the drawings indicate a simple rheostat adjustment by pulling the Moritz gauge cluster out towards the cabin and tweeking a screw on the right side of the Moritz box.  There are no AD's rescinding the factory retrofit kit as of this message.

 

The Omegadyne mating connector is a different size compared to the factory original KULITE brand that mates up with the Moritz gauges. There is a new attachment to my previous post that has the pin diagram for the Omegadyne mating connector. 

 

If you'd like the drawings, see attached.IMG-2.pdf

IMG-3.pdf

[DaveC]

I've installed the Omegadyne MP transducer specified in the drawings (PX329-030AV), and the MP only reads 14" at our 5000ft elevation with the engine off.  I suspected a bad transducer, but Omegadyne's tech support said this transducer is PSIA (A=absolute pressure, not inches of mercury), and that the 14" I'm seeing is the correct output for my elevation in terms of absolute pressure.  I've tried adjusting the pot on the side of the Moritz panel, but it only changes the reading by a couple of tenths, not 11".  The connector wiring has been checked and is correct.  I don't have a complete set of the drawings (just the pages posted by N1026F) or the cover letter, so am I missing something?  Do I have a bad Moritz panel? (God forbid!)  Any help would be appreciated.

[carusoam]

See if this helps...

The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure equal to 1013.25 millibars. Equivalent to 29.92 inHg, 14.696 psi.

 

Notice the measurement in inches of mercury, that you are expecting, and another one in psi.

It seems that you are measuring MP in psi or inches of water and not the inches of mercury that you are expecting.

If you have the proper sensor, have your mechanic check your settings regarding the instrument in the panel.

Welcome aboard,

-a-

Edited October 1, 2015 by carusoam

[DaveC]

Carusoam, thanks for the info.  The transducer is the one specified by Mooney for the Ovation2 with the Moritz panels, and the only adjustment on the Moritz engine instrument panel is for Oil Pressure and MP, which just barely moves the MP about .2psi either way.  I'm guessing the transducer is bad, but Omegadyne wants all sorts of details about the Moritz panel specs that I don't have (millivolt signal levels and such), and they are thinking there's NO WAY it could be a bad transducer.  I'm kind of stuck in that they won't send a replacement, and I can't give them the specs they need to get a replacement.  I may have to cough up another $235 for another transducer and see if that works any better than the one I already have.

Dave

[carusoam]

It is appearing too much like that it works, but is scaled for psi and not scaled for inches of mercury.

With industrial pressure gauges, the part numbers usually handle this detail.  See if you can clarify this situation with the sensor people by phone.

Have your mechanic use a phrase like this: 'the pressure sensor that you are looking for, uses the units inches of mercury.  The one they sent to you, uses the units of PSI. Can it be changed/modified in the field? Or replaced with the proper one?'

This logic comes from my engineering background. I am not a mechanic. I am only a private pilot.

If full throttle is us usually showing you 30" and idling usually shows something near 11"(?)...

14" and 5" would be similar in psi. This, in the engineering world would prove that the new sensor is scaled in PSI.  As you know, it would be improper to adopt the new scale for aviation use.

I am still not a mechanic, in case I haven't mentioned it enough....just trying to be helpful.

best regards,

-a-

Edited October 2, 2015 by carusoam