Gear Horn??

[Wakeup]

I think I know what happened but I  want another oppinion.  I was high on approached and pull power back way back  and put the gear down.  I was 120 mph and a horn blew? I think it's was the gear horn because I had low power??   Thanks. Troy 

[KSMooniac]

The gear horn keys off throttle position, not airspeed.

[carusoam]

Two things required for gear horn...

1) gear is up.

2) throttle is out.  This has some adjustment with the switch and throttle...

 

Troy,

Is your JPI connected to an audio input?

Your other thread mentioned cylinder temperature/cooling rate alarms.  Are they related?

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

The gear warning horn on manual gear Mooneys can be silenced by actuating the switch which is located in the gear latch socket on the instrument panel.  

Newer models have an airspeed derived anti retraction switch connected to the pitot system,  your airplane, if manual gear equipped does not have this.

Clarence 

[gsxrpilot]

It's easy to see if it's the gear horn. Next time it happens, stick your finger up inside the gear block and depress the thin metal switch. (This is the block that holds the top of the manual gear lever when the gear is extended.)  If the horn goes off, then you know.

Use this method to check the Gear lights as well.

[Jim Peace]

7 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

Next time it happens, stick your finger up inside

should you buy the plane dinner first?

[gsxrpilot]

54 minutes ago, Jim Peace said:

should you buy the plane dinner first?

LOL... Don't worry, I've bought a lot more than dinner for this plane.

[kortopates]

Also if the horn was pulsating on and off that would be the gear horn; if you can remember it.

[Wakeup]

Thanks for all the responses. I will look into the suggestions and let everyone know.  Troy 

[astravierso]

I had this happen to me in my "B" when I was getting my complex endorsement after my purchase when I was on final. The instructor who had a ton of hours in my plane just chuckled when I added power and announced my go a round. He let me work through the problem (good airspeed, green light for the gear, relatively stabilized approach) which was the collar on the J-bar was not in the full up position. If you pull the throttle to idle and the collar on the J bar is not in the full up position the horn should squawk at you. Not sure if it is this happens in other manual gear Mooney's or even other "B's" but it does in mine

Cheers

[carusoam]

Good reminder, Astra...!

Troy, you were getting the gear horn with the gear down?

 

The source of this is the gear being down, but not locked.  The source of the problem is often a worn out gear lock block.  The block that the gear handle goes up into.  The round hole easily wears into an egg shaped oval. The handle goes in, but doesn't lock...

You can snap a picture using an iDevice or equivalent.  Next time you are flying with the gear up, snap a photo.p of the hole..

It is pretty low cost to get a new one in there.

 

There is a couple of methods that Mooney pilots use to make sure the lock clicks into place.  Pull on the handle.  If it is locked, it won't release.  Look for something called the thumbnail test.  I think that is the test where putting your thumbnail in the gap indicates too much room, not locked...  need to look that up.

Getting a gear warning horn when you think the gear is down is a hint that something isn't locked correctly.

Best regards,

-a-

[Raptor05121]

14 hours ago, astravierso said:

I had this happen to me in my "B" when I was getting my complex endorsement after my purchase when I was on final. The instructor who had a ton of hours in my plane just chuckled when I added power and announced my go a round. He let me work through the problem (good airspeed, green light for the gear, relatively stabilized approach) which was the collar on the J-bar was not in the full up position. If you pull the throttle to idle and the collar on the J bar is not in the full up position the horn should squawk at you. Not sure if it is this happens in other manual gear Mooney's or even other "B's" but it does in mine

Cheers

Mine did this as well. I learned the "fingernail trick" from someone on here to better show if its locked or not.

[Wakeup]

On November 8, 2016 at 8:48 PM, carusoam said:

Good reminder, Astra...!

Troy, you were getting the gear horn with the gear down?

 

The source of this is the gear being down, but not locked.  The source of the problem is often a worn out gear lock block.  The block that the gear handle goes up into.  The round hole easily wears into an egg shaped oval. The handle goes in, but doesn't lock...

You can snap a picture using an iDevice or equivalent.  Next time you are flying with the gear up, snap a photo.p of the hole..

It is pretty low cost to get a new one in there.

 

There is a couple of methods that Mooney pilots use to make sure the lock clicks into place.  Pull on the handle.  If it is locked, it won't release.  Look for something called the thumbnail test.  I think that is the test where putting your thumbnail in the gap indicates too much room, not locked...  need to look that up.

Getting a gear warning horn when you think the gear is down is a hint that something isn't locked correctly.

Best regards,

-a-

-a-

I went up tonight and pulled down on the handle (JB) and it slides down with some force.   I was surprised It unlatched without pushing the lock in.  When I put it back up into the block you can feel it click in but you can pull down and it will come out.  I did not get a chance to take a picture of the block.  Is this normal ?

Thanks 

[carusoam]

Not normal.  The lock-out is there for a reason.

I don't remember enough detail about how the lock-out feature works to give more advice than that.

Iirc, simple spring and pin... I used to feel the click, then pull down on the handle.  Handle only moved when it wasn't seated properly...  not seating properly can be expensive...

my aluminum block was very oval shaped.  I thought it was supposed to be that way.  I learned about the round hole and how easy it is to swap out from MS.

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

Definitely not normal, Troy.  LASAR has a PMAed replacement that is better than the original.  They say it takes about 2 hours to replace, less if you do it at your next annual.

http://www.lasar.com/mod-details.asp?id=28

 

[Wakeup]

Update!  I went ahead and ordered new block yesterday.  I went flying today and took pictures of the block and it looks good to me but I still plan to replace it this week. Two more problems happened today.  My volts were only 9.5 before cranking and went down to 8.5 while cranking.  Volts increased to 12.5 after it started.  Little background to the story.  It's a brand new Gill battery (one month old). I bought a Concorde battery less then two years ago and had very little time on it because of my fuel sealant isssues. During annual, it was dead so he replaced it with a Gill.  When I was putting plane in hangar I turned the prop a little and it made a grinding sound. Starter was still engaged.  I restarted it without problems but still had the grinding sound when turning the prop.  I talked to my new mechanic on the field and I ordered a new sky tech starter and he is going to charge the battery and test it.  I read somewhere if starter stays engaged it can damage battery.  Not sure what's going on. I am tired of buying new batteries.  Thanks for listening to my bad day. 

[carusoam]

The bendix drive staying engaged...(I think that is what you are describing)

if the starter is used, but the engine doesn't start...  the bendix drive doesn't get stored out of the way...

momentum is the driving force for it's storage.

Cleaning and lubricating keeps that thing working.  It is purely mechanical so the battery problem probably isn't there.

A good slow charge of a battery always helps.  Better than the quick one hour type...

 

As it gets colder battery challenges get more noticeable.  My Tahoe tried to strand me yesterday.  Slow charge, works fine today...

Best regards,

-a-