Need some help on a few things

[Raptor05121]

I'm separating this from my regular thread. I'm wondering if you guys have some advice for three things:

1.) Doghouse. My plane has the stock Garwin CHT on #3 and on climbout it is at 400 or a little over, and its cold out. I'm afraid to see what my temps will be come summertime. Cruise is a little less than 400. I have LOTS of breaks in the top of the doghouse, looks like the previous owner sawed it open to get to the top spark plugs. There are some splits, gaps on openings, etc. Even the starter and all have openings around them. I'd like to seal them up, but with what? Also, how beneficial is the LASAR guppy mouth enclosure with temps? Worth the $500?

2.) Lights. My interior lights are INOP. I think the dimmer is disconnected. Do most instruments have backlighting? Can I swap them to LED and hook them up to a new dimmer? Also, the top map lights and white dome light are INOP, I believe blown bulbs only. Anyone have part numbers for these?

3.) Back seat. During my previous previous annual, we removed the back seat and can't find the nuts and bolts to reinstall them (safely). I'd like to order completely new hardware for the seat belt assemblies and the back rest, etc. Anyone have a maintenance manual handy that could crack it open for me?

I work nightshift so I wake up pretty late in the day to bother my mechanic, I'm trying to do the legwork with my free time at work but I'm severely limited. Thanks if anyone can help!

[jrwilson]

For the doghouse, order some new parts from mooney, only order the parts that have the most curves and effort, and have your mechanic make the easy parts.  The mooney parts are pricey, but they might save some money over your mechanic trying to do some of them with trial and error.  Unless your mechanic is great with sheet metal.  The new doghouse parts are really worth it; I did it on my C and temps dropped a bit.  Then try some metal tape also to cover any tiny gaps.

on the LASAR enclosure; I think it is worth it, it is supposed to improve cooling and I think it probably does.  Gives a bit of speed and most importantly it looks much better!

[Hank]

The guppy mouth closure will help cooling. Without it, studies have shown that air flows out the guppy mouth instead of into it . . .

I rebuilt my doghouse over two annuals, and my plane is now 10mph faster (some may be due to fixing the carb heat flapper, too), AND I can run 25°LOP at altitude.

This is what mine used to look like. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by Hank

[KLRDMD]

1 hour ago, Raptor05121 said:

Doghouse. My plane has the stock Garwin CHT on #3 and on climbout it is at 400 or a little over, and its cold out. I'm afraid to see what my temps will be come summertime. Cruise is a little less than 400. I have LOTS of breaks in the top of the doghouse, looks like the previous owner sawed it open to get to the top spark plugs. There are some splits, gaps on openings, etc. Even the starter and all have openings around them. I'd like to seal them up, but with what? 

Guy Ginby

Gee-Bee Products

N77GB@MSN.com

800-556-3160

His baffles are excellent and consistently get good reviews. If he makes something for your airplane, I'm sure it will make a difference. It lowered temperatures on my Twin Comanche by over 25º.

[Hank]

20 minutes ago, KLRDMD said:

 

His baffles are excellent and consistently get good reviews. If he makes something for your airplane, I'm sure it will make a difference. It lowered temperatures on my Twin Comanche by over 25º.

Is it possible to convert our O-360s from doghouse to baffles? Who / how / how much???

[KLRDMD]

15 minutes ago, Hank said:

Is it possible to convert our O-360s from doghouse to baffles? Who / how / how much???

I don't know but he would be the one to ask.

[cctsurf]

I was searching for GeeBee baffles online and found this:  https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/programs/sups/upn/media/98-071r.pdf

It's an unapproved parts notification...  GeeBee definitely does not have a PMA for producing baffles.  As someone mentioned above, you may be able to install them under the owner produced part language, but make certain you and your mechanic know what you are doing about that (Mike Busch has an excellent webinar on the topic  https://youtu.be/QpAnUzJbai0)

 

[Andy95W]

Baffling repair is 95% basic sheet metal work (and fairly simple as well).  I doubt you or your A&P will need to order new parts from Mooney or Gee Bee.  You will probably need him to order some of the silicone baffling material, if he doesn't have any on hand (he probably does.)

Its slow, methodical work that may not be completed in one try.  Keep at it, it pays off in the long run.

The cowling closure added some speed and might have helped some in cooling benefits.  You shouldn't expect to see cooler temperatures until your baffling is up to snuff, though.

If nothing else, it makes it look a helluva lot better for not much money:

[Hector]

I'm separating this from my regular thread. I'm wondering if you guys have some advice for three things:

1.) Doghouse. My plane has the stock Garwin CHT on #3 and on climbout it is at 400 or a little over, and its cold out. I'm afraid to see what my temps will be come summertime. Cruise is a little less than 400. I have LOTS of breaks in the top of the doghouse, looks like the previous owner sawed it open to get to the top spark plugs. There are some splits, gaps on openings, etc. Even the starter and all have openings around them. I'd like to seal them up, but with what? Also, how beneficial is the LASAR guppy mouth enclosure with temps? Worth the $500?

2.) Lights. My interior lights are INOP. I think the dimmer is disconnected. Do most instruments have backlighting? Can I swap them to LED and hook them up to a new dimmer? Also, the top map lights and white dome light are INOP, I believe blown bulbs only. Anyone have part numbers for these?

3.) Back seat. During my previous previous annual, we removed the back seat and can't find the nuts and bolts to reinstall them (safely). I'd like to order completely new hardware for the seat belt assemblies and the back rest, etc. Anyone have a maintenance manual handy that could crack it open for me?

I work nightshift so I wake up pretty late in the day to bother my mechanic, I'm trying to do the legwork with my free time at work but I'm severely limited. Thanks if anyone can help!

Alex, text me your email address and I'll send you the Mooney parts and maintenance manuals in the morning. The doghouse is just sheet metal parts. Any AP should be able to make repairs or even fabricate some parts. If everything is in terrible shape then it may make more sense to replace it all and I can look up someone who sells a complete doghouse kit (it's in my contacts somewhere). You need to seal every hole, gap, or tear in the doghouse or you will get terrible cooling and will start cooking cylinders in the summer. Around the starter and alternator we use a felt type material and I can looks that up in spruce catalog. In my C the instruments are not lighted. I have torpedo lights on the cabin overhead with red lens aimed at the panel. I converted those to red LEDs that are much brighter providing more than sufficient illumination at night (dimmer still works with the LEDs). Might need to get them working again first and I'll share the LED conversion if you want to try that. For the bulbs that are not working you may just need to remove them and read the P/N right of the bulb.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Raptor05121]

Thanks Hector, my e-mail is my screenname @ yahoo.com