Owner Assisted Annuals

[jax88]

I've got my first annual coming up and was wondering, what should I expect from a shop/mechanic that says they will allow me to assist?  Should I expect to assist in all phases of the annual, just the 24 hours for the inspection portion, some parts of both, only the parts I want to assist with, what?  Should I expect to supply my own tools?  Help me out Mooniacs, what can I expect?

[danb35]

None of us can really answer your question, as it depends entirely on the mechanic/shop you'll be working with.  From what I've heard, the most common arrangement is for you to remove all the appropriate access panels, do normal owner-maintenance type items (change the oil, clean and gap spark plugs, any general cleaning, etc.), and replace the access panels when the inspection is complete.

I did mine last year, and that's about the pattern it followed.  I brought my own basic tools (wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers), and used my IA's when I needed to.  The inspection itself must be completed personally by the IA, but any of the rest of the work can be done by you under his supervision.

[flyby201]

I guess what you will do depends on the mechanic and how mechanically inclined you are.  You can probably expect to do a lot of the "grunt" work such as removing and replacing inspection panels, belly panels,  maybe lubing control surfaces.  I would not think you would be doing anything that is an actual inspection item.  You might assist with the gear retraction test.  You can go to the Mooney web site and under Service/Support->Technical Publications print off the 100 hr/Annual Inspection check list and discuss it with your mechanic as to what you are going to do and what you're not going to do and whether or not you need to provide your own tools.  You might as well start developing good communications with the mechanic now, it will be important during the inspection process.

[flyby201]

I know there are varying opinions on owner assisted annuals.  I personally believe you can't know too much about your Mooney.  Assisting in the annual allows you to learn how everything works inside.

[Immelman]

It depends on.. a lot. When I started, the guidance was "remove these panels" ... "pull the spark plugs" ... I'd then get a 10 minute lesson on how to clean and test the first spark plug, and was told to finish the rest.

Now 3 years later I do nearly all of the servicing and grunt work for the annual, which is where the majority of labor time is. The guidance is something like "get the airplane over here, open it up, here are the keys to the truck and hangar xxx where the jacks are... get it up on jacks, lube the gear, take off the wheels, clean out and repack the bearings, let me know if any need replacing...".

You can plan to start with removing and replacing panels. Some of this (particularly putting them back on for the ones in the empennage) is time consuming. Same with the cowling, spark plug covers, and what (if any) baffling needs to be removed. Servicing the spark plugs is another thing, as I mentioned above a little lesson and then you're off and running. Changing the oil and filter, pulling the sump screen, changing the air filter, re-sealing the avionics access panels (for Mooneys prior to the "J" style windshield), greasing the landing gear (7 zerks on each main, 11 on the nose, and some of them are only accessible with the gear in various positions)... really there is a lot.

My advice is to find a good IA to develop a long relationship with... then the instruction will come in little lessons as you progress, year to year. I had to be taught how to properly do the oil change, safety the filter, etc at first. On this most recent annual I got lessons on how to remove, clean, and replace both fuel screenns, and how to check the down-lock tensions on the gear.

I have slowly built up my set of tools that I carry in the airplane which covers better than 90% of the tooling needs for the ordinary servicing items. Specialized tools, or tools to reach some obscenely hard to reach thing the A&P or IA will typically have - whether they loan any is probably a personal thing.. I would understand if a mechanic did not want to loan tools out. You'll be able to keep yourself occupied for quite a while with merely different sized philips screwdrivers (and/or a good electric drill) for the hundreds of screws that will have to come off and go back on. The nexts 'steps up' on tools would be those to change a spark plug, and change the oil -- if you have those you're most of the way there to cover the servicing tasks. Things like the various lubricants and grease guns are loaned to me.

All of what I've said aboev doesn't mean the IA doesn't inspect... it does mean he spends less time doing it.

 

 

[jax88]

Education is the primary reason I want to assist.  I want to know as much about how everything works as I can get someone to teach me.

[Ron McBride]

I do owner assisted annuals on my Mooney. I have previously completed owner assisted annuals on a Cardinal and a 310. In my hanger, I remove all inspection panels, cowling(s) and the Interior. I lube all of the flight controls and hinges etc. MY IA will inspect the plane. We will do the compression checks together. We will take the plane to his hanger to swing the gear, inspect the brakes and repack the wheel bearings and time the mags. If there is other maintenance the the A&P must complete , he will keep the plane and complete those items. I will reinstall all of the interior, inspection panels and the cowling. Your inspector will allow you to complete what he is comfortable with.   I supply the Mooney inspection check list off of Mooney's website.  I also supply a copy of the AD Notes that apply to the plane. There are about 6 AD notes that apply to the Vinatge Mooneys. Yours may very.

I try to have any supplies needed on hand prior to the inspection, oil, filter, air filter etc.  

I usually have a project at every annual to do. We did the 208A inspection one year, and then I repaired all of the fiberglass panels, Oil or fuel lines one year. I usually pay about $650.00 to $850.00 a year for the inspection and the work needed, plus another $100.00 to $150.00 for parts.

If it takes special tools, we usually do those items in his hanger.

Tools, that you may need, 1/4" and 3/8 sockets extentions and ratchets, Torque wrench. Combenation wrenches. An inexpensive cordless drill. I use a cheap Black and Decker for this work.  My Dewalt tools get very heavy after a while. An assortment of screwdrivers. You will need an 7/8: deep socket thin wall for the plugs and a 3/4 open end wrench for the plug wires. 1/2 drive sockets are not needed.

Ask all of the questions that you want, learn as much about your plane as you can.

Ron

[FlyDave]

Quote: jax88

Education is the primary reason I want to assist.  I want to know as much about how everything works as I can get someone to teach me.

[airfoill]

Randy,

Let me add that you should have in your possession a Mooney Service Manual applicable to your plane and a parts manual so that you can reference any parts you may need.  I have both for my '75 F and makes servicing the plane much easier because of all the torque settings, required lubricants, etc. you will need during annual.

[Gone]

Over the last five years, I have been able to participate in two of my annuals.  They are "owner assisted" in that I get to help.  I was able to help by removing belly panels and the underwing inspection panels.  I helped with the oil change and the inspection of the oil screen.  All because Clarence likes having us interested in our own aircraft.  It makes his job easier if we know more about the airframe, the engine and the aircraft systems.  I was an "apprentice" and that was OK.

Things are different five years later.  The oil screen is gone and I have an overhauled engine with an oil filter.  I now live 10 Mooney minutes away from his shop (instead of 90) and I can actually drive to help work on the aircraft when it is there.

I now bring my own tools to Tri City Aero and the interior is currently half stripped out so that I can change some electrics under the headliner and install new insulation materials.  The circuit breaker panel work is now done.  Clarence is doing the annual this yearwhile I am overseas.  I won't be back till Friday. I will plumb the wiring for my new 406 MHz ELT within the next few weeks and help with cleaning up the wiring behind the panel. New seat foam will make old seats more comfortable. 

Everything I do is inspected before anyone signs off and that makes me feel safer.  A bit of a different approach for an owner assisted annual, but it works for me when I can participate.

[Jerry 5TJ]

Just finished my "eternal annual" on the 65C.   This was my 7th owner-assisted Mooney annual, working under an IA.   In actual fact that means I do about 95% of the work and get his opinion on anything I am not sure about. 

This annual was a bear, with about 4 months of part-time work.  I figure I spent about 80 - 90 hours of my time. I added up the parts and sub-contracted services and that total came to a bit under $5,000.  Yikes.  So, it was more extensive and expensive than past annuals I've done.  

Those of you who have done this type of work understand right away when I say "I just kept finding more to do." All jobs seemed to take at least twice as long as you'd expect as minor "gotchas" kept springing up. 

I posted about the generator elsewhere -- the short version is I started out to "just" tighten up a loose bracket and ended with a fully refurbished generator and new electronic controller 16 labor hours later.  Nah, you say, couldn't have taken that long.  I kept a log; it did.

The AI had been getting sluggish, so I sent it out for refurbishing.  The DG had developed a hankering for a slow turn Leftward no matter what the flight path, so I got a new vacuum DG, with heading bug and interface for the S-Tec autopilot that I don't yet have...there went another $850 on parts.  I had a hankering for a second, electric AI for those IMC rides, and found a nice one for a mere $600.  All those gyros sure work nice now, tho, and are bang on even after several 360 turns at a 60 degree bank angle.  The electric AI should not tumble at any angle, but I did not test that claim fully in flight.

New tires all around seemed a good idea.  I hate to reuse the tubes, so stuff new tubes in those nice new tires. and while the wheels were off, might as well pack the bearings and check the brake linings.  Yep, linings were thin and loose, so put on new brake linings.  You can get aftermarket linings, but the name-brand ones are about $90 a set now, gee, I think it was a lot cheaper when I bought them back in ~1994 for my "E" model.  

The hole in the original gear uplock block was about as round as a watermelon, so Lasar sold me a nice new PMA part.  That's, er, $325.  Not hard to put on.  Lake Aero suggested I could swap it in flight but I decided the better part of valor, etc, and did the job while the plane was up on jacks. It only took about an hour and a half so they were right, I COULD have done it airborne.

The PC valve in the yoke was acting odd, but those assemblies were backordered, so I took my old button/valve apart.  The internal spring was broken in three, but I found just about the right replacement at a specialty house.  The two O rings were cracked and split, a bit of searching and those are available, too.  I cleaned out 45 years of greasy gunk and now the PC valve responds RIGHT NOW when you push it in and it works every time and not just when it feels like it.   That was cheap, maybe $10 worth of parts but it must have taken six hours to track down just the right items.  

That old Loran antenna looked nice on the rear deck, but it did not add much value now that the USCGS has turned off the pulses.  I replaced that whip with a nearly form-fit VHF Comm + XM radio combo whip.   Of course I had to take out the hat shelf and pull out all the insulation to get at that antenna, and of course the hole pattern was not QUITE the same, so a new stiffener was called for. 

The left tank was staining a bit again after two years, so I drained it and did another partial seal.  That job would be a lot more fun if I had about six elbows in my arm.  

No valuable insight here other than the obvious -- if you do it yourself you know what's been done there, and you will spend all the time you care to devote to getting just the essential tasks finished.  Never mind the "would be nice" items; I bumped most of them back to next year's list.

My test flight today was great -- at last I now have an airplane again and not a project strewn about the hanger.