Preparing Mooney for 1-3 Years without Flying

[rakesb]

Appears we will be living abroad for the next 1-3 years. Looking for advice on how to prepare our 1966 Mooney M20C with Lycoming O-360-A1D. Hangared in south central Missouri with average lo/hi temps of 19-87 F, 47" rainfall, and relative humidity averaging 53-83%. Jack stands, oil, plugs, corrosion prevention, insect protection, etc.? --Bobby (rakes_bobby@hotmail.com)

 

 

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[kerry]

I recommend you let your favorite fellow mooniacs take it for a cruise once a week.

[Raptor05121]

Dessicant plugs, preservative oil/camguard off the top of my head. Maybe large silica packets in the cabin? At the very least have someone come by and make sure rats and spiders arent taking home in it.

Of course flying it would be the best bet. No option of having a friend fly it often or leaseback? I would be scared of intentionally letting that cam sit 3 years without any oil on it

[Cyril Gibb]

The ultimate engine pickling... Fill the engine case with fresh oil, right up to the top of the oil filler tube.  Fill the cylinders with oil from the top plug.

[kerry]

1 hour ago, Cyril Gibb said:

The ultimate engine pickling... Fill the engine case with fresh oil, right up to the top of the oil filler tube.  Fill the cylinders with oil from the top plug.

marvelous mystery oil

[ArtVandelay]

I recommend you let your favorite fellow mooniacs take it for a cruise once a week.

But then he has to pay for an annual every year...and repairs.
I would try to sell it if your hangar rent is expensive.

[ArtVandelay]

marvelous mystery oil

No! Not for pickling, I would use before an oil change to clean the engine.
Then change the oil, put minimal clean oil in, take it around the pattern, then replace it with preservation oil. This will insure all nasty byproducts are gone.

[Danb]

Engine dehumidifier 

[orionflt]

10 hours ago, rakesb said:

 

Appears we will be living abroad for the next 1-3 years. Looking for advice on how to prepare our 1966 Mooney M20C with Lycoming O-360-A1D. Hangared in south central Missouri with average lo/hi temps of 19-87 F, 47" rainfall, and relative humidity averaging 53-83%. Jack stands, oil, plugs, corrosion prevention, insect protection, etc.? --Bobby (rakes_bobby@hotmail.com)

 

 

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10 hours ago, kerry said:

I recommend you let your favorite fellow mooniacs take it for a cruise once a week.

I second finding some one you trust to utilize the plane in your absence, but if that is not a good options then full preservation including sealing up the cabin. if you would like a detailed recommendation you can PM me. I am assuming you are military (Army) if you have any helos on base you can talk to that unit to see if they have some of the stuff you will need for long term preservation. they may have foil paper, desiccant and tape to do short term preservation on the helos. the idea of an engine dehumidifier is a great idea for short term storage and if you have one i recommend using it on the engine for the week before you preserve it, but you won't need it once the engine is properly preserved.

Brian

[exM20K]

Especially if your time abroad is more like three years and less like one, I'd sell it.  Hangar, insurance, cost of money, deterioration from disuse, logbooks showing years of disuse, and so on make storing it for years an expensive proposition.   Planes are easy to buy, and maybe your mission has changed on your return. 

Or.... is it possible to ferry it to your overseas posting? You're free to fly your "N" registered plane on your FAA certificate in most of the 1st world..

Edited August 15, 2017 by exM20K

[N201MKTurbo]

Salt is a cheap and effective desiccant. Put a couple of 5 gallon buckets half full of rock salt in the baggage compartment to keep the cabin dry. Use it in your water softener after you get back.

[carusoam]

What are the choices...?

1) Sell, sell, sell... Best known outcomes.

2) Store it away... Monthly expenses, insurance and maintenance activities. Dehydrators and rat patrol...

3) Keep it active... Paying somebody else to fly your plane, all at your expense

4) Pickle It the best you can, come back when you are ready, absorb the costs for what didn't work out as hoped for...

5) What changes to your typical flight mission will occur by the time you get back...?

6) Buy a J when you get back..?

It is hard to make ownership decisions without a better defined horizon than 1-3 years.

Tune up the Disney channel sound track...   'let it go.....'

Fill in the reasons of why you would want to keep it.

Weigh them against the reasons why you would want to let it go.

List the costs of keeping it.  Real and possible.

List the costs of letting it go.  Real and possible.

Working in Europe (and other areas of the world) is a great experience.  I took some work friends flying around Manhattan when they visited the US...

The time line measured in years is incredibly long...  

On the East coast, the monthly expenses would rival the value of the plane after three years.  

The worse that could happen...

• You spent the money,
• the cam rusts, and
• rodents moved into your plane peeing on the important parts.
• An expensive radio lets the smoke out when you turn it on

 No skipping on insurance, for all the odd outcomes that are possible...

Tough choices...

Best regards,

-a-

[N201MKTurbo]

Or just fly it to Arizona and find a place to park it. Nothing corrodes here. The air force and the airlines store their planes here.

[gsxrpilot]

There is no way I'd try to pickle a Mooney and let it sit for three years. You might as well scrap it.

I've thought of this scenario quite a bit myself. There is a chance that I'd get the opportunity to live abroad again. I would not plan to sell my 252. But I wouldn't let it sit either. 

If this scenario happens to me, I plan to find a partner or two who will either buy into the plane and use it while I'm gone. Or just allow some young CPL/CFI who needs to build time, to use it as long as they can pay the cost of running it. They'd be named on my insurance and so the plane is fully covered if something happens. This also allows me quick access to fly it when I'm home for vacation or otherwise.

I'd rather let someone use my plane for free, than let it sit for an extended period of time.

[BigAl]

I would be head over heals happy to fly your bird for you while you are gone!

[jasona900]

1 hour ago, gsxrpilot said:

There is no way I'd try to pickle a Mooney and let it sit for three years. You might as well scrap it.

I've thought of this scenario quite a bit myself. There is a chance that I'd get the opportunity to live abroad again. I would not plan to sell my 252. But I wouldn't let it sit either. 

If this scenario happens to me, I plan to find a partner or two who will either buy into the plane and use it while I'm gone. Or just allow some young CPL/CFI who needs to build time, to use it as long as they can pay the cost of running it. They'd be named on my insurance and so the plane is fully covered if something happens. This also allows me quick access to fly it when I'm home for vacation or otherwise.

I'd rather let someone use my plane for free, than let it sit for an extended period of time.

While living overseas for two years, I had a friend who took care of my Luscombe and Swift.  He was someone I trusted, and took excellent care of both airplanes.  He flew each about 2-3 times a month, so not putting an excessive amount of time on them, but didn't let them rot either.  Pickling is a great way to preserve the engine, but I would be concerned about the prop seals, landing gear, instruments, and other systems gremlins can get their hands on.   I still paid for the annuals, and insurance (which I did get his name on the policies).  It worked out well for me and him.. and the airplanes were taken care of.

[cliffy]

Is it inside?  You didn't mention that part?

I'd take it to the desert southwest and find a hangar out there rather than stay where you are. 3 years is a long time to sit no matter how well you preserve it. 

Finding someone you trust to fly it (keeping full insurance and annuals) may be your best option, if you want to keep it. If something happens to it, its insured. 

Me? I've got a C too and if I was going away for that length of time I'd sell it and find something else when I got back. No telling how your situation or wants might change in 2 or 3 years (and I've had mine for 16 years and I'd still sell it). 

[Shiny moose]

Opinion only! Do not let it sit, do not try and pickle it, what you miss will be expensive to repair, and mice and others love quite places! Find a good friend or trusted local CFI trying to build time without instructing to fly it a few times a month maybe make a deal that they pay for fuel, have them keep it clean, washed, waxed, fueled, keep it insured and in annual, pay for repairs, Come home to a flying clean, aircraft. If you can't keep it flying, sell it.




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[75_M20F]

http://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/tanis1.php

Engine preservation kit.

 

[jetdriven]

That kit will keep the cylinders happy but how does it keep the cam and lifters from corrosion? The preservative oil wil run off of and the desiccant plugs will saturate. It says check the hem every 15 days. 

The black max dehydrator require no dessicant and it can be left on 24-7. Dry engine,  no corrosion, right?

[rakesb]

Thank you so much, Everyone, for your comments, and especially for your advice. I'm overwhelmed with appreciation and contemplation. Yes, working for the Army and going to Japan. Turned down this exact job offer two years ago, and my wife is convinced that it was because of our Mooney. Actually, it was far more complicated, but I cannot deny that leaving our Mooney behind was a significant factor. So much to consider...

[jasona900]

I was stationed in Okinawa for two years... some of the best years of my career.  Mainland Japan is fantastic as well.  PM me with any questions you may have about the move, or living there. 

[mccdeuce]

I left my airplane with someone I trust whan I was gone for a year.  They were responsible for the insurance, hangar and an annual on the backside.  In the end they flew the aircraft about 80 hours and returned her in the same condition if not better than I lent it to them.  Yes it requires a trusted friend, but by having them take the yearly costs it made them feel more responsible for the aircraft and worked well for both parties.