pulling the mixture

[lotsofgadgets]

I don't think this is what is supposed to happen when you pull mixture to cutoff during engine shutdown

fortunately this happened on the ground as I was parking the plane.  

 

 

[Hank]

McFarlane will make a replacement for you.

P.S.--good job with the timing of this!

Edited August 21, 2017 by Hank

[gitmo234]

If the timing were any worse it could have really made a short final interesting

[Bolter]

Same thing happened to me ('83 201) in February this year.  Also on the ground, but at runup.  

McFarlane got me the part fast, "made to my spec".  Strongly recommend them.  New part is better than original.

Install included some bloody knuckles and making a custom tool to reach some nuts in tight spaces.  

[Little Dipper]

I've never seen that before.

 

[Ftlausa]

I think you misunderstood what they meant by the phrase "mixture cut off;"  you are not supposed to actually cut the mixture control off of the plane!

[lotsofgadgets]

I wound up getting the control drop shipped from Mooney via the Wilmar, MN MSC.  It was about $50 more than the McFarlane custom control,  but didn't require a 337 or owner provided parts option.  Not surprisingly, the new part is made by McFarlane. 

Timing was everything, I had already scheduled my first Oil Change on Friday and this happened Tuesday.  Mooney had the part at the mechanic by 10AM Friday and I pulled 63Z over for our scheduled 12:30 appointment.  It only took an hour to pull the old cable out and get the new one threaded thru the firewall, but it took 2 more hours to get the right clamps to attach the business end to the engine bracket lots of trial and error.  We didn't have to resort to custom tools to secure the nuts behind the dash, but it took creative use of a crowsfoot and extension along with a long combination wrench to get the job done.  

What a difference!  the new control is so smooth and precise.  On the first flight we could see the EGT rising with each twist of the mixture, with the old cable it was set and check back later.

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by lotsofgadgets
changed fuel control to engine bracket

[carusoam]

Great detail for a really scary situation, Lotso!

Thanks for sharing the details and photo.

Best regards,

-a-

[Tommy]

Question: what does one deal with this if it happens mid-flight? 

[Bob_Belville]

21 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Question: what does one deal with this if it happens mid-flight? 

Better to take preventive action.

We see a lot of pictures posted of panels that reveal that folks are spending a lot of money on avionics and do not realize that those 30 or 40 or 50 year old cables, throttle, prop, mixture might be ready to come apart at an inconvenient time. McFarlane says the life of a cable is about the same as an engine. 1 AMU should take care of all 3.

[carusoam]

MS has a few examples of engine control cable breakage over the years...

It isn't limited to mixture, or MP, or rpm.... it can be any of them.

If they are original,  it would be good to have a replacement plan in place...

Is there anything more critical?   (Rhetorical type question)

Ignition switch can cause a surprise if it's original also...

Thinking out loud,

-a-

[lotsofgadgets]

1 hour ago, Tommy said:

Question: what does one deal with this if it happens mid-flight? 

put it back in "I love Lucy" style ;-)

 

 

[steingar]

12 hours ago, Tommy said:

Question: what does one deal with this if it happens mid-flight? 

Land as soon as practicable.

[RobertGary1]

Yea, push it back in in flight. The sheath is narrow enough that the cable should still push against the broken piece, they shouldn't pass each other. 

That's what "balls to the wall" means. The old school engine controls had ball ends.

-Robert

[steingar]

My mixture control looks suspiciously like my flap control, enough so that I grabbed the wrong one while learning to fly the Mooney.  I mentioned getting a different cable to my mechanic, who told to just paint the knob on the one I have orange.  Wise man, my mechanic.

[bradp]

What's the failure mode for mixture control? Is there a spring that goes to full rich ?

[Guest]

6 hours ago, bradp said:

What's the failure mode for mixture control? Is there a spring that goes to full rich ?

If you're lucky it will stay where it is when the cable breaks.  Diamond DA40 has springs.

Clarence

[jetdriven]

11 hours ago, bradp said:

What's the failure mode for mixture control? Is there a spring that goes to full rich ?

 I had the connector on the  end of my mixture cable come loose in flight and the mixture stayed right where it was, LOP cruise. Fortunately it was well balanced enough to where it ran very lean at lower altitudes but it would run smooth and It got us home. After that I installed a rod end on that. The old captured ball thing sawed the cotter pin off and the end plug came out, freeing the ball.