Looking at an M20E

[Bob_Belville]

23 minutes ago, bob865 said:

May be a challenge to find blue stains on the blue carpet. 

I'll take a look and see what I can see, or ask that it get checked during the pre-buy.

If the tanks are reasonably full and there is no smell when you open the cabin I would not think there is a current leak there. Personal experience, a very slow, small leak will smell in a closed cabin. If the owner has 3 or 4 air fresheners in the cabin... be suspicious.  

[KLRDMD]

10 hours ago, bob865 said:

Talked to the mechanic about it and he shared that the incident happened while the plane flying at a local field doing touch and go's . . .

[Raptor05121]

Make sure they OPEN THE BELLY. If its leaking, it will most likely accumulate there

[MyNameIsNobody]

22 hours ago, bob865 said:

So I finally got a chance to look through the books to find some more information on the plane.

The 'overhaul' that the owner spoke about was due to a prop strike.  So not an overhaul at all.  The engine is a 1600-ish hour SMOH engine.  The prop however is truly 300-ish hours SPOH as it was replaced with an overhauled prop at the time.  New blades and new hub.

The inspection/repair was done by G&N aircraft in Griffith, IN.  The repair is well documented in the logs and seems to be pretty extensive.  So not a 300 hr overhauled engine as originally suggested, but 300 since prop strike.  It did receive new (rebuilt) magnetos and new (rebuilt) lifters, new bolts and seals as required for a tear down and necessary magnaflux inspection.  There are the matching log entries in the airframe log for mounts, etc that were inspected and replaced following the incident.

Talked to the mechanic about it and he shared that the incident happened while the plane flying at a local field doing touch and go's and the strike was so minor the pilot didn't know he had even tipped the prop till he returned the plane home.  Is this likely?  Seems like a prop strike would be a violent event that you would always know it happened?

I've talked to AGL Aviation as suggested by @Bob_Belville about a pre-buy to get someone who KNOWS mooney's to take a look.  In the process of trying to get insurance arranged to get the plane up there.  The owner has lost his medical and neither myself or my partner can fly it, but I have found a ferry pilot who has agreed to do the flying and working with the insurance to make sure they will allow it.  As soon as that clears, I'm going to get it scheduled to get into AGL for a pre-buy.

Progress......Slow Progress.......but still Progress. 

The plot thickens.  So it is a 1600 hour engine.  When was the overhaul completed?  How much has the plane flown?  If tanks have not  been resealed they will need it done.  Sealant just breaks down over decades.  Get a pre-buy and price accordingly.  Engine does not have much value.  What you get is a "bonus" before the "hit".  Good luck.