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Vacuum Gauge Replacement


moosebreath

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The little button gauge on my '97 J model sticks.  It is obvious that the scale has come loose inside the case and interferes with the needle.   The question is:

How in the world do you remove that gauge from the lower console?  The console appears to be riveted together.  Surely you do not need to drill out those rivets and disassemble the console to get to the gauge.  If so, I may just tap it to read properly for a while longer ...

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  • 2 years later...
18 hours ago, FlyBoyM20J said:

My J doesn't even have a vacuum gauge and I'd like one.  All I have are the high/low warning lights.

Has anyone found a suitable model to add to a J panel?

Cliff


prior owner added a vac gauge to my 94 panel... the lights don’t tell the story very well...

Standard part from aircraft spruce...

Oddly, the usual JPI doesn’t handle a vac reading...

Going around the vac issue... many are going all electric...

Best regards,

 -a-

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The real mechanics (not my usually reliable hanger elves) noted you can remove just the portion of the console with the vacuum gauge.  I replaced it with a new surplus gauge I found online for around $100.

I attempted to repair the old gauge and only succeeded in ruining it by bending the pointer shaft whilst removing the pointer.

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On 10/29/2017 at 5:26 PM, moosebreath said:

The little button gauge on my '97 J model sticks.  It is obvious that the scale has come loose inside the case and interferes with the needle.   The question is:

How in the world do you remove that gauge from the lower console?  The console appears to be riveted together.  Surely you do not need to drill out those rivets and disassemble the console to get to the gauge.  If so, I may just tap it to read properly for a while longer ...

The side panel on the pilots side of the console is held on with 5 sheet metal screws; two at the top that screw into Adel clamps with Tinnermans and three on the bottom that screw into the nose wheel well. If you take this panel off, you should be able to access everything in the center console. 

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7 hours ago, steingar said:

Me, I would probably use a faulty gauge as a reason to get rid of the  vacuum altogether.  Having my life depend on a little pump with an unpredictable life span who's first sign of trouble is complete failure gives me the willies.

You have given too much credit to the vacuum pump failure... the gyro slowly winds down for a while making its failure not so obvious...:)

Fortunately, vac pumps have decent predictable life for the first 500 hours...

+1 for back-up technologies above the TC level...

Second batteries, second AIs, second vac pumps, for flight in IMC...

PP thoughts only,

-a-

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8 hours ago, carusoam said:

You have given too much credit to the vacuum pump failure... the gyro slowly winds down for a while making its failure not so obvious...:)

Fortunately, vac pumps have decent predictable life for the first 500 hours...

+1 for back-up technologies above the TC level...

Second batteries, second AIs, second vac pumps, for flight in IMC...

PP thoughts only,

-a-

Better yet deep six the whole thing and get some glass panel avionics.

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Second batteries... many glass panels seem to bring their own...

Second alternators... because we can... some flights are pretty long with no stops in between...

Glass displays are showing some pretty good time between failures... failures still exist, so...

Second glass display for the same reason...

 

keep training... practicing... and enjoying life.

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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7 hours ago, PT20J said:

Got to love Mooneyspace where a question about how to replace a $200 gauge turns into a recommendation to spend tens of thousands on new equipment. 

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Yes,

Spending other people money is what we do best! :D

 

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