Cabin door hard to close

[jrwilson]

Hi all,

Just recently, the cabin  door has been a bit hard to close during part of its travel.  All the way open to about three quarters open it travels freely.  From 3/4 open to 1/4 open, its pretty stiff, then 1/4 open to closed it moves pretty freely again.  I don't see anything obviously wrong with the door arm track (I don't know what it's called).  I lubed it with LPS-1 and it looks clean. 

Any ideas?

Edited May 8, 2018 by jrwilson

[Bartman]

I would lay a straight edge along the hinge and verify it is true. Could it be the bracket at the bottom, I cleaned that good when we installed the new door seal. Also, mine has been blown open on the ramp a couple of times and I cringed, but never any damage.

[Yetti]

The pilot door is not supposed to be opened on earlier Mooney's.  Try some TriFlow on the copilot door track.

 

[jrwilson]

8 hours ago, Yetti said:

The pilot door is not supposed to be opened on earlier Mooney's.  Try some TriFlow on the copilot door track.

 

Sorry, should be “cabin” door...I’ll fix that

Edited May 8, 2018 by jrwilson

[RLCarter]

8 hours ago, Yetti said:

The pilot door is not supposed to be opened on earlier Mooney's.  Try some TriFlow on the copilot door track.

and along the hinge 

[Andy95W]

Suggest you use your fingertips to help try to identify the source of the binding by feeling for things that aren't smooth as you open and close the door.  If the hinge is binding, there is a chance you'll feel odd vibrations if you put your fingertips on the piano hinge as you move the door (from the outside, of course) or sitting in the seat with your fingertips on the slider.

A friend with a 2008 Ovation had enough wear in the piano wire hinge he needed to add tiny, #6 nylon washers between a few of the hinge fingers.  I believe that was a DMax suggestion, in fact.  That was with less than 2000 hours.  My M20C has 7500 hours and the original hinge is fine.  Go figure.

[Yetti]

20 hours ago, RLCarter said:

and along the hinge 

$800,000.00 will fix the pilot door opening issue.

[RLCarter]

2 hours ago, Yetti said:

$800,000.00 will fix the pilot door opening issue.

That's a crap load of TriFlow.......you sure it will work?

[Yetti]

It will be pretty

[Hank]

Check the strap at the bottom of the door. Someone leaning on the door, or slamming it, can bend it, then it will act as you describe. It can be removed, carefully disasembled (don't lose the teeny, tiny ball bearings!) and flattened out. Reassemble, reinstal and lube well with TriFlow. Voice of experience . . . Yes, those little bitty bearings are hard to find on the hangar floor, and yes, they roll really well . . .

[Yetti]

Pro trick.  When taking things with little things apart, do it over a shop towel on a table.   Second tip.  When not following the first tip and you are taking something apart and you hear the tink of it hitting the floor.  Stop looking at what you are doing and look immediately where you heard the tink and follow the part rolling away.     If all else fails, flashlight with cheek to the floor and scan looking for the part that has been trying to return to the wild.

[MARZ]

13 hours ago, Yetti said:

Pro trick.  When taking things with little things apart, do it over a shop towel on a table.   Second tip.  When not following the first tip and you are taking something apart and you hear the tink of it hitting the floor.  Stop looking at what you are doing and look immediately where you heard the tink and follow the part rolling away.     If all else fails, flashlight with cheek to the floor and scan looking for the part that has been trying to return to the wild.

And a very strong magnet in a plastic bag is a great help. 

[ShuRugal]

On 5/9/2018 at 8:00 AM, Yetti said:

Pro trick.  When taking things with little things apart, do it over a shop towel on a table.   Second tip.  When not following the first tip and you are taking something apart and you hear the tink of it hitting the floor.  Stop looking at what you are doing and look immediately where you heard the tink and follow the part rolling away.     If all else fails, flashlight with cheek to the floor and scan looking for the part that has been trying to return to the wild.

My father has a huge problem with parts hitting the floor and vanishing.  I learned to watch the damn things, but once they hit the floor, they get really hard to track.  But, if you know where it fell from, and where it hit the floor, you can usually find it pretty quick:

1. Start where the part fell from
2. look at the spot it hit the floor
3. draw a line through those two points to the next solid object on the floor
4. cone search pattern

 My father uses a different search method:

1. Try to catch it
2. swat it away instead
3. cuss
4. throw things
5. cuss some more
6. hands on hips
7. glare at the floor
8. cuss
9. return to step 7

 

 

I'll let you guess which method is more effective.

[320KPH]

and always look for the part under the exact centre of the largest immovable object in the workshop.....