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Needed—A&P Checklist for gear at annual


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 I was watching a FAA wings program about how to avoid gear up landing‘s and gear collapses.  It was presented by and for Bonanza pilots however a lot of the content was specific to all electric gear. 

So, these Bonanza guys have an extensive check list for the gear maintenance at annual.  I don’t have any relationships with a MSC if anyone does and could get us a copy or has one for a J, it would be greatly appreciated.  I understand that some if not all should be accomplished by an experienced Mooney A&P or IA and the electric gear on my J requires 1 special tool.  

 

Mooney take away from the program?   If you have an a voltage issue, (anything but full voltage) there may not be enough juice to fully extend nose gear into position.  It was advised after extending gear electrically, also do so manually also this greatly reduces chance nose wheel collapse.  

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12 minutes ago, MooneyMartian9 said:

 I was watching a FAA wings program about how to avoid gear up landing‘s and gear collapses.  It was presented by and for Bonanza pilots however a lot of the content was specific to all electric gear. 

So, these Bonanza guys have an extensive check list for the gear maintenance at annual.  I don’t have any relationships with a MSC if anyone does and could get us a copy or has one for a J, it would be greatly appreciated.  I understand that some if not all should be accomplished by an experienced Mooney A&P or IA and the electric gear on my J requires 1 special tool.  

 

Mooney take away from the program?   If you have an a voltage issue, (anything but full voltage) there may not be enough juice to fully extend nose gear into position.  It was advised after extending gear electrically, also do so manually also this greatly reduces chance nose wheel collapse.  

I could send you my annual checklist when I get home if you would like.

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2 hours ago, MooneyMartian9 said:

Mooney take away from the program?   If you have an a voltage issue, (anything but full voltage) there may not be enough juice to fully extend nose gear into position.  It was advised after extending gear electrically, also do so manually also this greatly reduces chance nose wheel collapse. 

I’m not quite sure what to make of this statement.  The landing gear in all models of Mooney is mechanically interlinked between the nose and main.  We don’t suffer from nose gear collapse like bonanzas when the gear actuator goes bad.  Unless so badly out of rig that one overcenter lock is engaged without another (almost impossible), the landing gear is locked when the floor indicator says its locked.  No need for  or indication to do anything manually. I would not engage the manual crank to push the gear further down unless you have a partial extension for some reason and your gear down indicator is also telling you the gear is not down. 

 

I would highly recommend sitting under the plane with the belly pans off during the retract test during annual to see how the gear works.  It’s a pretty ingenious design.  

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3 minutes ago, bradp said:

I’m not quite sure what to make of this statement.  The landing gear in all models of Mooney is mechanically interlinked between the nose and main.  We don’t suffer from nose gear collapse like bonanzas when the gear actuator goes bad.  Unless so badly out of rig that one overcenter lock is engaged without another (almost impossible), the landing gear is locked when the floor indicator says its locked.  No need for  or indication to do anything manually. I would not engage the manual crank to push the gear further down unless you have a partial extension for some reason and your gear down indicator is also telling you the gear is not down. 

 

I would highly recommend sitting under the plane with the belly pans off during the retract test during annual to see how the gear works.  It’s a pretty ingenious design.  

That is for a Bo. Apples and Oranges.

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if you go to the mooney service manual there is a jig tool that you use with torque wrench.  This jig enables you to check the load on rod springs of the main gear.

If you are not in spec...you need to loosen all four extension  pushrods (one for each wing wheel & two for the nose wheel) to little or no play, then you need to equally extend the adjustment to create a loaded condition when the gear is extended.  It is in the book, but I highly recommend only an experienced A&P mechanic do it because you will pay dearly for the learning curve.  It is an ingenious design...I am amazed by it.  I helped my experienced A&P mechanic do it, and it is a good feeling to "get it right"  One thing that people don't even look at is in the wing there are giant counterbalance functioning springs.

another feature of the design is that when the wing gear is past center, it reaches a point when pressure is on it, it is mechanically locked to keep from collapsing.  The little gear motor is like a windshield wiper motor....the breaker is only a 15 amp one...on its own has very little torque, but torque is magnified in the gear box...there is enough torque that is something restricts a smooth operation, the hollow steel pushrods could be bent when extending the gear....the breaker will trip pretty easily if so loaded up...when you do the mechanical extension make sure someone is under the plane watching as the multiplying of physical power of pulling the ratcheting cable can put damaging loads on the pushrods....and there is no 15 amp breaker to stop the manual extension....something has to give.

The good news is that there should be no damage incurred when electrically retracting the gear because you are pulling on the hollow pushrods.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I Like the video. I own M20J 1978 N9201T. Just went through her 2nd annual since purchase 05/2017 w/150 hrs of use. Am having intermittent gear floor light itself working and not working.

Seems to be an intermittent short on the socket itself. Looking for wiring diagram and part numbers for replacement as needed. I get good confirmation through the annunciator panel and can see the manual movement through the floor display itself. Gear horn is working with confirmation too

looking for advice,

Dave DF's M20J

262-308-3216

Edited by DF's M20J
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1 hour ago, DF's M20J said:

Seems to be an intermittent short on the socket itself. Looking for wiring diagram and part numbers for replacement as needed. I get good confirmation through the annunciator panel and can see the manual movement through the floor display itself.

While you're in there troubleshooting, replace the feeble floor display incandescent bulb with an LED.  Much brighter and easy to see even in bright daylight.

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9 hours ago, DF's M20J said:

Looking for wiring diagram and part numbers for replacement as needed.

email Steve Rue srue@mooney.com and ask him to email you maintenance manual and illistrated parts catalog for M20J. The maintenance manual is two files; second is schematics. The schematics are scans of original drawings that covered several square feet. But, Mooney no longer makes the paper versions available. 

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Welcome aboard, DF...

Skip, above has given great advice on how to get proper documentation...

The other thing to be aware of... that bulb is often a 24V bulb in a 12V application... an odd dimming methodology from the analog days.

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

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18 hours ago, DF's M20J said:

I Like the video. I own M20J 1978 N9201T. Just went through her 2nd annual since purchase 05/2017 w/150 hrs of use. Am having intermittent gear floor light itself working and not working.

Seems to be an intermittent short on the socket itself. Looking for wiring diagram and part numbers for replacement as needed. I get good confirmation through the annunciator panel and can see the manual movement through the floor display itself. Gear horn is working with confirmation too

looking for advice,

Dave DF's M20J

262-308-3216

Wiring schematics and a parts index are in the maintenance manual.

Clarence

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