Dog house removal

[Tcraft938]

Does anyone have a video, instructions or advice on process for removing the dog house?  There are a thousand screws and I'm betting a knowing person knows which ones and the order to make the job easier. Thanks

[takair]

Which year and model?  In general, I rarely remove anything but the spark plug covers.  Once those are off the top and side pieces come off in varying degrees of difficulty.  I have yet to see a completely original configuration, so it seems like each is unique.  What are re you trying to get at?  

[Tcraft938]

I have a 1963 Mooney M20C.  Will be removing the engine for overhaul, so it all has to come off and more importantly go back on.  A&P said to go ahead and get the cowl and doghouse off "that will keep you real busy" he said.  I have the side and top cowl off, the bottom cowl looks real fun (not) and I have not started the doghouse/baffle.  Maybe I will just leave it to him.  I thought he was sarcastic, but maybe more serious than I know, when he said, "once you get at the engine the getting the engine off is the easy part".  

 

[Pete M]

Take the top off and then the sides. Piece of cake. Nothing complicated. Its just removing a bunch of screws. 

Edited May 27, 2019 by Pete M

[carusoam]

Expect to purchase a bunch of replacement hardware to make putting things back together a breeze and last another 2k hrs...

Take lots of pics prior to disassembly... possibly mark each piece with a number... on the outside...

Then look at sabremech’s no-doghouse required cowl improvement...  

expect cracks to be found... stop drill any new ones... seal any holes that aren’t being used...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

[Tcraft938]

Thank you very much.  Granted it's not apart yet, but I did look for cracks, none so far.  There's a couple of locations where previous hole were and are now riveted covers.  I'm amazed that there's not some sort of fiberglass or composite plenum cover to replace it.  Because it's for a certified aircraft, it's not supposed to be easy and would cost $10,000 for a $200 part.  

 

[takair]

Anthony hit it on the head.  With cell phones, maintenance has really changed.  You can/should snap pictures of every step.  When I started, the Polaroid only came out for really special occasions, and then only one or two shots.

Start with the plug covers, then the top, then the cylinder side panels.  Keep the hardware in bags, attached to each piece.  Add numbers to the panels with a sharpie to start and take a picture of each with respect to the he other. There are a few inserts where standard threads are used, they are in the cylinders, look for those, they always seem to get lost.  Don’t send those out with the engine.  It is just tedious, but not impossible.

[takair]

3 minutes ago, Tcraft938 said:

Thank you very much.  Granted it's not apart yet, but I did look for cracks, none so far.  There's a couple of locations where previous hole were and are now riveted covers.  I'm amazed that there's not some sort of fiberglass or composite plenum cover to replace it.  Because it's for a certified aircraft, it's not supposed to be easy and would cost $10,000 for a $200 part.  

 

Sabermech is working on a replacement cowl and plenum, but I don’t think it will be ready for this.  My friend has same year and model as you, for some reason, less cracking than my 64 E, which seems to require one or two panels replaced each year.

[Guest]

It shouldn’t be too difficult, just lots of screws to remove.  When they were new the screws were mostly #4 PK and #4 Tinnerman nuts.  Don’t be surprised to find many replaced with other varieties and sizes.

Your baffles should be similar to this.

Clarence

[carusoam]

Start looking for the tiny tinnermans soon... they can be hard to find...

-a-

[Andy95W]

Just remove the top at first, after that you can pull the engine.  Removing the sides and rear is a piece of cake when the engine is dangling from the cherry picker.

[MikeB]

It looks intimidating but honestly just tear into it. You can only put it back together one way so there’s nothing to really mess up. Nw tinnermans and screws is a given.
I repaired all the cracks and worn pieces on mine and built one new spark plug cover on the left side. Took a bit of work but I then repainted it with hammertone rustoleum. Looks like new now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pete M]

12 hours ago, takair said:

Sabermech is working on a replacement cowl and plenum, but I don’t think it will be ready for this.  My friend has same year and model as you, for some reason, less cracking than my 64 E, which seems to require one or two panels replaced each year.

64e had the narrowest cowl. The baffles can contact the cowl so there can be more stress on them. 65 cowl had eyelests built into it at the front cylinders and 66 and later were a bit wider up front. 

[Pete M]

10 hours ago, MikeB said:

It looks intimidating but honestly just tear into it. You can only put it back together one way so there’s nothing to really mess up. Nw tinnermans and screws is a given.
I repaired all the cracks and worn pieces on mine and built one new spark plug cover on the left side. Took a bit of work but I then repainted it with hammertone rustoleum. Looks like new now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thats a nice lookin' dog house:) experimental a/c outfit I worked with made a dog house for a o360 with carbon fiber. Took a composite guy two full weeks to make it.  They sell them...price seemed reasonable. 

[Hank]

1 minute ago, Pete M said:

Thats a nice lookin' dog house:) experimental a/c outfit I worked with made a dog house for a o360 with carbon fiber. Took a composite guy two full weeks to make it.  They sell them...price seemed reasonable. 

Contact info? Ballpark price? 1AMU, done; 5 AMU, need to think.

[Pete M]

2 hours ago, Hank said:

Contact info? Ballpark price? 1AMU, done; 5 AMU, need to think.

Install as owner produced part...hmm? I'll call them. That one was made for an 0360 in a bd somethin or other. 

[Tcraft938]

Thank you everyone for all the help and diagrams.  You were right, it came off pretty easy once logically went at it.  Many portions didn't have to be taken apart and that way came off in three large sections.  No cracks noted.  Thanks again

[Hank]

39 minutes ago, Tcraft938 said:

Thank you everyone for all the help and diagrams.  You were right, it came off pretty easy once logically went at it.  Many portions didn't have to be taken apart and that way came off in three large sections.  No cracks noted.  Thanks again

Now you're just rubbing it in!  

[jamesm]

Several years ago I did engine overhaul  during the time the engine was the Engine overhaul outfit. I would use the original baffles as template and  replaced most of them with  6-32 nut plates at least all the one I could get to.  Yeah I know the edge margins  are real close in some places but after about10 year haven't a problem. Now I don't have  track down and find the loose tinnerman in the hard find places. I could only  flat ones none of the "u" shaped tinnermans.

 

James '67C

[Tcraft938]

James, you comments sound very familiar.  My A&P until very recently was the maintenance crew chief on a B-17 and Mig 17, and was on the restoration of both.  So of course as we worked on the Dog House I could tell his wheel were turning.  He suggested nut plates as well and said, "let's make template now while it's easy and good learning experience for you and I'll teach you about making replacement parts for ones that look most likely to fail.  Something for you to do while you're going nuts waiting for the engine to come back".  All the other A&P's in my area reacted with "OMG an old little Mooney?!!!!  I hate them".  This guy said, "I worked on a Mig 17 where you have to remove the tail and half the fuselage to work on the engine, this is just sheet metal and screws, very doable".  That's the attitude I want.  However, he laughed when he looked at the covers over the spark plugs and commented, must be mooney technology had never heard of hinges, or they just had a lot of surplus screws".