May have extra $ leftover from rebuild loan - what to do?

[TheLachlan]

Hi all, 

Quick synopsis: Bought a 1967 Mooney M20F end of last year to learn to fly in, use for business and a tax write off. 

I had failed the oral of my check ride the 1st time and was getting ready for my next try. I had an oil change done about 5 days or so before the 2nd check ride was scheduled and they found a bunch of metal shavings in the oil filter. The engine is now in inspection phase before getting rebuilt.

We got a loan to do the rebuild and counted worse case scenario on the estimate so if everything turns out as expected we may have some extra money to do a few more things than just the engine.

Annual is due in September so they are tackling that now already too so the interior is out so I'll be replacing the carpet and I'd also like to take the plastics out and paint them or get them wrapped in some approved material like leather.

SO, besides the aforementioned items, I'd like suggestions/opinions to 2 scenarios:

1. Around $5k extra to spend

2. Around $10k extra to spend

I will in a separate post list current upgrades and attach some pictures. 

A&P suggested installing dual G5's and then getting rid of the vacuum system, thereby also saving about $1k on the rebuild.

[wcb]

1st things 1st in my opinion is a high quality engine monitor.  JPI 900 or 930 or the Electronic International equivalent.

 

[gsxrpilot]

Just now, wcb said:

1st things 1st in my opinion is a high quality engine monitor.  JPI 900 or 930 or the Electronic International equivalent.

 

This.

[Bob_Belville]

Do you have an EDM? If not that's my choice for that kind of money. For $5-10k you can get a JPI EDM 900 which is primary and allows you to get rid of several 50 year old instruments.

.

[TheLachlan]

AVIONICS:

Garmin GNS-430W
WAAS Certified GPS /
Moving Map / Nav / Com.
Garmin GTX-335 Digital
Transponder (ADS-B Out
– Complies with 2020
Mandate).
STEC 50 Autopilot w/
Altitude Hold, Coupled to
GPS/ Nav/Heading.
STEC ST-901 GPSS
ARINC
Converter/Interface (GPS
Roll Steering).
Insight SF-2000
‘Strikefinder’ Weather
Avoidance.
King KX-155 Digital Nav /
Com with Glide Slope.
King KN-64 Digital DME
with Remote Nav 1 / Nav
2 Select.
King KMA-24 Audio
Panel with Marker
Beacon.

Garmin GPS-396
Handheld, currently mounted above the panel.

 

RayJay Turbo Normalizer
(Manual Wastegate
Turbocharger for use as
needed at high altitude
airports or at altitudes
above 3,500 feet to
increase engine power –
and thus speed – see
160+ knots up around
13,000msl), ‘201’
Windshield, Standard ‘Six
Pack’ Instrument Panel,
Cowl Closure Mod, JP
Instruments EDM-701
Graphic and Digital
Engine Monitor with Fuel
Option, Wing ‘Sight’ Fuel
Gauges, GAMI Fuel
Injectors, M20 Turbos
Air/Oil Separator, Precise
Flight SVS-V Standby
Vacuum System, Bracket
Air Filter, Lasar ‘Super
Bitchin’ Articulating Sun
Visors, Astrotech LC-2
Digital Clock /
Chronometer (Pilot Yoke
Mounted, Ram Air, Dual
Glide Slopes, Wingtip
Strobes, Vacuum Gauge,
Avionics Master, Split
Reclining Rear Seats,
Headrests, Shoulder
Harnesses, Digital OAT,
Polished Spinner.

[TheLachlan]

Will have pics uploaded in a few mins.

[TheLachlan]

[TheLachlan]

Sorry, not sure how to rotate those pics, they are the right side up in my computer...

[EricJ]

25 minutes ago, TheLachlan said:

I had failed the oral of my check ride the 1st time and was getting ready for my next try. I had an oil change done about 5 days or so before the 2nd check ride was scheduled and they found a bunch of metal shavings in the oil filter. The engine is now in inspection phase before getting rebuilt.

How much metal?   Is it known how long it's been making metal?

FWIW, mine has been making metal for a while.   I talked to the local Lycoming rep and the repair station that tore down my engine (and replaced a ton of stuff) after the previous owner's prop strike.   They both gave the same advice, which is consistent with Lycoming's SBs;  just keep running it and monitor the trends.   My IA was in agreement.  The amount of metal that needs to show up in the filter before a rebuild is required is actually pretty huge.

In my case over several oil changes the metal production peaked and is now declining.  Compressions are good, borescopes are good with one mild exception in one cyl that may be the source of the metal.

So maybe dig a little deeper.   Just having metal in the filter is not an automatic rebuild. 

Edited August 28, 2019 by EricJ

[TheLachlan]

[TheLachlan]

The prop is also getting sent out to be flushed and resealed. The engine had around 1,500hrs.. They've already disassembled it and cleaned it, its in the inspection phase right now.

[Yetti]

16 minutes ago, TheLachlan said:

That would probably add up to over a teaspoon.

 

[TheLachlan]

https://sarasotaavionics.com/avionics/edm730-upgrade

 

Those of you who said something about engine monitors.. Would you just stick with my JPI-700 or upgrade to the link since I get a core discount for my 700 or go to the aforementioned ones?

[Yetti]

So now we get to see if the Engine Monitor showed that your engine was making metal.   Inquiring minds want to know??????

[TheLachlan]

5 minutes ago, Yetti said:

So now we get to see if the Engine Monitor showed that your engine was making metal.   Inquiring minds want to know??????

Don't quite understand the question

Edited August 28, 2019 by TheLachlan

[KSMooniac]

EDM-900 and PMA-450B would be the top of my list.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[jaylw314]

14 minutes ago, TheLachlan said:

https://sarasotaavionics.com/avionics/edm730-upgrade

 

Those of you who said something about engine monitors.. Would you just stick with my JPI-700 or upgrade to the link since I get a core discount for my 700 or go to the aforementioned ones?

The upgrade to the 730 is only useful if, like me, you're only looking to upgrade the display.  The actual functionality is identical to the 700, an it's a (relatively) inexpensive upgrade

You'd basically need to add and install secondary RPM and MP sensors and you'd turn the 730 into an 830, but if you're thinking of adding anything else, it probably makes more sense to think about going full bore and putting in the 900 or 930 from the beginning

Edited August 28, 2019 by jaylw314

[Ned Gravel]

13 minutes ago, TheLachlan said:

Don'y quite understand the question

Yetti is being Yetti.  You can ignore the implied sarcasm and judgement.

But here goes..   

Using an engine monitor properly is supposed (ostensibly) do two things:  prevent you from putting the engine into the situation where it makes a whole pile of metal (you have way more in your filter than I did when my cam shaft was spalling and required Clarence to crack the crankcase), and tell you when things like that might be occurring.   These engine monitors come with a software that allows you to see when temps have exceeded the recommended levels and identify the circumstance that caused the problem.

The problem with this argument?  You weren't doing the flying when all this occured.

Now to the question of which EDM to get..  I would do as Bob Belville and KS Mooniac have suggested and replace a bunch of old (and some not very good) instruments with an EDM 900 .

[gsxrpilot]

What @KSMooniac said.

Definitely replace that EDM-701 with an EDM-900. Put it in place of the factory engine cluster. The EDM-900, among other things, will make it super easy to record flight data and upload it to a free SavvyAnalysis account. You'll then be able to easily monitor your flights and know your engine is sick before it starts making so much metal.

Then replace your audio panel with a PMA-450B. 

 

 

[jaylw314]

2 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

What @KSMooniac said.

Definitely replace that EDM-701 with an EDM-900. Put it in place of the factory engine cluster. The EDM-900, among other things, will make it super easy to record flight data and upload it to a free SavvyAnalysis account. You'll then be able to easily monitor your flights and know your engine is sick before it starts making so much metal.

Then replace your audio panel with a PMA-450B. 

The EDM-730/830 is also capable of recording flight data and has the same functionality, other than being able to replace the primary gauges.  The 730/830 would not make sense if you thought there was even a remote possibility you'd want to install a 900/930 later on, of course.

[TheLachlan]

So the 900 would replace these gauges correct?

 

The reason the engine did what it did was because of a bad vernatherm valve we think. More towards the beginning of my training I was flying with my instructor and we noticed the oil temp gauge was showing really high, it got brushed off and he assumed it may be a faulty gauge. I should have had it checked out but it was my error for just going with that assumption, lesson learned, temp gauge was working correctly. 

[ArtVandelay]

So the 900 would replace these gauges correct?

 

Plus the MP&FP and RPM gauges.

 

 

Tom

[jaylw314]

4 minutes ago, TheLachlan said:

Is that knob below the engine cluster labelled "turbo"?

[TheLachlan]

1 minute ago, jaylw314 said:

Is that knob below the engine cluster labelled "turbo"?

yes, its turbo normalized.

[TheLachlan]

https://sarasotaavionics.com/avionics/edm900-certified

 

This is the engine monitor y'all are referring to correct?