I guess 500 hour magneto inspections are important...

[ragedracer1977]

I pulled my magnetos at annual.  One was a Kelly overhaul and the other a QAA.  The QAA has about 600 hours and the Kelly about 500.  They were working fine, but I figured it was “time”.  

They’re both trash.  

The QAA is technically OK, but the shop felt that it was time to retire it.  The magnet inside was from at least 1978, and subject to a service bulletin (issued in 1994 http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/MSB644.pdf) to replace the rotor. It was overhauled in September 2016.  

The kelly mag lost a spring clip that held a bearing race in position internally.  It was spinning around in there for who knows how long and the shaft was all scored up.  Not to mention if you pulled on the gear, it would move in and out of the case nearly 1/2 inch.  

Guess there’s a reason to check them now and again.

[smwash02]

Every time I've sent mags off for their 500 hour I've had similar discoveries.

[Mooney_Allegro]

A word to the wise:  Make sure your service center times the mags correctly and installs them correctly.  My MSC did NOT time my mags correctly at the 500-hour mag check back in Sept. 2018.  They mistimed both mags by 8 degrees and installed the mags incorrectly.  I flew around for over a year with misfires at high altitude and I couldn't run lean-of-peak anymore after my 500-hour check.  Plus both turbos were hotter than normal for well over a year.   About three hours after my 500-hr mag inspection, after I complained, I took the plane back to the MSC and they checked everything and said all was well.  After well over a year, I was so disgusted with my engine, that I flew down to Fairhope, AL in October to Continental, and they discovered the issues.  Mags mis-timed by 8 degrees and the mags were installed canted to the left instead of towards each other.   After Continental made the proper corrections, I can now run lean-of-peak and no more misfires at FL250. 

 The mechanic at Continental, who was excellent (Doug Burdick) advised me that they correct A LOT of mechanic's mistakes all across the USA.  I highly recommend Continental in Fairhope for engine issues.  They know what they're doing.  

[ragedracer1977]

I bought a "cheap" overhauled mag for the Left (starting) mag.  A TCM blue label for the right.  I was sorta excited thinking "well I've sorta been wanting to upgrade to the surefly".  Yeah.  Guess who's backordered for at least 4-6 weeks.  

I put my name on the list and when it comes up, I'll sell the cheaper overhauled mag and get the surefly.

[ragedracer1977]

Just now, Mooney_Allegro said:

A word to the wise:  Make sure your service center times the mags correctly and installs them correctly.  My MSC did NOT time my mags correctly at the 500-hour mag check back in Sept. 2018.  They mistimed both mags by 8 degrees and installed the mags incorrectly.  I flew around for over a year with misfires at high altitude and I couldn't run lean-of-peak anymore after my 500-hour check.  Plus both turbos were hotter than normal for well over a year.   About three hours after my 500-hr mag inspection, after I complained, I took the plane back to the MSC and they checked everything and said all was well.  After well over a year, I was so disgusted with my engine, that I flew down to Fairhope, AL in October to Continental, and they discovered the issues.  Mags mis-timed by 8 degrees and the mags were installed canted to the left instead of towards each other.   After Continental made the proper corrections, I can now run lean-of-peak and no more misfires at FL250. 

 The mechanic at Continental, who was excellent (Doug Burdick) advised me that they correct A LOT of mechanic's mistakes all across the USA.  I highly recommend Continental in Fairhope for engine issues.  They know what they're doing.  

A friendly Mooneyspace A&P it's going to come help me install them correctly 

[cliffy]

Use NEW lock washers   Replace with new if they are tightened and then loosened for any reason. 

[DXB]

+1

My left Bendix mag just recently failed in dramatic fashion at ~550 hrs when I was far from home, of course just weeks before getting it was scheduled to be replaced with a Surfefly at annual....

 

 

[ragedracer1977]

4 minutes ago, cliffy said:

Use NEW lock washers   Replace with new if they are tightened and then loosened for any reason. 

I have new lock washers and nuts, because why not.  The right mag seemed a little loose at the bottom and was quit we with oil underneath.  I had a leaky pushrod sleeve right in front of it, so I'm not sure if the oil was coming from the magneto gasket or blowing back from the pushrod. Either way, both well have new seals

[jetdriven]

53 minutes ago, cliffy said:

Use NEW lock washers   Replace with new if they are tightened and then loosened for any reason. 

THIS. 
a Facebook Mooney group pilot had his dual mag fall off the engine over the Rockies.  Luckily there was a field to land on. 

[bradp]

Talk to Aaron Williams in TX.  

He's the best there is. 

[MooneyMitch]

Some ask why..... I say, why not ! 

[jetdriven]

33 minutes ago, bradp said:

Talk to Aaron Williams in TX.  

He's the best there is. 

I hear he closed shop.  Who does Maxwell use these days?

[cliffy]

Colorado Mooney seems to show very old washers still under the nuts after the mag fell off after 20 hrs since 500 hr insp. 

[LANCECASPER]

6 minutes ago, jetdriven said:

I hear he closed shop.  Who does Maxwell use these days?

His website is still up.

http://selectaircraft.com/id6.htm

[ragedracer1977]

1 hour ago, LANCECASPER said:

His website is still up.

http://selectaircraft.com/id6.htm

I called him. He's in the process of closing.  Not taking any new stuff

[bradp]

Who would he recommend?

[DonMuncy]

3 hours ago, jetdriven said:

I hear he closed shop.  Who does Maxwell use these days?

What is your source of information, Byron. I have not heard that. He is a young guy, and tremendously good at his job.

[LANCECASPER]

I used Robert at Aero Accessories in Van Nuys CA with excellent results on a mag inspection and two alternator overhauls.

He did the 500 hour inspection for a Slick 6300 series mag for $240 parts and $110 labor. I covered shipping both ways. His turnaround time was excellent for me, but that may vary depending on workload. They received 2 alternators and a mag and shipped them back out two days later.

http://aeroacc-vny.com/

Aero Accessories 16162 Valero Street Van Nuys CA 91406   (818)785-2821   Aero-acc@sbcglobal.net

 

[kortopates]

+1 for Robert and Aero Accessories. They do great work and shop time has always been 24 hrs for the 500 hr which is a complete disassemble and re-assemble. Prices are very reasonable as well. Been using him for over 10 years.


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[Guest]

We used to send our mags to Aircraft Magneto Service https://www.aircraftmagnetoservice.net

They do great work, but Fed Ex and UPS have made shipping prohibitive.

We now buy exchange mags from Continental and have the Slicks done locally.

Clarence

[DXB]

Any recommendations for mag service shops in the Northeast?

[jetdriven]

4 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

What is your source of information, Byron. I have not heard that. He is a young guy, and tremendously good at his job.

FB Mooney pilots group.  I think @KSMooniac mentioned that. Hope it’s not true. But that’s the latest I heard. 
byron 

[KSMooniac]

FB Mooney pilots group.  I think [mention=6924]KSMooniac[/mention] mentioned that. Hope it’s not true. But that’s the latest I heard. 
byron 

That was news to me! I'm not sure who posted it first. I'm 100 hours away from needing his services so I hope he's still open.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[jetdriven]

Ok sorry I thought you broke the news. Hopefully it’s not true. 

I called the number today and it was very hard to understand the answering machine, but it sounded like they were not taking new magneto business. There is a phone number and a name on the machine saying who to call, but I do not know anything about that person or shop.

[LANCECASPER]

10 hours ago, DXB said:

Any recommendations for mag service shops in the Northeast?

I would use a Flat Rate Priority USPS box for about $13 and send it to Aero Accessories in Van Nuys. Include a prepaid return label in the box and I bet you have it back in 7-10 days. I had one mag and two alternators back to TX in less than a week.