Anyone seen this odd tank in the wing?

[tmo]

Damn, I miss Breaking Bad...

[Culver LFA]

That’s not a Mooney fuel tank, it’s not leaking!

[larrynimmo]

wouldn't it be neat to have a useful, 1 gallon emergency fuel tank that would stay fresh and ready to go if you run out of fuel?

"ace in the hole"...hopefully no one should ever run out of fuel, but in the event.

I am even too scared of "testing" my mooney low fuel lights for each tank...I can test the bulbs by pushing the annunciator test, but I have never actually tested the function.  My personal minimums is that I wont let my fuel to knowingly to go much below 10 gallons on each side.

[Guest]

From the IPC it’s part of the fuel vent system for s/n 3 thru 446.  Item 73

Looks like you’re stuck with it.

Clarence 

 

[xcrmckenna]

wouldn't it be neat to have a useful, 1 gallon emergency fuel tank that would stay fresh and ready to go if you run out of fuel?
"ace in the hole"...hopefully no one should ever run out of fuel, but in the event.
I am even too scared of "testing" my mooney low fuel lights for each tank...I can test the bulbs by pushing the annunciator test, but I have never actually tested the function.  My personal minimums is that I wont let my fuel to knowingly to go much below 10 gallons on each side.

Pilots will find a way to run out of fuel no matter what add ons they have in their plane.


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[EricJ]

13 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

From the IPC it’s part of the fuel vent system for s/n 3 thru 446.  Item 73

Looks like you’re stuck with it.

Clarence 

Wow, that's interesting. 

Could probably still smuggle stuff with it, tho... 

[GeeBee]

I actually think he could get rid of it but it will require some money and a DER. If he can reconfigure the vent system to that of S/N 447 and beyond and show there is no difference between those airplanes and his reconfigured vent design, he certainly has adequate engineering data for a DER to sign off on the modification. 

 

[Ibra]

1 hour ago, xcrmckenna said:

Pilots will find a way to run out of fuel no matter what add ons they have in their plane.

1 USG gives you the option to switch your field to another one nearby in the last seconds of your forced landing 

[xcrmckenna]

1 USG gives you the option to switch your field to another one nearby in the last seconds of your forced landing 

Right, unless you forget you just used it up.


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[khedrei]

Hmmm it looks like I'm in for a challenge if I'm stuck with it. He says it's in the way of the bolts where the A/P roll servo will mount. I'll suggest he call Garmin to see if they have a solution. I will also call another avionics shop that did the same A/P in another K and find out if they had the same issue. I assume they would have since it was a '79 and mine is '80. Not sure what I have to go through to get it removed. Things like that are much more difficult in Canada than they are in the US.

Thanks Clarence

[skykrawler]

Good sleuthing by M20Doc.   I was surprised nobody on the forum was familiar with this design.  What a PTA...how would you get it out of the hole?  Wonder what Don M would suggest.

[Shiny moose]

I wonder about who approved the autopilot STC on these models ? Someone did not do all the research 

[chriscalandro]

If this isn’t worthy of an “oof” I don’t know what is. 

[Jeev]

On 12/21/2019 at 3:56 PM, M20Doc said:

From the IPC it’s part of the fuel vent system for s/n 3 thru 446.  Item 73

Looks like you’re stuck with it.

Clarence 

WOW, I learned something new about Mooneys. Nice detective work Clarance!! 

[RLCarter]

On 12/21/2019 at 5:56 PM, M20Doc said:

From the IPC it’s part of the fuel vent system for s/n 3 thru 446.  Item 73

Looks like you’re stuck with it.

Clarence 

California Emissions.....

[khedrei]

I appreciate the help from all posters. Especially from Clarence. I figured I would update this for anyone that might have the same issue with my serial range and the new autopilot. 

My avionics guy told me that Garmin came up with a solution quite quickly. The more I hear about Garmin the more I like them. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

[kortopates]

I appreciate the help from all posters. Especially from Clarence. I figured I would update this for anyone that might have the same issue with my serial range and the new autopilot. 
My avionics guy told me that Garmin came up with a solution quite quickly. The more I hear about Garmin the more I like them. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

What was Garmin's solution - you didn't say yet?


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[spistora]

2 hours ago, khedrei said:

I appreciate the help from all posters. Especially from Clarence. I figured I would update this for anyone that might have the same issue with my serial range and the new autopilot. 

My avionics guy told me that Garmin came up with a solution quite quickly. The more I hear about Garmin the more I like them. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Good to know, my K is in the same serial number range.  I'm interested to hear how the rest of the install goes.

[khedrei]

I dont know exactly but my avionics guy said it had to do with changing some angles slightly. It was actually not the servo bracket but the pully bracket that was the problem. I assume the cable from the servo to the pulley was able to go in at a slightly different angle? Or something like that. I don't want to say too much because I dont actually know the details. From what he told me it didnt sound like a major change. Regardless, Garmin came up with it. 

[SheryLoewen]

Early M20K's had this tank as a fuel return from the Fuel injector. OEM Mooney system.

Paul Loewen

[bradp]

If it was a good design you’d have seen it on SN448 and above. 

[ETXflyboy_f14]

For anyone who does not know, this is the factory installed "Aux Tank" out of the MAN235 M20K Parts manual Item #73 in the Fuel system....  I have not seen ran into this problem until the current project we are working on now.  
Garmin does have a note for this issue... If you read note 36 in the M20K GFC 500 Install manual on page 3 at the end of the notes section, Garmin clearly gives alternatives for positioning of the bracket and attaching hardware to be revered in order to be installed behind the tank.

[goodyFAB]

Yeah almost certain I’ve seen it in my wing too. M20k serial 150


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