step retraction on 66 mooney

[MATTS875]

How is the best way to test to see if the step retracts? I just watched a youtube video of a mooney taking off but the step never retracted. mine has the manual johnson bar for the gear

[M20F]

Quote: MATTS875

How is the best way to test to see if the step retracts? I just watched a youtube video of a mooney taking off but the step never retracted. mine has the manual johnson bar for the gear

[Ned Gravel]

I owned my E model for nearly 4 months before I thought to ask one of the folks I was taking for a ride to simply look out the door while we were still on the ground before the engine runup.  He confirmed that the step was up.

 

 

[MATTS875]

Great   thanks for the info.  I had heard of during run up the step should retract, next time I will look out to see.thanks

 

[carusoam]

After engine shutdown you may see it slowly come down.

 

It is a combination of vacuum, system integrity, spring strength and cleanliness that dictates the speed of which the step goes up and down.

 

Be careful on the ground.  If you slide the step up into the slot by hand, the return spring will twist itself up and be difficult to sort back out.

 

Best regards,

 

-a-

[Piloto]

It is kind of cumbersome to confirm if the step has retracted. On my old M20C I installed a micro switch at the step upper bracket that will light up a light on the panel whenever the step was not fully retracted. Partial retraction happens when the step is not properly lubricated or has to much surface deposits.

José  

[MARZ]

For the longest time - every time I shut down I could count to four and would hear what I thought was a small back-fire.  It wasn't until I watched as the plane was run up and shut down for a compression test that I figured out it was the step extending to its stop and "Clunking"

[rbridges]

Quote: edgargravel

I owned my E model for nearly 4 months before I thought to ask one of the folks I was taking for a ride to simply look out the door while we were still on the ground before the engine runup.  He confirmed that the step was up.

 

 

[funvee]

I'm in a similar situation... My 67 F has a step that I cant confirm is going up. I had a recent annual and they said they replaced the "cable for the step". I didn't think anything of it but today after getting fuel I asked a friend to watch the step after I started up. He showed thumbs down for step still down, then I tried with RPM up at 1800-2000 and still he showed thumbs down. I couldn't go any higher because the brakes couldn't hold the plane due to ice on the ramp but I thought it didn't need more rpm than that.

Am I correct in assuming that you don't need to have the gear up for the step to auto retract? I need to understand the mechanism so I can test it properly.

Mine is a '67 20F.

Thanks,

Shawn

[1964-M20E]

No the gear does not have anything to do with the step. It should retract with the engine runnig at 1000RPM. I can usually hear it extending after I shutdown the engine. At first I wondered what the light thump was then I realized it was the step.

[funvee]

crap... that means mine isn't working. Are they repairable?

[DrBill]

I had a spectator on the ground tell me my step was down during takeoff, so I fixed it and then had a spectator check it. I find that just simple taxiing from the pump to the hangar is not enough (sometimes) to raise the step. A run-up should do it tho.

BILL

[funvee]

Do you think it should have went up in this situation....

I started up, taxi'd to ramp.

Did run up.

Taxi'd to fuel.

Shut down.

Fueled up.

Then had friend watch it while I started up.

Stayed down.

Rev'd to 1800-ish and still stayed down.

taxi'd back to parking spot and did shutdown.

Got out and manually moved the step to make sure it wasn't frozen, and it seemed to move ok.

Thanks for the help!

[N601RX]

It should come up within a few seconds of starting. You shouldn't have to rev the engine. It sounds like the boot has a hole or hose broken. Both of these will let unfiltered air into your vac system.

[DaV8or]

For the longest time - every time I shut down I could count to four and would hear what I thought was a small back-fire. It wasn't until I watched as the plane was run up and shut down for a compression test that I figured out it was the step extending to its stop and "Clunking"

You know, I might have a similar thing with mine, only I hear a clunk usually on roll out from a landing. I don't hear it in flight with the throttle closed, so I wonder if airspeed and aerodynamics help keep the step up and only when both the vacuum and the airspeed drop below a certain point does the step drop? I had always assumed the clunk was something in my suspension, or landing gear resettling like in an old car with worn suspension, but my gear has been checked with everything in spec, so maybe it is my step?

[DaV8or]

I wonder how hard it would be to get an STC for an electric step system to replace the vacuum one? Seems like it would be pretty easy to engineer. I would trigger it with maybe your beacon switch. Turn on the beacon and the step goes up. Since the electric motor would need a limit switch to tell it when to stop, it would be easy to incorporate a light to confirm step up.

[DaV8or]

crap... that means mine isn't working. Are they repairable?

Yes. If the problem is with your solenoid, Brittain rebuilds them on an exchange basis for about $190. Most MSCs seem to keep one stocked. I replaced mine last annual.

[FloridaMan]

When my vacuum pump died, I noticed a loss of performance and some air noise with the step down. I think that it was noticeable versus the later models with the welded step because of the size of the step and the big hole that it leaves open when it's down.

[sreid]

When my vacuum pump died, I noticed a loss of performance and some air noise with the step down. I think that it was noticeable versus the later models with the welded step because of the size of the step and the big hole that it leaves open when it's down.

I had the same experience on my '67F. The pump failed in level cruise, smooth air, and it was very noticeable. The airplane slowed ~3mph.

[DrBill]

My rubber boot was loose from the plastic housing. THere is supposed to be a hose like clamp on it. I sealed it with electrical tape and then put a clamp on it a few days later. The tape was all that was needed for it to work.

It's a pretty simple system. You should have someone responsible assist. You can pull the hose off the plastic housing and test for vacuum with the engine running. Then make sure the rubber boot is in good shape and seals well to the housing.

It should suck the piston right up.

BILL

[funvee]

Where do you have to open up to see the boot etc? It there an access panel? I am going out to the plane tomorrow and will bring tools to look at it if I know what I will need to bring.

Thanks!

[takair]

Go through the aft access panel where your battery is. By the way,earlier models had a wind up step. The crank looks like an old window crank for a car.

[funvee]

Ok so the tower confirmed using binoculars on a flyby that my step is down all the way while in flight.

I opened the access panel but couldn't tell much other than there wasn't any obvious cuts in the bottom section.

I took pictures but it won't let me add them to the post. Don't know if they would help anyways.

[funvee]

Forgot, does anyone know the part num for the big unit on a 67 F?

[Cody Stallings]

The bellow?