Getting my Best Friends '64 E Ready to Sell

[Yooper Rocketman]

I lost Steve Phillips on Veterans Day last year.  Fitting I guess since he loaded bombs in the Air Force in Nam.  His E has sat a lot over the last 10+ years.  He didn't have a lot of traveling to do, but had owned the plane for nearly 40 years.  His dad was a partner in the beginning, a B-17 pilot from WWII.  He had a medical issue discovered at the decline of his flying, one that required expensive tests for every medical, always being deferred for 2-3 months, then getting a one year medical that the renewal date was the day he first applied (so essentially a 9 month medical).  They later discovered the issue was from birth and never was a problem.  In the end, Basic Med ended that ordeal.

Anyway, he worked for a Fed Ex Caravan maintenance facility, for some time earlier in his life, and all the mechanics over there were his friends.  One A&P / IA (retired) that has helped me on both my Lancair IVPT and another one we are trying to finish up offered to help me get his plane a fresh annual (for no charge).  It had not flown in over 2 years.  Steve was an A&P, had mentioned he had a cylinder running hot and he suspected it might be an injector.  We pulled them and had them professionally cleaned by Kubick Aviation on the field.  The compression's were great, 72, 73. 74, 74. 

So after a full annual, some typical squawks, a complete AD search and compliance regimen,  and a GDL 82 ADS-B solution (and pitot static, transponder, and altimeter certs), it was finally an airworthy plane again.  The pilot (me) has well north of 3,000 hours Mooney time, 1400 hours "F" time, 25 hours "E" time, but no E or F time in the last 10 years.  I studied the POH and had some ground review with our local (M20C owner) CFI before my first flight.  With a torn right shoulder rotator cuff, swinging that manual gear was painful!

I did a couple pattern circuits getting my take-off and landings down, then fueled it for a more extensive flight.  Climbing out  Wednesday, with it nearly 90 degrees ambient, I noticed the #2 cylinder was at 440 degrees.  Holy S**t!!!  I immediately dropped the climb angle, pulled the power back and got it to come down, but still in the 400's.  Once at a cruise altitude, before adjusting mixture, I got it under 400.  The other cylinder temps were all within 30-40 degrees.  So, I read several past cylinder issue topics and determined I would check the "plenum" for leaks and swap sensors as the first two items of priority.  Thursday I found a lot of minor plenum leaks (maybe a few were moderate) and sealed them up.  I remounted the improperly installed access panels and installed more screws for tighter closure.  I also found I had the alternate vacuum source open so closed it.  I took it up Friday morning and saw 417 on climb so brought it back and pulled cowls again.  I swapped #2 and #4 sensors, knowing #4 was the lowest temp cylinder in every test prior to now (spark plug washer style) and took it up again.  It was warmer this flight and I saw #2 max at 403, and #4 matched the other cylinders.  Clearly a bit of difference in sensor accuracy. (Wish I could swap those sensors permanently but being soldered on, not sure I want to do that).

I did a bit of a cruise setting and leaned.  It was better, all within 30-40 degrees, but #2 was still bumping 400.  I landed and pulled both side cowls off, looked for EVERY possible leak point, and did some more sealing.  I even sealed the spark plug lead wires.  After everything cured (about 2:30 pm), I took it up for a longer cross country flight, climbing out during the hottest point in the day (85 degrees).  Using a cruise climb of 120 MPH, and watching my speed very closely, I never got above 390 on #2.  I'm thinking the sealing is helping, but maybe the extra fuel on climb is helping too.  So, I leveled at 10,500' westbound towards MN, and did my lean process.  I ran it 80-90 rich of peak and temps all settled in from 340-380 (#2 being the highest, but I think some of that is the sensor).  I closed the cowl flaps and saw a little rise, leaving them just cracked a bit seemed to help.  

Is this acceptable or do I need to do more work?  Steve had always claimed 155 knots after all the speed mods.  My Flight Aware "Average" on a 1 1/2 hour flight west and east bound was 153 knots.  But if you look at my flight, I clearly have to refine my E model hand flying skills (no AP on this bird).  He probably DID get 155 knots as a better "M20E" pilot.

Tom

Pictures, in order are;

Lean Test (before plenum sealing) Start point

Lean Test (before plenum sealing) Finish point

Cylinder temps in cruise after lean set, (before plenum sealing regimen).

 

[MB65E]

Hi Tom! I remember when you mentioned him passing. Sounds like an awesome man. 
All of what you mentioned sounds like a normal E to me. I only have about 300hrs in ours. However, your numbers are about what I see. You were up high, so your indicated AS may have been lower. 10.5k is about as high as I ever go and there needs to be a reason to go that high. With the higher Cruise altitude and the 3 blade prop I’d say you are still doing awesome with your 153k average. I can get 156-157 TAS out of mine but that’s WFO and at lower altitudes burning more gas and making more noise than I prefer to listen to on a longer trip. Always seems no matter how fast we think we go the GS is always just below 150k. I think you solved the CHT issues. I run mine 75-100 Rop too. Little bit of baffleing love goes a long way. 
Looks like a really nice airplane!! 
-Matt

[MB65E]

Probably the prettiest E I have seen in a long time. 
-Matt

[carusoam]

Great details shared, Tom!

Did you try a Gami spread test?  Comparing FF at each cylinder’s EGT peak....

That May give a hint about one cylinder getting more fuel than another... or less...

By looking at the raw EGTs in the pics above... counting light segments... the EGTs look pretty evenly distributed...

 

Expect first day in the saddle to be a bit flying by numbers....

Second day, much smoother like you’ve been doing it all along....

Until too much rust settles back in...several days or several weeks.... depending on your individual rust rate...   

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic or cfi....

Best regards,

-a-

[Yooper Rocketman]

20 hours ago, carusoam said:

Great details shared, Tom!

Did you try a Gami spread test?  Comparing FF at each cylinder’s EGT peak....

That May give a hint about one cylinder getting more fuel than another... or less...

By looking at the raw EGTs in the pics above... counting light segments... the EGTs look pretty evenly distributed...

 

Expect first day in the saddle to be a bit flying by numbers....

Second day, much smoother like you’ve been doing it all along....

Until too much rust settles back in...several days or several weeks.... depending on your individual rust rate...   

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic or cfi....

Best regards,

-a-

That EDM 700 doesn't have the fuel flow option.  It would be really nice.  If I was buying it that would be my first upgrade.

Tom