“Preventative” Maintenance & This Flying Season

[Trenta]

Happy Friday MS,

I am once again coming to you with a myriad of questions and a couple pictures as I’m coming up on 6 months of ownership. 
 

Side Windows 

A couple of months ago I started hearing a very fast fluttering noise in the cabin in cruise to look back and see my side window seals/calking starting to peel off and flap in the wind. Nothing catastrophic but it’s just getting old and dry I think and needs to be redone. On all four side windows. I am religious about keeping the plane covered with my new Bruce’s custom cover that covers spinner past the baggage compartment. However I have heard that that moisture/rain can slide between the window and the skin and wreck the interior over time and even start corrosion so I want to avoid that at all costs. Also I’m convinced that If I seal and clean up the windows that I will get an extra knot. (Don't try to convince me otherwise)

I remember reading somewhere that the windshield was off limits unless it’s A/P work. However I seem to remember that side windows had more room for owners to commit preventive maintenance. I feel like this falls under preventative maintenance like when people use silicone or 3M calk strips to seal up their avionics bay. Can anyone confirm?

My approach was to find a plastic/rubber putty scrapper, as to not mar the windows, to remove the rest of the faulty sealant. Then from there clean, dry, and apply new sealant. My thought was a weatherproof/water-tight silicone for the new seal? Can anyone validate or refute my train of thought with experience? 

Interior Arm Rest

This blasted thing keeps coming lose on the pilot’s side. I’m trying to get leather to stick to pleather I think or maybe “pleather on pleather” (some of the older MSers may have fond memories of this in their younger personal endeavors ) Any suggestions on a cement? I’m thinking one that dries a bit softer as this one hardened and cracked off. Maybe Silicone again?

 

Grass Strips 

Fly ins are starting to become a thing again. I’m so sure that I’m the first person to ever have this idea (Not really) but does anyone leave their mains tire pressure a little squishy (not too much, still within specs) and their front on the hard side for landing on grass or say taxing in the grass at Osh?

My Hypothesis: By increasing pressure on the front and leaving the mains squishy I think potential benefits could include: 

•The angle during taxi will have a very slightly more nose up attitude giving maybe an inch or two of more prop clearance. 

•Should the ground be uneven I think having the front tire harder will reduce rolling resistance for use with the tow bar and for starting taxi.  

•Having the mains on the softer side will assist the “Suspension” by soaking up some of the irregularities in a grass runway and will also be easier on the wings, tank seals, etc.

These benefits albeit potentially small are all assuming that I am practicing good soft field technique and am landing buttery smooth in the first place as to not blow out the softer main inner tubes. What are your thoughts?
 

Thanks for any and all feedback and I’m looking at seeing some of you at the West Coast Fly In at Catalina in a couple weeks and even more of you at OSH!

-Trent

[201Steve]

I had that noise just last week. My window caulk only a year old. Mooney too fast for adhesion.... =)

I’m with you on keep dry religion, but I’ve found there are some attention to detail things that any A&P will never do it as well as you, alas, I will strip and caulk myself. Some use tank sealant, others use a specific caulk, which formula eludes me at the moment. Someone will chime in momentarily. P something and a number, I believe.  There is a method to the madness, outlined in great detail in other threads. Dawn dish soap, tape, etc....

got nothing on the grass strip theories.

 

[carusoam]

Read up on grass strip theory...

I have yet to hear anyone mention adjusting air pressure... except the discussions on airbags in place of rubber donuts...

Watch a video of Mooneys on grass...  it’s all about the donuts...  if you think air pressure is going to be helpful...  watch a few more videos of Mooneys on grass...

The challenge with low air pressure... the tire moves on the rim, slicing the valve stem off...  makes for a longer day than expected...

Work on your soft field technique prior to getting to the soft field...

PP thoughts only, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, Trenta said:

I remember reading somewhere that the windshield was off limits unless it’s A/P work. However I seem to remember that side windows had more room for owners to commit preventive maintenance. I feel like this falls under preventative maintenance like when people use silicone or 3M calk strips to seal up their avionics bay. Can anyone confirm?

The FARs are your friend, specifically Part 43 Appendix A, and particularly (c) "Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations:" ... (13), "Replacing side windows where that work does not interfere with the structure or any operating system such as controls, electrical equipment, etc."

Section (c) of Part 43 Appendix A is a list of things that are specifically identified as Preventive Maintenance, so if you ever have a question and it shows up there, it's definitely PM.   There have been legal opinions published by FAA attorneys that the list in section (c) is not comprehensive, so other things may also be PM.   In cases where you are not sure, your IA is the best person to consult since he'll be the one signing your logbook.

 

[1964-M20E]

As Eric said appendix A will tell you everything you can do as the owner pilot with out an A&P.  You of course can do anything if you have an A&P willing to teach you and oversee your work and then sign it off.

 

Grass strips are not issue for a Mooney as long as they are smooth.  I'm not talking golf course green smooth but you don't want holes even on paved strips.

[A64Pilot]

Do NOT use silicone, first it’s crap and won’t stay on, but any of it that smells of vinegar sweats acetic acid as it cures as that causes corrosion, you trap the acid underneath the silicone right against the aluminum, there is an aircraft silicone, but I don’t know where to get it.

Fuel tank sealer is expensive but far, far better. use a tiny brush to paint the sealer after it dries, the paint will shield it from the sun and make it last decades.

‘However if your replacing the windows, do NOT use fuel tank sealer on the install as the next guy will never get them out, fuel tank sealer isn’t really, but I think of it as a structural adhesive, it’s tough, real tough 

‘For scrapers break pieces of plexiglass, that leaves sharp edges for scraping, ones you buy don’t have sharp edges.

‘Oh, of course use blue tape for masking when applying the fuel tank sealer, and it can be smoothed very well with a wet finger, but be advised one drop of it can cover a large amount of surface area on the upholstery of your car, so be darn sure you get it all cleaned off, paint cleanup towelettes sold at home supply stores will clean it off of your hands, as will acetone, but acetone I’m sure isn’t good for you.

Edited June 12, 2021 by A64Pilot

[PT20J]

Are you sure there is supposed to be caulk there? The windows should be glued onto the skin from the inside and secured with screws (some older models) or retainers (newer models). The adhesive is supposed to ooze out when the window is installed and be wiped off. Sometimes when owners get a leak, they try to fix it with a caulk bead on the outside. 

Window leaks are a prime source of corrosion damage to the tubular structure. If SB 208B hasn’t been done recently, it might be a good idea.

Mooney specifies PR1403-G-B2 sealant in SB 208B.

Skip

 

[jaylw314]

10 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

As Eric said appendix A will tell you everything you can do as the owner pilot with out an A&P.  You of course can do anything if you have an A&P willing to teach you and oversee your work and then sign it off.

 

Grass strips are not issue for a Mooney as long as they are smooth.  I'm not talking golf course green smooth but you don't want holes even on paved strips.

That's kind of the reason I've never looked into landing at grass strips--you CAN'T SEE any potholes, so how would you know there aren't any? 

[201Steve]

[1964-M20E]

1 hour ago, jaylw314 said:

That's kind of the reason I've never looked into landing at grass strips--you CAN'T SEE any potholes, so how would you know there aren't any? 

I land on grass almost half of all my landings.   No problems.

[A64Pilot]

I live on a grass strip. we roll it regularly, however there are things called “pocket gophers” in Florida which are new to me and gopher turtles that I am familiar with.

The pocket gophers are more of a nuisance I believe, but the gopher turtles can dig wheel swallowing holes. Either is very visible and easy to miss as you see the sand or dirt on top of the grass.

I have way more tail wheel time than nose dragger time and I love grass strips. It’s the animal life that is a challenge on grass sometimes, big birds, deer etc, and the turtles, but they are easy to deal with, but a deer right at dark is a challenge.

‘If you cut out grass, your missing a lot of the more laid back part of aviation 

[Greg Ellis]

On 6/12/2021 at 4:41 PM, PT20J said:

Are you sure there is supposed to be caulk there? The windows should be glued onto the skin from the inside and secured with screws (some older models) or retainers (newer models).

Skip

 

Or retainer clips on old, old models like my 63 C model.  No screws on the outside.  Clips on the inside.  And mark them by number in such a way that they go back in the exact spot they came from or it won't work out well.

[zaitcev]

I visited Reklaw, but in general I avoid grass. In Texas grass often means chiggers. In other places it can be gophers or worse.

[A64Pilot]

At Ft Hood when we would go to the field we would put dog flea collars above our boots to try to keep the chiggers off, partially successful.

‘What did work was a sock with sulphur in it and dust the lower part of your pants. Once I got it in my eyes somehow, something I never repeated. I really thought there would be serious damage it hurt so bad.

West Tx there is no grass not really, and I’d avoid caleche (sp)? strips myself, lots of rocks

 

Not Mooney territory but have any of you stopped back in the day in Nevada for Lobster?

https://erikjengh.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/mina-nv-lobster-execution/

Edited June 15, 2021 by A64Pilot

[Will.iam]

Been to cedar mills 3t0 twice. It’s a nice grass strip. But with all the rain we have had, i will not be going up there until the sun dries it out, probably months with no rain to make sure. 

[Yetti]

Try Contact Cement for the arm rest.   The good smelly stuff not the water based crap.