M20R - Air Conditioning - GFC500 Autopilot Limitation

[V1VRV2]

Is there an update on the limitation on installing the GFC500 with factory installed AC in the Ovation?

https://mooneypilots.org/assets/pdf/SL_19-05-compressed.pdf

[Frank Ward]

I am buying a 1998 M20R with AC and was planning on installing the GFC500, this is the first I've seen on this.  I'm very interested to see if this limitation has been fixed.

[carusoam]

Let’s see if @M20Doc would be familiar with AC vs. GFC500…

There is an interesting Mooney factory website with good contacts and a way to get a hold of knowledgable people there…

Best regards,

-a-

[V1VRV2]

Ok… the avionics shop figured out all you need to make this work are 2 X 90 degree adapters for the servo/wiring harness connections to clear the A/C plenum above. I was told there was paperwork available from Garmin but I could not find it online. Maybe someone here is better at the interwebz than me and can find it and post it here before I can get a hold of it from my AV shop.

Edited August 3, 2021 by V1VRV2

[Frank Ward]

Thank you very much for the answer. I have a request for a quote in now and BK is looking into it.  
 

[jamesm]

Curious to know, if  the servo in the background on the right side in v1vrv2's picture the  yaw dampener servo ?

Thanks,

James

[carusoam]

V1,

The guy that heads up customer communication on the inter webs for big G is called @TrekLawler…

He can be found on MS’s BT section….    (BT is actually a separate entity from MS)

Best regards,

-a-

[PT20J]

On 8/3/2021 at 7:47 PM, carusoam said:

V1,

The guy that heads up customer communication on the inter webs for big G is called @TrekLawler…

He can be found on MS’s BT section….    (BT is actually a separate entity from MS)

Best regards,

-a-

@TrekLawler hasn’t been seen here since last December. He seems to hang out on Beechtalk more often. I PM’d him there with a G3X question, but he never answered. I have not been having much luck getting credible answers from Garmin on technical questions lately. My Garmin dealer hasn’t faired much better.

Skip

[StevenL757]

On 8/3/2021 at 5:14 PM, jamesm said:

Curious to know, if  the servo in the background on the right side in v1vrv2's picture the  yaw dampener servo ?

Thanks,

James

Yes.  The pitch servo is on the left in the photo.  The yaw damper (as opposed to “dampener”) servo is on the right.

[Frank Ward]

If someone has paperwork that allows the GFC 500 to be installed in M20R with air conditioning I would really like a copy of that. Today I received an email from Garmin saying they do not have a work around yet. 
Thanks,

Frank 

[carusoam]

8 hours ago, Frank Ward said:

If someone has paperwork that allows the GFC 500 to be installed in M20R with air conditioning I would really like a copy of that. Today I received an email from Garmin saying they do not have a work around yet. 
Thanks,

Frank 

@V1VRV2 was the closest to having n answer…

so I invited him to stop by and share if he has heard anything yet…

Best regards,

-a-

[V1VRV2]

Thank you carusoam for inviting me back to the discussion. I am having my plane delivered next week and will be having the discussion with my shop,  Green Mountain Avionics, about the paperwork making the mod legal. I will report back. 

[V1VRV2]

It was explained to me that the latest revision of the GFC500 STC has no limitations on aircraft with factory installed air conditioning. The service letter issued by Mooney is no longer relevant to the revised STC. All good to go with a GFC500 and factory AC.

[Frank Ward]

Thank you for the information.  I will talk to my avionics shop and see if they can find any new information.  I REALLY want to get rid of the KFC 150 and the finicky self test start process .  

.

[LANCECASPER]

4 hours ago, V1VRV2 said:

It was explained to me that the latest revision of the GFC500 STC has no limitations on aircraft with factory installed air conditioning. The service letter issued by Mooney is no longer relevant to the revised STC. All good to go with a GFC500 and factory AC.

How is that possible since Garmin said last week that Garmin Service Letter 1923 Rev A still applies? 

The STC  has an approved model list, which is continually getting updated, but if there is a Service Letter regarding specific airframes on that AML with factory A/C, I believe that would still be in effect until they rescind that Service Letter.

 

[thinwing]

or look for a later revision...call it "B",that states in order to install in airconditioned M series etc,a 90 degree multipin adaptor ,p/n xxxxxxx is required for installation

[V1VRV2]

This is more complicated than my pay grade allows me to understand. Im just relaying info. Maybe wrong info. It WAAS explained to me after a 3rd request for info that the adapters are not the issue. They work. They are fine. The issue is that there is a minimum required clearance from the wiring loom to the A/C plenum which this modification does not address even though it works. There is no fix for the clearance issue. I was told this was addressed as minor repair. No field approval required. The work was done in conjunction with GARMIN. That’s all the info I can relay right now.

 

Maybe someone with more experience can contribute their .02