Cowling mods for ease of access

[NM Mooney]

I am new to this forum, and am in the process of buying a 1963 M20C as a restoration project.  It was so cheap that I'm almost embarrassed for the PO, but he's ready to let go of the plane, and the airframe looks solid with zero rust or visible corrosion, paint is decent (windscreen needs replacement, and I'll want to upgrade to a frameless version... anyone got a line on the parts?   

I'm headed out to do a compression check (prop turns freely with nice resistance on compression strokes), pull cockpit trim panels to check roll cage for corrosion (not bloody likely for a NM plane), scrutinize tanks, jack it up and test the retracting mechanism, etc., before finalizing the deal, so seems worth it via a labor/investment calculation.  But ultimately, I'm one of those nuts who gets nearly as much out of tinkering as operating so this really isn't about finding the best deal. 

I will be simultaneously taking an A&P certification course, so I can do my own work and inspections as I go.  The total cost of the FAA approved course at the local community college is $1,300 so that will pay for itself fairly quickly.  Of course, when I pass the FAA exam, I'll be able to do inspections to pay for gas and hanger space, so seems like a nice way to spend the next couple of decades...   

Anyway, I am eager to pore over the threads on this forum and am sure I'll have many follow-up questions, but would greatly appreciate responses to my initial questions:

• has anyone successfully designed mods to the engine cowling, to ease R&R of the side and top panels--i.e., quick release latches similar to the Piper, et al.  Same question re: lower cowling.  I have some ideas (I engineer and sell CNC parts for British sports cars), but no need to reinvent the wheel if someone has already accomplished this, and (ideally) posted a DIY guide online somewhere;
• Would FAA approval of such a mod merely be a matter of the A&P inspecting and approving it?  Or would the process be more involved, and agency-wide versus individual A&P discretion?  I'm not familiar enough with the CFRs to know the answer;
• what about the best remote filter solution?  Has anyone fitted the Airwolf option?  
• cooling re #4 cylinder.  Has anyone experimented with adding an NACA duct or some other method to boost cooling of what I understand is typically the hottest-running cylinder?  Am I wrong about this being an issue?
• are there any other maintenance bears (I've read about several of the less-fun tasks unique to the cramped engine bay between the engine and firewall and underneath the sump) that people would put on their short list for good mods, since I'll be pulling the engine and basically going through everything, so I don't have to do stuff twice? 

Thank you for your help.

[Hank]

Welcome from the moist corner of the country!

I hope the deal goes through, and that you become as happy with your C as I am with mine.

Look for a later model Mooney and see if the cowling will fit. My 1970 C has upper and lower pieces, as well as two cheek pieces that are individually removable. I think each cheek has 19 dzus fasteners; the top has 5 dzus and four screws. Once all of that comes off, I don't remember what else is needed to drop the lower cowl, not having done it since '08 or '09. Moving parts from a newer C to yours should be feasible with minimal paperwork and no STC, if it fits properly around everything. Check the salvage yards to see if they have parts. A good source for other C parts right now is @Alan Fox, who seems to be parting out a 63 C.

My oil filter screws onto the rear of the engine, and isn't a complete bear to access. I made a presentation years ago that covers how to get it off without splashing oil everywhere, or spreading many towels to capture the spreading oil--look in the Downloads section [top left of homepage, click on Browse then Downloads].

If you pull the engine, check the engine control cables--throttle, prop and mixture. It will be the right time to replace them if they don't look good and move very smoothly.

Good luck, and have fun!

[hammdo]

For the cowling, David @Sabremech has one in development and I have his original cowling design. My temps (even in Texas) have been great.

 

[Sabremech]

Hello NM Mooney,

welcome and best wishes if you proceed with this project. You’ll find plenty of information here. One thing I’m curious of is the $1300 A&P course at your local community college. Something doesn’t sound right but I’ve been proven wrong before. A normal A&P program is 2 years full time studies at a college certified in A&P studies. 
Can you tell us more about that program?

Thanks,

David

[NM Mooney]

1 hour ago, Sabremech said:

Hello NM Mooney,

welcome and best wishes if you proceed with this project. You’ll find plenty of information here. One thing I’m curious of is the $1300 A&P course at your local community college. Something doesn’t sound right but I’ve been proven wrong before. A normal A&P program is 2 years full time studies at a college certified in A&P studies. 
Can you tell us more about that program?

Thanks,

David

 

Thanks for the warm welcome.  Hah!  No, you're not wrong; that is a (pretty awful) typo.  It's $13,000 not $1,300.  I shouldn't be allowed to type without sufficient caffeine...  It's two regular terms plus a summer term, if I'm understanding correctly (which would appear to be dubious at this point): here is the URL to their PDF of projected costs.  But still the same deal: the certificate would pay for itself in no time, and evidently there's a shortage of good inspectors and some extended waiting times out here.  So, just another LLC for my CPA to charge me extra at tax time.  

One thing I need to call CNM to talk about is the 'at home' course is $13,158, whereas 'off campus' is $20,536.   I assume 'at home' is a term of art for on campus, but the terminology is a bit confusing, at least to me...

Thanks again for catching that. 

[NM Mooney]

3 hours ago, Hank said:

Welcome from the moist corner of the country!

I hope the deal goes through, and that you become as happy with your C as I am with mine.

Look for a later model Mooney and see if the cowling will fit. My 1970 C has upper and lower pieces, as well as two cheek pieces that are individually removable. I think each cheek has 19 dzus fasteners; the top has 5 dzus and four screws. Once all of that comes off, I don't remember what else is needed to drop the lower cowl, not having done it since '08 or '09. Moving parts from a newer C to yours should be feasible with minimal paperwork and no STC, if it fits properly around everything. Check the salvage yards to see if they have parts. A good source for other C parts right now is @Alan Fox, who seems to be parting out a 63 C.

My oil filter screws onto the rear of the engine, and isn't a complete bear to access. I made a presentation years ago that covers how to get it off without splashing oil everywhere, or spreading many towels to capture the spreading oil--look in the Downloads section [top left of homepage, click on Browse then Downloads].

If you pull the engine, check the engine control cables--throttle, prop and mixture. It will be the right time to replace them if they don't look good and move very smoothly.

Good luck, and have fun!

Howdy, from the bone dry, high desert. 

Yeah, we'll see how things pan out.  He's a sly old coot (takes one to know one), so I'm not counting my chickens until I see ink on a title and bill of sale...

Okay, thanks for the suggestions.  There's a kid who has some Youtube videos of his misadventures flying from the East Coast to Yellowstone and parts West (his 'tool kit' was painful to see), who shows himself removing the lower cowl and it was a bit of a grind.  Seemed from watching the thing come loose that I could design some CNC brackets to make the whole shootin' match pivot down, either with fulcrum at nose or rear--but hard to say until I own the thing and can sit and stare at it for a while.  A two-pipe problem, as Holmes would say...

I will check out your oil change thread - thank you.  With 95 psi max oil pressure on these engines, it shouldn't reduce reliability to have short hoses going to a remote--though Wolf is pretty proud of that little casting.  But with a tidy remote, it'd be cool to be able to remove a few dzus fasteners, pivot the lower cowl down, and bang out an oil change.  

Great idea on the control cables.  Obviously, every hose gets replaced, too...

 

[NM Mooney]

2 hours ago, hammdo said:

For the cowling, David @Sabremech has one in development and Inhave his original cowling design. My temps (even in Texas) have been great.

 

 

 

Thanks Hammdo.  Any chance you might get a moment to take some close-ups of the cowls you've got?  I can't quite see the latching mechanism.

[Hank]

Hey, NM. Memory says that the pivot for my lower cowl is at the back.

I'll be at the hangar tomorrow and will take pictures,  but your (to be) cowl is designed and built significantly different from mine. Not sure how many changes can be pushed backwards.

To.change the oil, I remove the top and both sides, and don't touch the lower cowl. It should be visible in my oil change presentation. 

[RoundTwo]

I believe on-campus is living on-campus in student housing. Off-campus would be living in apartment. At home would be living at home and commuting. Not sure where the at-home costs come from.

[hammdo]

No latches, dzus/southco’s. I’ll get a pic. Not like a cherokee where you open it up.

Davids new one is similar but not as many fasteners…

-Don

 

[NM Mooney]

37 minutes ago, RoundTwo said:

I believe on-campus is living on-campus in student housing. Off-campus would be living in apartment. At home would be living at home and commuting. Not sure where the at-home costs come from.

You know, it's been so long since college I didn't even think about student housing.  I'm sure you're right--and the main thing is, I want the cheapest option I'm eligible for, so looks like I'm good to go. 

[NM Mooney]

46 minutes ago, Hank said:

Hey, NM. Memory says that the pivot for my lower cowl is at the back.

I'll be at the hangar tomorrow and will take pictures,  but your (to be) cowl is designed and built significantly different from mine. Not sure how many changes can be pushed backwards.

To.change the oil, I remove the top and both sides, and don't touch the lower cowl. It should be visible in my oil change presentation. 

I downloaded and viewed your presentation.  Very nice.  I use a little sheet metal tool on my '51 FL Pan-Shovel chopper when draining the oil tank.   I guess I'm not clear whether the '63 has a spin-on filter rather than just a screen, and if that's true then perhaps then Wolf setup--if available for that early engine--both adds the spin-in and moves it remotely...?   Regardless, the spin-ons take [x] torque value, which I don't know but intend to find out.  I've got three different torque wrenches and think the hex on the filters is just a 1" socket--assuming there's room.  If not, I use a nifty extension to do the head bolts on the Hog, and just use a simple formula to net the right torque (slightly reduced). 

Hey, that's really nice of you: I'll look forward to your pics.  Hope I didn't put you out.

[NM Mooney]

11 minutes ago, hammdo said:

No latches, dzus/southco’s. I’ll get a pic. Not like a cherokee where you open it up.

Davids new one is similar but not as many fasteners…

-Don

 

Okay, cool, thanks.  I'm eager to see you guys' respective setups.  Even more eager to see if this gent is serious, and whether the old girl is worth saving. 

[NM Mooney]

Here are the only shots I took with my phone (should've taken more).  The tires are flat, naturally, the windshield and windows all need replacing (badly yellowed), but the fuselage, tail section, and wings look very straight.  Tough to see inside due to the yellowing but the seats look intact.  

I assume converting to a single front window isn't that bad.    What's the best source for windows for these old birds?

[Hank]

You're a brave soul, NM!

But good on you if you rescue this fine Mooney.

[ArtVandelay]

https://www.aircraftwindshieldstore.com/aircraft-parts/mooney/

[NM Mooney]

2 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

https://www.aircraftwindshieldstore.com/aircraft-parts/mooney/

Thanks, man.  Hey, wait, do you sell latex...?

[NM Mooney]

4 minutes ago, Hank said:

You're a brave soul, NM!

But good on you if you rescue this fine Mooney.

Well, truth be told I've done this with autos before, at least three times.  Of course, this isn't a car or truck...

I have some very personal reasons for wanting to do this that I'm uncomfortable posting on the internet.  But one of them I don't mind mentioning is that it's a kind of an extension of an ongoing inspiration from my father's (late) elder brother.  Keith flew a PBY Catalina in WWII (Pacific Theater), in charge of the aircraft at the ripe old age of 21.  His widow found the hand-typed memoirs of his time in the infamous CA Navy flight school and later in combat, and sent them to me.  Those, in turn, were inspiration for the protagonist in my first novel, an ex-Vietnam POW turned FBI profiler named Robert Gaines, and who is about to retire when 9/11 happens.  He is put in charge of ferreting out aiders and abetters of the highjackers in NYC shortly after the President's exec order, and there are a few flashbacks to when Gaines was shot down over Hanoi that are (loosely) informed by some of what my late uncle wrote.  Pretty harrowing stuff in that memoir, actually, and some more personal reflections of his that I'd like to inform another novel hewing more closely to his experiences and that time frame. 

Anyway, seemed to me that, in addition to my other private reasons for wanting a new project, this would help me connect a bit with my memories of Keith.  Kind of corny, I guess, but there you have it. 

[NM Mooney]

Those window prices aren't that terrible (thanks, Art).  Is it a bad idea to get green plexiglass re: night flying? 

[hammdo]

UV smoked would be better

[NM Mooney]

3 minutes ago, hammdo said:

UV smoked would be better

Huh, I'll have to look around.  Looks like the slightly later model--no center frame--is approved for the '63 M20C.   

Edited December 4, 2021 by NM Mooney

[N201MKTurbo]

Joel,

If you want to be an inspector, keep a detailed log of all the work you do after you get your A&P license. To get your IA you need to prove you have been working on airplanes for 3 years and that you have all the tools necessary to do the inspections.

 

Are there any hangars available at Double Eagle? You need some place to work on it.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by N201MKTurbo

[NM Mooney]

4 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Joel,

If you want to be an inspector, keep a detailed log of all the work you do after you get your A&P license. To get your IA you need to prove you have been working on airplanes for 3 years and that you have all the tools necessary to do the inspections.

 

 

I just downloaded the FAA guide for IAs, so really appreciate the heads up.  

This plan is starting to shape up!

[NM Mooney]

18 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Joel,

Are there any hangars available at Double Eagle? You need some place to work on it.

 

 

There's a wait list, both for hangers and covered tie-down space.  If this sale goes through, I need to get on the list, just didn't want to do that until I have the plane.  I think it's $245 hanger, $150 covered, and $35 tie down. 

However, the chief mechanic was very solicitous and said he's got a good 'out of sight, out of mind' tie down in the lee of one of the buildings to the north, and said he doesn't care if I work on it, so long as I don't spill, etc.  He also said if I need to pull the engine or anything, he'd let me pull it into one of the workshop bays.  I'd just put the engine in the truck, drive it home to my shop and put it on a stand.  Hmmm... guess I'd have to weld up a fixture to bolt in place of the missing engine to hang Olympic plates on, so I could move the plane back to the space without dragging the tail in the dirt. 

[hammdo]

What the UV smoked looks like (from my