Air intake boot availability?

[GDGR]

74F. Annual just showed my air intake boots needs replacing. Anyone know aside from LASAR where I can get one?

[outermarker]

Ohh Noooo!!! Be prepared to pay for some guys kid to go to college! I sure wish that part could be made AND SOLD for 1/10 of the price currently being touted. I bet that there are a lot of owners waiting for such a thing to happen. The same is true for the landing gear disks. Good luck!

 

[cctsurf]

I had hoped @GeeBee would make some owner produced parts for us...

[GeeBee]

14 minutes ago, cctsurf said:

I had hoped @GeeBee would make some owner produced parts for us...

Wrong GeeBee. You want GeeBee Aeroproducts

[A64Pilot]

I’d bet lunch that I could repair the boot with A1/2 fuel tank sealer, just paint it on with an acid brush. It’s much tougher and much more adhesive than silicone.

You probably could do it with B2 just think the A being thinner will brush on better and the 1/2 of course cures in 1/4 the time, may need two coats 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, GeeBee said:

Wrong GeeBee. You want GeeBee Aeroproducts

Who unfortunately doesn’t stop by anymore.

[GDGR]

44 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

Who unfortunately doesn’t stop by anymore.

Even worse, I spoke with your wife this afternoon and you’ve been back ordered

for almost 10 months!

[chriscalandro]

You could try to go the owner produced part route but there may be some jag offs with no alternative options that have a problem with it. 

[N201MKTurbo]

I have thought about making them, I haven’t owned a plane with one since 2003. Can somebody send me a derelict one they have replaced?    
 

When I finally retire, I’ve thought about getting a PMA just for the sport of it.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, GLJA said:

Even worse, I spoke with your wife this afternoon and you’ve been back ordered

for almost 10 months!

The challenge seems to be parts that Mooney has to buy from outside vendors.  Parts made in house seem be available with mild delays.  We recently got  2 skins, 9 ribs and 2 wing spars for a repair project.

[chriscalandro]

3 hours ago, M20Doc said:

The challenge seems to be parts that Mooney has to buy from outside vendors.  Parts made in house seem be available with mild delays.  We recently got  2 skins, 9 ribs and 2 wing spars for a repair project.

Like elevator weights and up/down lock blocks?

[RobertGary1]

Are you sure it can’t be patched? Almost all damage comes from lowering the cowl carelessly. 

[A64Pilot]

6 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Are you sure it can’t be patched? Almost all damage comes from lowering the cowl carelessly. 

I’ve not seen one that couldn’t, if it’s really bad I’ve seen fiberglass fabric used as reinforcement, no resin but fuel tank sealer. Resin doesn’t have enough flex of course.

‘New is better obviously

[GDGR]

4 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

I’ve not seen one that couldn’t, if it’s really bad I’ve seen fiberglass fabric used as reinforcement, no resin but fuel tank sealer. Resin doesn’t have enough flex of course.

‘New is better obviously

My AME is very leery about "patching" it. I fully understand the reasoning.... Large chunk gets loose and sucked up into the engine resulting in the air conditioning fan at the front of the aircraft stopping mid flight. 

It's roughly a small finger sized hole on the bottom of the boot. I'd love to send one to someone to make a bunch, but can't even find a used one at the moment (Loewen's told me to call LASAR, Texas Air doesn't have one).

 

[EricJ]

1 minute ago, GLJA said:

My AME is very leery about "patching" it. I fully understand the reasoning.... Large chunk gets loose and sucked up into the engine resulting in the air conditioning fan at the front of the aircraft stopping mid flight. 

It's roughly a small finger sized hole on the bottom of the boot. I'd love to send one to someone to make a bunch, but can't even find a used one at the moment (Loewen's told me to call LASAR, Texas Air doesn't have one).

"Patching" it usually involves a cloth or fabric weave to cover the hole to prevent anything from falling in and then adhesive sealant on the fabric.    Think of patching fiberglass or something like that.   It's how they were originally made, so it's not anything crazy.

[Skates97]

18 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I have thought about making them, I haven’t owned a plane with one since 2003. Can somebody send me a derelict one they have replaced?    
 

When I finally retire, I’ve thought about getting a PMA just for the sport of it.

I had one I sent to another member, he still has it. I'll send you a PM to put you together.

[N201MKTurbo]

I was thinking I would get one of my mechanical engineer friends to make a drawing for a mandrel that can be disassembled, then have it produced by one of the online machine shops, or printed in aluminum. 

I would call a contact at a fuel bladder company I have and find out where he gets his uncured reinforced rubber strips and panels. I would lay one up and vulcanize it. After I figured out how to make them, I would talk to the good folks at the FAA and see what i need to do to get a PMA.

I can fly around to Mooney events like Norm (RIP) with my lawn chair and a box of ducts...

[EricJ]

3 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I was thinking I would get one of my mechanical engineer friends to make a drawing for a mandrel that can be disassembled, then have it produced by one of the online machine shops, or printed in aluminum. 

I would call a contact at a fuel bladder company I have and find out where he gets his uncured reinforced rubber strips and panels. I would lay one up and vulcanize it. After I figured out how to make them, I would talk to the good folks at the FAA and see what i need to do to get a PMA.

I can fly around to Mooney events like Norm (RIP) with my lawn chair and a box of ducts...

This sort of thing sounds like an effective retirement activity strategy.   My problem is I'm lazy.    

[N201MKTurbo]

4 minutes ago, EricJ said:

This sort of thing sounds like an effective retirement activity strategy.   My problem is I'm lazy.    

I try like hell, but the world has a different plan for me…