M20J NLG Repairs & Firewall Sheetmetal

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Futches said:

Thanks @redbaron1982 - I read your entire post and can certainly feel your pain...as much as I hope to avoid it.  The just-completed pre-buy was done at an MSC, and while all good folks, they're not experts on this part of the aircraft (and to their credit, admitted when they didn't know something).  Unfortunately I ended up with more/bigger questions than I began with...this thread is the result. (A previous post suggested start with DMax first next time.  Noted.)

No one shop is perfect(MSC or not). The shop is only as good as the weakest link on the shop floor.  If the owner isn’t actually doing some of the work or at very least out on the shop floor supervising and training those who are the outcome is a guess at best.  

Reputation only takes you so far.
 

[A64Pilot]

The fact is the aircraft are getting older, the older they get the more difficult and expensive they are to maintain, compounded by neglect.

I keep seeing over and over multiple threads on how an airplane passed a “Pre-buy” but in its first Annual there are serious expensive, usually corrosion problems found.

People have argued with me several times that Annuals are BS, not much is looked at, that a Pre-buy inspection is a much more comprehensive inspection.

If that’s true then how come so many problems are found at the first Annual?

There are other issues too, one of them is that there is no such thing as a Pre-buy, FAA doesn’t recognize such a thing, there is no min performance standards, and therefore any one can perform one. My Wife can look at an airplane as it taxis by and say it passed her Pre-buy.

It takes an IA to perform an Annual, there is a min checklist that must be accomplished, and if the IA misses something on that checklist that renders the aircraft un-airworthy, then they can be in trouble by the FAA at least. Same guy if they miss obvious extreme corrosion on a pre-buy has no liability.

So by all means have a pre-buy done by someone you trust, but my advice is that in the first day of inspection I can tell you if you want to continue or run away and if I can a Mooney pro certainly can.

If they give you the thumbs up that on initial look it looks good, then it’s time to delve into the thing and really inspect it, in other words one of those Annuals that seem to find the airplane killing corrosion etc., and then you have a full year to enjoy your airplane, and if serious deficiencies are found that’s the time to discuss expenses with the seller. 

Yes you could still get bit, and maybe have to pay more to discover serious problems, but I’d rather be out an additional grand having to pay for a partial Annual, than find out a few months after buying my pride and joy to find out it’s not an airplane anymore.

Finally corrosion cannot be “treated” yes there are compounds that can slow corrosion and in some cases maybe prevent it, but once corrosion is present some damage is done and corrosion will continue until removed. I like Corrosion-X myself to help prevent it, but staying clean and dry is the best corrosion preventative.

[Futches]

Thanks so very much for all the comments and good neighborly suggestions on this thread. The value of this community is tremendous!

This one was premium priced when compared to others in the market, and digging in further I was left with even more questions.  I decided to let it go and will keep looking for a better option.  I’ll do that wiser next time (and I’ll call DMax first!) and I’ll be sure to take it to an MSC for the prebuy. (Crazy face emoji inserted here)

Maybe just a different one.

[goodyFAB]

On 12/16/2022 at 7:24 AM, Futches said:

Thanks so very much for all the comments and good neighborly suggestions on this thread. The value of this community is tremendous!

This one was premium priced when compared to others in the market, and digging in further I was left with even more questions.  I decided to let it go and will keep looking for a better option.  I’ll do that wiser next time (and I’ll call DMax first!) and I’ll be sure to take it to an MSC for the prebuy. (Crazy face emoji inserted here)

Maybe just a different one.

curious , how many hours on that airframe ?

my plane has 27xx hours on the airframe and the exhaust cover panels are pretty beat up too, do a buyer assisted annual and its the first thing you learn that the panels are far from perfect, it takes some finagling to get things to fit decent. 

ive seen that piece of aluminum that the gear rods cracked on the couple Mooney I looked at, they are super thin, and they are not structural. 

 

good luck in your search, getting intimate with airplanes is a time consuming adventure, do what you can to find major issues, the small ones will be found after you own it no matter what. 

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

FWIW, I think the cracks in the removable center firewall piece are caused by wallowed out cowl fasteners that allow the cowl to move up and down a bit. This works that piece and causes the cracks at the corners.