Mooney M20C Air Box Woes

[cliffy]

I hope it stays together as the engine really wraps up in rotation on start up and shut down and that is where

the bellows gets its most work out

Glad you found a good bellows though. Many here have been looking for a long time. You're lucky!

If anything touches it put some baffle material on it there and secure it with high temp RTV to the boot.  It will last twice as long that way

[jghyde]

The Power Flow installation went well. Also installed one of those fancy Challenger Air Filters. Hope it doesn't rain on the way home!

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by jghyde

[jghyde]

Power Flow in an M-20C O360

Flew a 4-hop back to Texas from Daytona after Power Flow was installed. Initial impression:

Arrived to get the PF installed and the air box was horked. However, for years, my plane was a 143 KTAS airplane. Fixed the air box and installed PF along with a new Challenger air filter in Daytona. My Mooney has 201 windshield, wing root fairings, tail root fairing, enclosure on front cowl, a gap seals.

General impression after 4-hop home:

• Climb rate is 2x greater in FPM up to about 5,000 feet then it tapers off considerably
• Got airspeed from a GTN 650xi - 151-152 KTAS at 4000-6500 MSL WOT (25/26 ish), improved from 143 KTAS before PF. That's an 8 to 9 KTAS improvement.
• CHTs are about 20 degrees higher
• Got prop balance too. Very smooth performance
• Plane rumbles now. Sounds bad ass!

 

[Jim Peace]

4 hours ago, jghyde said:

Got prop balance too. Very smooth performance

was the prop balance done at the powerflow shop?  I am looking for a prop balance.

[Guest]

I wonder how much of the performance increase is the power flow and how much is from the air box not sucking warm air from the broken section?

[jghyde]

1 hour ago, M20Doc said:

I wonder how much of the performance increase is the power flow and how much is from the air box not sucking warm air from the broken section?

The air box wasn't broken a year ago and the plane was a 143 KTAS airplane back then, too.

But, to be true, there were 4 things accomplished on the trip:

• Air Box replacement
• Power Flow installation
• Challenger Air Filter installation
• Prop balance.

Power Flow did the PF install + prop balance for 1.3k amus. The air box was another couple hours shop time.

Edited January 15, 2023 by jghyde

[pirate]

I experienced similar gains to what your reporting with Power Flow and Challenger. 
 

[Robert Hicks]

I have a serviceable air box sitting on my shelf. If you’re interested shoot me a PM and we’ll work something out.