Pilot side panel re-do, flat vs angled panel

[TuomoMooneyFlying]

1967 M20F

So I'll be embarking on a small panel upgrade, the old panel has that angle in it, the new one will be flat. But, I'm assuming some spacers will be needed to fit the panel properly? Anyone else done this and have knowledge of what is needed for hardware? Much appreciate the comments from folks who've done this already! Thanks!

[ArtVandelay]

Left side or right?

[TuomoMooneyFlying]

13 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

Left side or right?

Left side

[ArtVandelay]

Left side

If it’s like the J, nothing to do, the support structure is flat, the bend is just in the panel sheet metal.

[Andy95W]

It’s not like the M20J.

LASAR used to have a kit, you should ask them if they can email the instructions to you.  A single picture will tell you everything you need to know.

Basically, you need angle aluminum offsets to push the top of the panel to the rear to allow the panel to be vertically true.  2” angle aluminum cut about 3/8” wide is fairly standard.  There is also a method to rotate the phenolic ball yoke shaft support 180° to allow more room for instruments above it.  You may not need to do this, depending on your instrument layout.

[TuomoMooneyFlying]

18 hours ago, Andy95W said:

It’s not like the M20J.

LASAR used to have a kit, you should ask them if they can email the instructions to you.  A single picture will tell you everything you need to know.

Basically, you need angle aluminum offsets to push the top of the panel to the rear to allow the panel to be vertically true.  2” angle aluminum cut about 3/8” wide is fairly standard.  There is also a method to rotate the phenolic ball yoke shaft support 180° to allow more room for instruments above it.  You may not need to do this, depending on your instrument layout.

Thanks!! I'll give LASAR a call in the morning.

[Andy95W]

@TuomoMooneyFlying-

Any luck from LASAR?  I found the instructions in my logs from 1992.  I can post them here, but they’re pretty sparse for information. 

[Shadrach]

On 4/15/2023 at 11:32 PM, Andy95W said:

It’s not like the M20J.

LASAR used to have a kit, you should ask them if they can email the instructions to you.  A single picture will tell you everything you need to know.

Basically, you need angle aluminum offsets to push the top of the panel to the rear to allow the panel to be vertically true.  2” angle aluminum cut about 3/8” wide is fairly standard.  There is also a method to rotate the phenolic ball yoke shaft support 180° to allow more room for instruments above it.  You may not need to do this, depending on your instrument layout.

I am confused. My F has the original panel angles (converted to 6 pack) It seems to me that the Pilot side pane is angled above the bottom row of instruments to be vertically true while the passenger side is angled back a few degrees.  I must be confused or misreading your post or both. I thought the mod just removed the mid panel fold and made the whole thing vertically true.

[Andy95W]

Ross- that sounds like you have the modified pilot side panel.  Nobody really changes the copilot side instrument panel, since it doesn’t have any gyros, it’s normally okay the way it is.

@64U posted a picture of his panel a month ago.  It is the original semi-canted pilot side panel, which I believe was original to the 67 M20F (it was for my 67 M20C I had 30 years ago).

Edited April 18, 2023 by Andy95W

[TuomoMooneyFlying]

20 hours ago, Andy95W said:

@TuomoMooneyFlying-

Any luck from LASAR?  I found the instructions in my logs from 1992.  I can post them here, but they’re pretty sparse for information. 

I called and got stuck in the robo-answering machine hell, next time I called and got a “exceeded number of lines” auto response before it even connected. On their website, they have a chat feature, chatted with someone who took my details, then they followed up with a question about my plane serial, told them it’s not relevant to the question and that it’s a ‘67 M20F and have heard crickets since.

if anyone knows a direct number to a human there, would appreciate it!

[Shadrach]

2 hours ago, Andy95W said:

Ross- that sounds like you have the modified pilot side panel.  Nobody really changes the copilot side instrument panel, since it doesn’t have any gyros, it’s normally okay the way it is.

@64U posted a picture of his panel a month ago.  It is the original semi-canted pilot side panel, which I believe was original to the 67 M20F (it was for my 67 M20C I had 30 years ago).

My panel looks like the one pictured. Is that not vertically true?

[Andy95W]

No, the modification makes the whole pilot side panel vertical (see below):

[Andy95W]

@TuomoMooneyFlying - these are the instructions from 30 years ago.  I’ve added some pictures of my panel (minus the panel )

I think @64U inquired about this also last month.

Panel.pdf

[47U]

Pics below from the LASAR flat-panel installation kit 4 or 5 years ago.  Three standoffs with shock mounts on top, three shock mounts on the bottom.  The bottom row shock mounts are inserted into a ‘cup’ which helps prevent panel sag.  With the aircraft leveled longitudinally, the result was an 8 degree tilt.  There were no instructions in the kit, but I didn’t buy the flat panel from LASAR, they sold me the installation kit by itself.

 

[Andy95W]

That’s a lot nicer and cleaner than the way it used to be.  I’ll probably change mine to that when I re-do my panel.  Thanks!