entry door removal

[Markku]

Anyone know how to remove the entry door from a 1978 M20J. I would like to remove the door seal and adhesive. Doing so would be much easier on a work surface. Looks like removing the hinge rod, but not sure. Thanks Mark

[PT20J]

I've replaced door seals and it's actually easy with the door installed. You have to do a lot work to remove the old adhesive and it's easier with the door supported than it would be laying on a table because the door isn't flat. You can remove the hold open arm and then the door will open and lay against the cowling and you can put a towel between the door and the cowling to protect the paint. 

Pull off the old seal and then use 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner in the spray can and let it soak the old glue for a while and then rub off the glue with a shop rag. It takes several applications, but it will eventually come clean. Use 3M Yellow Weatherstrip Adhesive to bond the new seal. The Brown Aircraft Supply T-9088 bulb seal is what Mooney used on later models and works much better that the obsolete BA-189-139 which had a foam core that goes flat. The most important thing is to get the new weatherstrip positioned correctly. Around the top and sides the bulb should be centered over the door skin rivet line. The bottom and bottom corners are tricky because the radius of the opening and door don't match exactly. I took out the right front seat so that I could lay down inside with the door closed and use a sharpie to mark on the door where the fuselage opening is and position the seal outside that line. The adhesive actually has a reasonably long open time so you can lift the strip and move it if you need to within about 30 minutes or so. Then shut the door and let it cure overnight. It will be snug at first, but the seal will eventually take a set and the door will be easy to close and it won't leak if you got it positioned correctly. If for some reason there is a section that leaks (sometimes this happens because the door shape doesn't exactly follow the opening shape) just make a shim by cutting a piece of the flat part off a section of bulb seal, lift the door seal, apply some adhesive and slip the shim between the door and the seal. (The shim trick I got from Don Maxwell).

Skip

[Markku]

Thanks for the advice. I purchased one of Bob Fields inflatable door seals. It will be interesting to see how well it seals. Mark

[A64Pilot]

On 5/26/2023 at 11:26 PM, Markku said:

Thanks for the advice. I purchased one of Bob Fields inflatable door seals. It will be interesting to see how well it seals. Mark

Mine seals perfectly and I don’t inflate it. I have and haven’t noticed any difference at all.

[LANCECASPER]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:26 PM, Markku said:

Thanks for the advice. I purchased one of Bob Fields inflatable door seals. It will be interesting to see how well it seals. Mark

You will need to use some shim material for the Bob Fields door seal on a Mooney. The owner of Tomgo - the company that does the Fields door seals, showed me how. Ask him for some shim material. Use the seal product that comes with the door seal kit so it comes off easily when you are chasing down leaks and getting it just right.