Turbo Owners ALERT! This on your exhaust?

[Echo]

I just dropped my plane at my A&P for a known-repair. He said that there is an AD for (see photo.)  said that if there are over 500 hours since install, it needs replaced. There are none available in the system and the next release is 2025! I don't know if this is accurate but may want to look into it.  He said this hose clamp is on every move every turbo. Over 15,000 out there. Yikes! Scott.

[N201MKTurbo]

You must have missed the threads on this subject. We talked all about it the day the AD came out.

[alextstone]

Section (i) 2 of the AD provides for an alternative procedure of inspection within 50 hrs of service. followed by repeated inspections every 6 months or 100 hrs service thereafter for up to two years.  Show that to your A&P:

"(2) As an alternative to initially removing the v-band coupling from service as required by paragraph (i)(1) of this AD, you may perform the inspections required by paragraphs (k)(1) through (7) or (l) of this AD. Do the initial inspections at the time the v-band coupling would have been removed from service and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 6 months or 100 hours TIS, whichever occurs first, for a period not to exceed 2 years after the effective date of this AD. If the v-band coupling fails to meet any inspection criteria in paragraphs (k)(1) through (7) or (l) of this AD, it must be removed from service before further flight. Removing the v-band coupling from service and installing a new v-band coupling does not terminate the requirement to do these repetitive inspections."

Apparently, the FAA actually anticipated the backlog of orders and did something reasonable.

 

[Echo]

I passed your comments on. Thank you. Not a turbo owner so missed that thread. The fact that the v band won’t be available in quantity until 2025 is disconcerting. 

[alextstone]

16 minutes ago, Echo said:

I passed your comments on. Thank you. Not a turbo owner so missed that thread. The fact that the v band won’t be available in quantity until 2025 is disconcerting. 

Don't sweat it yet.  Supply will converge with demand and rumor has it that another company is working on an STC for one that will not require 500 hr replacements.  

[Schllc]

1 hour ago, alextstone said:

Section (i) 2 of the AD provides for an alternative procedure of inspection within 50 hrs of service. followed by repeated inspections every 6 months or 100 hrs service thereafter for up to two years.  Show that to your A&P:

"(2) As an alternative to initially removing the v-band coupling from service as required by paragraph (i)(1) of this AD, you may perform the inspections required by paragraphs (k)(1) through (7) or (l) of this AD. Do the initial inspections at the time the v-band coupling would have been removed from service and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 6 months or 100 hours TIS, whichever occurs first, for a period not to exceed 2 years after the effective date of this AD. If the v-band coupling fails to meet any inspection criteria in paragraphs (k)(1) through (7) or (l) of this AD, it must be removed from service before further flight. Removing the v-band coupling from service and installing a new v-band coupling does not terminate the requirement to do these repetitive inspections."

Apparently, the FAA actually anticipated the backlog of orders and did something reasonable.

 

Given the limited amount of actual failures, making a path around the obtuse rule is hardly reasonable… but I get your point. 

[Pinecone]

Several of use discussed this AD with Frank Crawford of Mooney.  He was going to try to convince the bean counters that they should start producing them.

[Ethan]

Anyone have any luck securing the 653332 V-Band clamp for a Mooney 231 with the LB1B engine? I need to replace mine in just a few hours.

[Pinecone]

FYI, you do NOT need to replace right now. There are inspections that can be done for the next 2 years.

There are other threads on this.

Synopsis
If a Clamp has 0 – 450 hours – Replace or inspect before 500 hours.
If a Clamp has 450 or more hours – Replace or inspect within 50 hours.
If a Clamp has unknown hours – Replace or inspect within 50 hours.
Continue to inspect every 100 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first until July 17, 2025, then you
MUST replace clamp.
After replacing the clamp, inspect at every annual and replace before 500 hours.
And, of course, if the clamp fails any of the inspections, it needs to be replaced before further flight.

[jlunseth]

George Braley tells a story about this involving his brother, a pilot who was flying his family in a Piper, I forget the model, turbo Navajo maybe? He was astute enough to notice irregular readings on his engine monitor, and even though there were no outward signs, he declared an emergency and made an off field landing with some damage to the aircraft. When the NTSB came out to conduct their investigation he apologized thinking he had acted rashly. The NTSB representative said, “You don’t understand. This is the third of these that I have investigated. You are the first pilot I have been able to talk to.” So it is not a trifling thing. The 231 has an inspection door in the starboard cowling. I don’t know what the other turbo Mooneys have. Every preflight should involve opening the inspection door and firmly putting pressure on the end of the exhaust to check for movement. You don’t want to wrench the things so hard that repeated wrenching might cause it to come loose, but you don’t want to just blow on it either. A telltale sign of an issue is gray residue on the outside of the turbo body, which indicates leakage of exhaust. It could be coming from a crack in the turbo or from the V-band. Either way, you want to know about it before taking the aircraft into the air. I, too, think the FAA could do a better job with ADs. It bothers me that inspection could include removing and replacing a perfectly good V-band, with the consequent risks of a bad install or infant mortality. On the other hand, this is not a non-issue.

While you are at it during the pre-flight, rub your finger inside the cold exhaust to see if the residue is dry or grimey. If grimey, it is an indication of an oil leak. I don’t do this every pre-flight, but maybe once a month.

[Red Leader]

Just had my annual completed and the A&P indicated the clamps will be available in the next couple of months - he has ordered one for me. Mine is fine but would just feel better having a backup.

[geoffb]

I just passed 500 and just came out of annual.  I'm going with 50 inspections.  I have a good clamp now, it gets a good look-see at every oil change.  The risk of infant mortality of a replacement clamp is greater than 0.

To follow on from John's post, the 252 cowl doesn't have access right at the turbocharger, but you can easily grab the end of the exhaust pipe and give it a wiggle, or hopeful not a wiggle.

If the tailpipe came off the -MB, I suspect you'd burn through the right side firewall pretty quick.  

[PeteMc]

6 hours ago, geoffb said:

you can easily grab the end of the exhaust pipe and give it a wiggle, or hopeful not a wiggle.

That's the way I was taught from day one of flying my 231.