1976 Mooney M20C Gas Colator

[IndianaBrad]

Anyone have their gascolator leak out the drain tube when the plane is off while on the left or right tanks? Any rebuild kit available?

Edited December 14, 2023 by IndianaBrad
Different topic found

[hammdo]

I run boost pump, mixture control about half way (some may need full mixture), 2 pumps of the throttle, fires right up then I lean aggressively. Now, I’m in Texas and even in the 20’s (degrees) this has worked for me. The previous owner lived in Wisconsin ( @Sabremech) so he may have some thoughts. I also have a SureFly and recent overhauled right mag with all new leads so that may also help me… 

C’s are carbureted…

-Don

[tcal780]

See if your IA will replace it with a Curtis quick drain valve. IMO it's far better than the original since you can sump it.

[hammdo]

Hum, question changed…

Maxwells did mine when I had the selector overhauled…

 

-Don

[cliffy]

What am I missing here?

He's asking about the quick drain gascolator not the wing quick drains I think

 

[47U]

16 hours ago, IndianaBrad said:

Anyone have their gascolator leak

You might try blowing some shop air up through the drain, in case a small piece of debris has unseated the plunger.

CAUTION, don’t soak yourself with avgas!  

Otherwise, the Curtis quick drain modification as tcal780 suggested, like hammdo has in his picture, is a good solution for plunger seals that are unobtanium.  

Edited December 14, 2023 by 47U
Added pics…

[MB65E]

Our airplane had a 90° fitting and a Curtis 1550 drain on it. I like the set up. 
-Matt

[Buckeyechuck]

If it’s the gascolator in the nose wheel area. Mcfarlane sells an STC’d replacement. 

If it’s the fuel selector in the floor the older style just has a steel ball bearing held under tension by a spring on a Teflon seat. The bearing is subject to corrosion if there has been any moisture in its past. A new ball bearing might be the fix. 

[DCarlton]

Reporting another leaker since my M20F annual in Dec.  About two drops a minute.  Working with the shop to resolve.  Anyone hearing reports of new production gaskets that don't seal properly?  Installed gasket P/N was 940057-001.  Laser has them for three times the cost of everyone else.  Is theirs better?  

[N201MKTurbo]

Mine was leaking a little. I re-coined the seat with a 3/16 ball bearing. It stopped the leak.

[Ragsf15e]

You guys talking the pull drain or the actual gascolator where the bottom half has a gasket and is connected to the upper half?

If the gascolator, it needs very light torque iaw the manual, but it also needs to be kept very even/level as it’s torqued or it will leak with a new seal.

[DCarlton]

53 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

You guys talking the pull drain or the actual gascolator where the bottom half has a gasket and is connected to the upper half?

If the gascolator, it needs very light torque iaw the manual, but it also needs to be kept very even/level as it’s torqued or it will leak with a new seal.

That’s a good question.  In my case, we’re not sure yet.  May know next week.  

[Ragsf15e]

27 minutes ago, DCarlton said:

That’s a good question.  In my case, we’re not sure yet.  May know next week.  

I replaced the gasket on the gascolator (seal kit from lasar) last year.  It wasn’t hard, but the torque is really low (14 in lbs maybe?) or you can hurt the irreplaceable gascolator.  We did it, turned on the fuel while my IA was under watching for leaks.  I heard him yell and saw a 250lb, 6’4” man roll out from under surprisingly quickly.  It was pouring out fuel.  I turned it back off.  We took the collator back apart and everything looked good.  We actually disconnected the in/out fuel lines from the collator so we could hold the bottom half perfectly level to the upper half while slowly tightening, then reconnected the lines.  The gasket is real sensitive to proper seating.  No leaks.

[DCarlton]

Is there an STC for the Curtis Valve mod or is that something an IA can choose to do?  With the valve mod, what happens to the plunger valve?  

[CaptainRamius]

I have 65 M20C. Steep learning curve on first annual. I'm rookie A&P but very well seasoned in aviation.  30 year flight engineer. Is the gascolator the actual fuel selector valve? Is the screen that needs replace by AD/SB M20-81A under the single safety wired bolt?  Have heard of this low torque. Old ring in cockpit removed and fuel strainer on bottom of fus. Anyone have pics would be a great help. Nothing on YouTube.

[47U]

26 minutes ago, CaptainRamius said:

Anyone have pics would be a great help.

Pics from a ‘64D (converted to a C).

Sorry, I’m not familiar with the AD… so I hope these pics help.  I have a ‘63C with the gascolator in the nose wheel well.  (Which presents its own set of challenges.)

Since the teflon seal is almost unobtanium, many have gone to the Curtiss drain valve solution.  I think that’s better anyway, because you can visually inspect the drained fuel for contaminants.  

 

[N201MKTurbo]

Your bolt has two washers, it should have a single stat-o-seal.

[MB65E]

Brown aircraft can make and send the larger gasket. Just tell them you have a Mooney gascolator. Most of the ones we have ordered are too thick. 1/16 is the correct thickness. NO LUBE, it will lip out with torque. 15-20in lbs IAW SB. M20-200.

[MB65E]

Also, the -3 bolt needs to be safety wired. 

-Matt

[phxcobraz]

My 63C gascolator was a huge pain to seal with both Lasar gasket and even just testing with a homemade cork gasket.

We replaced the whole thing with a Steve's gascolator and no longer have any issues. Much better design and looks pretty too.

[MB65E]

Stevie’s is great! I’ve installed them on a few airplanes. 

Does the a 63C have a firewall mounted unit? 
Not sure how Stevie’s would incorporate the selector too? 
-Matt

[47U]

10 hours ago, MB65E said:

Does the a 63C have a firewall mounted unit?

No.  The gascolator is on the left-forward wall of the nose gear wheel well.  I’ve got the (weird?) parallel flow fuel system (B/C sn 1701-2622 and D sn 101-200).  There’s a T at the inlet to the (Bendix/Facet) electric boost pump.  One half goes through the boost pump, then the boost pump output goes to a T on the engine side of the firewall.  The other half of the T on the boost pump inlet goes to the gascolator in the nose wheel well, then reenters the cockpit through a hard line to a 90 degree elbow bulkhead fitting forward of the right rudder pedal, back through the firewall in the footwell, then a short -6 hose to the engine driven fuel pump.  The hose out of the engine driven fuel pump rejoins the boost pump output at the T on the lower left firewall, and from there to the carb.   

I think serial numbers prior to 1701 had a serial design fuel system where there was no T on the boost pump inlet and the output went to the gascolator in the nose wheel well.  When the E started production in -64, the fuel system changed to incorporate the selector valve and gascolator in one assembly.  Perhaps because of the higher fuel pressures and desire to standardize production between all models at that time.

As I understand it.

[MB65E]

That’s Stevie’s unit works great there I bet. The owner is a really neat guy. I have his unit on a few Extras. 
I still love your icon and want a Monocoupe. 
Brown aircraft is still a good source for the seals and Gen.Aircraft hardware still had the stat-o-seals.
-Matt

[phxcobraz]

4 hours ago, 47U said:

No.  The gascolator is on the left-forward wall of the nose gear wheel well.  I’ve got the (weird?) parallel flow fuel system (B/C sn 1701-2622 and D sn 101-200).  There’s a T at the inlet to the (Bendix/Facet) electric boost pump.  One half goes through the boost pump, then the boost pump output goes to a T on the engine side of the firewall.  The other half of the T on the boost pump inlet goes to the gascolator in the nose wheel well, then reenters the cockpit through a hard line to a 90 degree elbow bulkhead fitting forward of the right rudder pedal, back through the firewall in the footwell, then a short -6 hose to the engine driven fuel pump.  The hose out of the engine driven fuel pump rejoins the boost pump output at the T on the lower left firewall, and from there to the carb.   

I think serial numbers prior to 1701 had a serial design fuel system where there was no T on the boost pump inlet and the output went to the gascolator in the nose wheel well.  When the E started production in -64, the fuel system changed to incorporate the selector valve and gascolator in one assembly.  Perhaps because of the higher fuel pressures and desire to standardize production between all models at that time.

As I understand it.

 

4 hours ago, MB65E said:

That’s Stevie’s unit works great there I bet. The owner is a really neat guy. I have his unit on a few Extras. 
I still love your icon and want a Monocoupe. 
Brown aircraft is still a good source for the seals and Gen.Aircraft hardware still had the stat-o-seals.
-Matt

That is exactly what mine looked like and was a huge pile of junk. Anything to get rid of that inconsistent clamping bale. The Steve's is just a cotter pin and rotate off, easy to clean/lube the oring.

[Kelpro999]

4 hours ago, phxcobraz said:

That is exactly what mine looked like and was a huge pile of junk. Anything to get rid of that inconsistent clamping bale. The Steve's is just a cotter pin and rotate off, easy to clean/lube the oring.

Mine also, found that time and uneven pressure  applied by that clamp caused the aluminum head assembly to bend. It then became impossible to seal the glass to the head.