gear actuator motor

[Evelyn Craik]

I am in need of a gear actuator motor for a 1966 M20e.  Part no  IT  LA11C1114  Would appreciate any help locating one or is there a Dukes that is also approved for this aircraft. 

[N201MKTurbo]

Is the motor fried? If so send it to a motor rebuilder. Is there something else wrong with the actuator? More details would be good. We can probably help you get it fixed?

[Ragsf15e]

18 hours ago, Evelyn Craik said:

I am in need of a gear actuator motor for a 1966 M20e.  Part no  IT  LA11C1114  Would appreciate any help locating one or is there a Dukes that is also approved for this aircraft. 

Definitely provide a few extra details about it.  As @N201MKTurbo said, there may be ways we can help guide for repairs. Otherwise possibly salvage.  There’s also an issue in getting new gears for that part of the assembly (40/1 or the original 20/1).  
I’m definitely interested in what’s wrong with yours and how it gets resolved as it’s one of my worries as well (I have the Dukes version).

[Evelyn Craik]

Thank you for the reply.  Yes it is fried.  Been checking salvage, had one shipped from Canada. It was bad.  Appreciate any help.

[Ragsf15e]

10 minutes ago, Evelyn Craik said:

Thank you for the reply.  Yes it is fried.  Been checking salvage, had one shipped from Canada. It was bad.  Appreciate any help.

One option (does not appear cheap) is to get one on ebay.  I have seen several on there in the 3k-5k range.  I also have this fear of my motor going out, so i looked.  Another option i would suggest is taking it to a small motor / alternator shop and asking them to repair it.  Likely they can.  You would need to coordinate this with your IA because they will have to sign off on the installation.  Finally, I would call Don Maxwell in Longview, TX and ask for help.  I guarantee he’s seen this and will likely have suggestions we haven’t thought of.  Who knows, he might have repaired a few as he is very familiar with them.  
please keep us advised as to how you get her fixed up.

Drew

[EricJ]

+1 if it's the electric motor you can take it to any electric motor shop and see about getting it fixed.   Your A&P can "supervise" the work, e.g., inspect the results before installation.

[jetdriven]

It’s not just the electric motor, it’s also the ball screw and also the gears and bearings inside of that thing. You could also update it to a Vickers actuator. We have a 75F model with that thing I think it was installed from the factory that way.
 

[Evelyn Craik]

 

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions.  I'm going to investigate taking it to a repair shop.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

[warbingtonmasonry]

I own a 1967 M20F. It is equipped with Electric gear. I have confirmed with the Mooney Factory my airplane was delivered with Manual gear. My understanding, based on my readings here and conversations with Mooney Factory and study of the M20 Parts Catalog, is that M20s were not delivered by/from the factory with Electric gear before 1968. Pre-1968 models could avail themselves of a Factory retro-fit kit to install Electric gear in the field. Electric gear installation was offered sometime  post-1968, I think, as a Factory option. None, except the first three sentences, of what I have written should be considered gospel.

I suspect the above pertains to the Original Poster as it does to me. The point is that it probably is simpler and easier and less expensive to return the Poster's airplane to it's original Manual gear. I am considering the same, for reliability reasons.

 

[EricJ]

43 minutes ago, warbingtonmasonry said:

I own a 1967 M20F. It is equipped with Electric gear. I have confirmed with the Mooney Factory my airplane was delivered with Manual gear. My understanding, based on my readings here and conversations with Mooney Factory and study of the M20 Parts Catalog, is that M20s were not delivered by/from the factory with Electric gear before 1968. Pre-1968 models could avail themselves of a Factory retro-fit kit to install Electric gear in the field. Electric gear installation was offered sometime  post-1968, I think, as a Factory option. None, except the first three sentences, of what I have written should be considered gospel.

I suspect the above pertains to the Original Poster as it does to me. The point is that it probably is simpler and easier and less expensive to return the Poster's airplane to it's original Manual gear. I am considering the same, for reliability reasons.

 

It's a tradeoff.   I don't think manual gear is necessarily more reliable than electric, especially given the number of J-bar airplanes that wind up with collapsed gear on the ground (which is very rare with electric gear, since the jackscrew can't be back-driven).   Manual gear solves few problems and brings in other ones.   You're just picking your poison.    There's a reason that many of the J-bars were converted to electric, that electric was a popular option, and that eventually the factory went to electric exclusively.   Manual gear works fine, though.  It is a very workable system.

[warbingtonmasonry]

EricJ:

I agree. The simplicity of the manual gear appeals to me. I am scared of collapsing it on the ground. I am at least equally scared of failure, somehow, to extend the electric gear while airborne. I agree with you. 

[Ragsf15e]

6 hours ago, warbingtonmasonry said:

EricJ:

I agree. The simplicity of the manual gear appeals to me. I am scared of collapsing it on the ground. I am at least equally scared of failure, somehow, to extend the electric gear while airborne. I agree with you. 

I think all of this is going to become a significant problem for us with early electric gear as the gear motors, 40/1 gears and backup crank cables fail from old age.  There really aren’t replacement options.  That being said, I really like the electric gear, I just wish there was a solid option for parts when they are needed.

[EricJ]

41 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

I think all of this is going to become a significant problem for us with early electric gear as the gear motors, 40/1 gears and backup crank cables fail from old age.  There really aren’t replacement options.  That being said, I really like the electric gear, I just wish there was a solid option for parts when they are needed.

I suspect it's not going to be as bad as people may be anticipating.   @N201MKTurbo already sorted out a repair/replacement strategy for the crank cable.   The electric motors themselves shouldn't be an issue since motors are generally serviceable.    The gear sets are the main risk, and that's a solvable problem as well, although it may wind up being expensive, at least initially.   Now that VARMA is getting the idea out that it's okay to source non-aviation parts when appropriate, and OPP is becoming better understood in the industry, I think these problems will start to get easier to solve.

This isn't much different than most aging aircraft models deal with.   We should be glad we don't own Shrikes or Navions, etc.   Even Comanches are getting hard to find parts for.   I think we may have it a lot easier in some ways.   It's kinda good that Mooney has always been pretty low-brow on manufacturing technology, e.g., we don't have many structural cast parts, like the gear struts on a lot of airplanes, or carry-through spars like on Cessnas, etc.   Our gear are all welded tubes, the wings are built-up, etc.   I'm fairly optimistic overall about maintaining Mooneys.   It's not likely to be trivial, but I don't think it'll be too painful.

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

I suspect it's not going to be as bad as people may be anticipating.   @N201MKTurbo already sorted out a repair/replacement strategy for the crank cable.   The electric motors themselves shouldn't be an issue since motors are generally serviceable.    The gear sets are the main risk, and that's a solvable problem as well, although it may wind up being expensive, at least initially.   Now that VARMA is getting the idea out that it's okay to source non-aviation parts when appropriate, and OPP is becoming better understood in the industry, I think these problems will start to get easier to solve.

This isn't much different than most aging aircraft models deal with.   We should be glad we don't own Shrikes or Navions, etc.   Even Comanches are getting hard to find parts for.   I think we may have it a lot easier in some ways.   It's kinda good that Mooney has always been pretty low-brow on manufacturing technology, e.g., we don't have many structural cast parts, like the gear struts on a lot of airplanes, or carry-through spars like on Cessnas, etc.   Our gear are all welded tubes, the wings are built-up, etc.   I'm fairly optimistic overall about maintaining Mooneys.   It's not likely to be trivial, but I don't think it'll be too painful.

(Tongue in cheek) I’m flying you and @N201MKTurbo up here to help me fix mine when one of these things breaks!

[DCarlton]

On 3/3/2024 at 7:52 AM, warbingtonmasonry said:

I own a 1967 M20F. It is equipped with Electric gear. I have confirmed with the Mooney Factory my airplane was delivered with Manual gear. My understanding, based on my readings here and conversations with Mooney Factory and study of the M20 Parts Catalog, is that M20s were not delivered by/from the factory with Electric gear before 1968. Pre-1968 models could avail themselves of a Factory retro-fit kit to install Electric gear in the field. Electric gear installation was offered sometime  post-1968, I think, as a Factory option. None, except the first three sentences, of what I have written should be considered gospel.

I suspect the above pertains to the Original Poster as it does to me. The point is that it probably is simpler and easier and less expensive to return the Poster's airplane to it's original Manual gear. I am considering the same, for reliability reasons.

 

My 67 F was upgraded to electric gear in Kerrville after production as you suggest.  I’m pretty sure the STC and weight and balance info is in my files.  The same post production process seems to have been used for the Brittain autopilot.  

Update:  According to one of my 337s, my Electric Gear was installed in Aug '67 by Dugosh Aircraft Service Co in Kerrville, TX per Drawing #560084.  Dugosh is still in Kerrville.  Perhaps they still have the drawing and installation instructions.