Repair/Replacement Options for the Electric Cowl Flaps Motor

[JohnM]

I will start this post by saying that I have read the existing threads on this topic and that I have some unfortunate news to share.  My cowl flap motor has been intermittently failing over the last few months, and it can no longer be ignored.  When I contacted Globe-Motors (Now Allied Motion) about getting it refurbished they told me they are no longer repairing or refurbishing these motors.  When I asked about purchasing a new one, I was told that there is a 4 unit minimum, a 38-week lead time, and that they do not sell to individuals.  I did try to email Bobby Eldrige but his global motors email no longer seems to be active.

I am looking to see if anyone knows any other options for repair or purchase for these motors.  My original part number is 880050-501, the updated part number is 880050-513 / M409M498.  Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

[Ragsf15e]

21 minutes ago, JohnM said:

I will start this post by saying that I have read the existing threads on this topic and that I have some unfortunate news to share.  My cowl flap motor has been intermittently failing over the last few months, and it can no longer be ignored.  When I contacted Globe-Motors (Now Allied Motion) about getting it refurbished they told me they are no longer repairing or refurbishing these motors.  When I asked about purchasing a new one, I was told that there is a 4 unit minimum, a 38-week lead time, and that they do not sell to individuals.  I did try to email Bobby Eldrige but his global motors email no longer seems to be active.

I am looking to see if anyone knows any other options for repair or purchase for these motors.  My original part number is 880050-501, the updated part number is 880050-513 / M409M498.  Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

Yeesh, that’s scary.

Heres my thoughts… first, I was having an issue with mine no more than 4 months ago and I contacted Globe / Allied at the Alabama facility and they said they could overhaul it if required… are you sure you were talking to the Alabama folks?  The accent left no doubt for me.  However, maybe something has changed there…

Second, are you sure it’s the motor and not the limit switches?  I think there’s a similar setup to the flaps where there’s an up and down limit switch, and those would be more likely to fail.

Good luck!

[N201MKTurbo]

I was looking at the Globe Motors Alabama facility. The local news from last week says that they are laying off 1/2 of the work force. I suspect that includes the folks that rebuild the motors.

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/alabama/2025/06/17/globe-motors-layoffs-coming-to-alabama-manufacturing-plant-in-dothan/84190402007/

[N201MKTurbo]

I think the only option is for somebody to develop a PMA replacement. The world is full of gear motors.

[McMooney]

can you just get rid of the eletrics and put in manual control?  I only have an E with manual cowl flaps,  can't even imagine how making it electric improves things

[Marc_B]

Depending on the cost per motor, perhaps a company like Lasar might purchase a min order and resale?  Of course that’s gonna come with an upcharge and replacing would be the more expensive option than overhaul. Maybe reach out to Dan Reisland at Lasar.

@JohnM Did Globe give you a price per unit?

[Ragsf15e]

7 minutes ago, McMooney said:

can you just get rid of the eletrics and put in manual control?  I only have an E with manual cowl flaps,  can't even imagine how making it electric improves things

Unfortunately, it would take a pretty significant change as there’s quite a lot of force on it both open and closed.  The motor seems to act as the “brake” as well.  I think there’s a thread where someone tried that and eventually gave up.

[Ragsf15e]

8 minutes ago, Marc_B said:

Depending on the cost per motor, perhaps a company like Lasar might purchase a min order and resale?  Of course that’s gonna come with an upcharge and replacing would be the more expensive option than overhaul. Maybe reach out to Dan Reisland at Lasar.

@JohnM Did Globe give you a price per unit?

This does seem like a good idea.  I wonder if lasar are willing to stock some parts like that and have capital to do it…

[Marc_B]

It seems like this may be a problem that just needs to get to the “right” person at Allied/Globe. I previously reached out to Ms. Eldridge (late 2021 I think) and they could not sell me a new motor as it would have to go through Mooney for certification. However since they were a repair facility they could “repair” mine…aka they just replaced and restamped it. If Globe is still a repair facility this should still be a possibility…if they are so inclined.  My unit was replaced with new. 

[jetdriven]

There was a one Rpm version and a two Rpm version. And if you buy the 2 Rpm version, the cowl flap will blow open or closed because the air pressure drives the motor through the gear train. So get the right one. 

[Marc_B]

Depending on the price per unit, there may be many interested in a group buy as well!

shelf stock aka future proofing seems like more and more of a good idea personally! 

[JohnM]

51 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

Yeesh, that’s scary.

Heres my thoughts… first, I was having an issue with mine no more than 4 months ago and I contacted Globe / Allied at the Alabama facility and they said they could overhaul it if required… are you sure you were talking to the Alabama folks?  The accent left no doubt for me.  However, maybe something has changed there…

Second, are you sure it’s the motor and not the limit switches?  I think there’s a similar setup to the flaps where there’s an up and down limit switch, and those would be more likely to fail.

Good luck!

I did call the Dothan location and they said they stopped doing it back in the April/May timeframe.

[JohnM]

34 minutes ago, Marc_B said:

Depending on the cost per motor, perhaps a company like Lasar might purchase a min order and resale?  Of course that’s gonna come with an upcharge and replacing would be the more expensive option than overhaul. Maybe reach out to Dan Reisland at Lasar.

@JohnM Did Globe give you a price per unit?

I did talk to LASAR and they are looking into what they can do.

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, JohnM said:

I will start this post by saying that I have read the existing threads on this topic and that I have some unfortunate news to share.  My cowl flap motor has been intermittently failing over the last few months, and it can no longer be ignored.  When I contacted Globe-Motors (Now Allied Motion) about getting it refurbished they told me they are no longer repairing or refurbishing these motors.  When I asked about purchasing a new one, I was told that there is a 4 unit minimum, a 38-week lead time, and that they do not sell to individuals.  I did try to email Bobby Eldrige but his global motors email no longer seems to be active.

I am looking to see if anyone knows any other options for repair or purchase for these motors.  My original part number is 880050-501, the updated part number is 880050-513 / M409M498.  Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

That was also their official position when I had my cowl flap motor go bad on a Mooney Encore in 2014.

Whether Ms. Bobbie Eldridge is still there or not or her e-mail still works, you just need to talk to the right person. (By the way, I sent her a gift basket when I got my motor back.)

[JohnM]

2 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

That was also their official position when I had my cowl flap motor go bad on a Mooney Encore in 2014. Whether Ms. Bobbie Eldridge is still there or not, you just need to talk to the right person.

I tried emailing Bobbie but the email address no longer seems active, it was returned as undeliverable.  There is a news article from this summer that says they cut half their workforce at the Dothan location.

[JohnM]

Here is the link to the article if anyone is interested.  Alabama motor manufacturer laying off half its workforce - al.com

[Ragsf15e]

3 minutes ago, JohnM said:

I tried emailing Bobbie but the email address no longer seems active, it was returned as undeliverable.  There is a news article from this summer that says they cut half their workforce at the Dothan location.

If you’re grounded (or soon to be) anyway, i might take it out, disassemble, clean the internals, and test the motor on a clean 24v source just to make sure it’s not something with the wiring or switches.

[LANCECASPER]

1 minute ago, JohnM said:

I tried emailing Bobbie but the email address no longer seems active, it was returned as undeliverable.  There is a news article from this summer that says they cut half their workforce at the Dothan location.

Which means they still have half of their workforce there. I was told by the first few people I talked to in 2014 that they didn’t do that anymore. I kept calling and kept talking to people politely and kept asking whoever I could talk to, “Who did they think could make this happen?”. 

There have been many people on here in the last 11 years who were told the same thing. Some of them gave up and others got their cowl flap motor “rebuilt”.

[JohnM]

Just now, LANCECASPER said:

Which means they still have half of their workforce there. I was told by the first few people I talked to in 2014 that they didn’t do that anymore. I kept calling and kept talking to people politely and kept asking whoever I could talk to, “Who did they think could make this happen?”. 

There have been many people on here in the last 11 years who were told the same thing. Some of them gave up and others got their cowl flap motor “rebuilt”.

I appreciate the insight, I will call around there and see if I can find someone to say yes.

[JohnM]

3 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

If you’re grounded (or soon to be) anyway, i might take it out, disassemble, clean the internals, and test the motor on a clean 24v source just to make sure it’s not something with the wiring or switches.

It's in the shop now, might be worth a try.

[LANCECASPER]

1 minute ago, JohnM said:

It's in the shop now, might be worth a try.

I flew mine back from California to Texas with the cowl flaps wired in the half-open position. Temps were fine all the way back

[LANCECASPER]

If I still owned an airplane with cowl flaps with an electric motor I would call BAS Salvage and tell them to put me on the list when they get in a Mooney with electric cowl flaps. I would figure out a way to get the motor “rebuilt” so I had a spare.

Mooneyspace is much about keeping an aging fleet flying.

[JohnM]

20 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

If I still owned an airplane with cowl flaps with an electric motor I would call BAS Salvage and tell them to put me on the list when they get in a Mooney with electric cowl flaps. I would figure out a way to get the motor “rebuilt” so I had a spare.

Mooneyspace is much about keeping an aging fleet flying.

Thanks for the recommendation, I will give BAS a call.

[EricJ]

36 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

If you’re grounded (or soon to be) anyway, i might take it out, disassemble, clean the internals, and test the motor on a clean 24v source just to make sure it’s not something with the wiring or switches.

Or just take it to an electric motor shop.

[Fritz1]

in to the salvage places I would call each and every  Mooney service center, somebody has that motor sitting around or knows how to repair it