MBDiagMan
Final Approach
I bought my Mooney 3 years ago. It had sat without running for a long time, but they had removed the cylinders, inspected inside and replaced the rings. It had done quite nicely with that and seemed like it would be fine. At that point it had 1000 SMOH.
It was sorted and running great when last August at Annual it showed metal in the filter. When I saw that, I was perfectly willing to pull a cylinder and look around. All that revealed was a very slight line of corrosion on a cam lobe, but we couldn’t see the front lobes as well as the rear where we pulled the cylinder. My IA mechanic recommended flying it 15 hours and sending off an oil sample since we had not taken a sample at the annual. I did that and the sample showed iron. We agreed to start tearing it apart. Cylinders came off and revealed two front lifters spalled. Thought it could get cam and lifters and go back together good to go. Kept peeling the onion and found worn bearings and the crankshaft and case didn’t look great, so time to overhaul.
I took the crankshaft, rods and other parts to Aircraftspecialties and the case to CSI. Sent mags to Missoula, MT. The lead times on both exceeded 8 weeks. I took the wide deck cylinders to Sal in Prosper, Texas. (if you go to Sal’s you won’t be able to leave until he shows you his pristine 1957, 270 HP Vette that he’s owned since he was 17 in 1961).
The crankshaft had to be plated and machined and ended up .003 under. The case came out wonderful. The mags were back in short order. I was on waiting lists all over trying to get the new DLC coated lifters. It was beginning to look like I would have to put it back together without them when David at Aircraftspecialties came through with a set and a Lycoming cam.
Sal thought the cylinders would work out well and I was glad because they’re tough to get new right now. They were nickel so he had to send them out to certify the nickel. He was calling them low time cylinders and said they came out great.
They got it all back together and started it Thursday with only one full revolution. It really sounds great, but there was silicone seal on a baffle that he wanted to cure before I flew it. My schedule won’t permit flying it until Tuesday. Cant wait. If you see a plane flying racetracks above KOSA Tuesday, that will be me. I expect to get it tested and run in before our family traditional get together in Galveston for July 4th.
There were lots of things that I got sorted on this plane before all this. I think it will now be a great plane!
It was sorted and running great when last August at Annual it showed metal in the filter. When I saw that, I was perfectly willing to pull a cylinder and look around. All that revealed was a very slight line of corrosion on a cam lobe, but we couldn’t see the front lobes as well as the rear where we pulled the cylinder. My IA mechanic recommended flying it 15 hours and sending off an oil sample since we had not taken a sample at the annual. I did that and the sample showed iron. We agreed to start tearing it apart. Cylinders came off and revealed two front lifters spalled. Thought it could get cam and lifters and go back together good to go. Kept peeling the onion and found worn bearings and the crankshaft and case didn’t look great, so time to overhaul.
I took the crankshaft, rods and other parts to Aircraftspecialties and the case to CSI. Sent mags to Missoula, MT. The lead times on both exceeded 8 weeks. I took the wide deck cylinders to Sal in Prosper, Texas. (if you go to Sal’s you won’t be able to leave until he shows you his pristine 1957, 270 HP Vette that he’s owned since he was 17 in 1961).
The crankshaft had to be plated and machined and ended up .003 under. The case came out wonderful. The mags were back in short order. I was on waiting lists all over trying to get the new DLC coated lifters. It was beginning to look like I would have to put it back together without them when David at Aircraftspecialties came through with a set and a Lycoming cam.
Sal thought the cylinders would work out well and I was glad because they’re tough to get new right now. They were nickel so he had to send them out to certify the nickel. He was calling them low time cylinders and said they came out great.
They got it all back together and started it Thursday with only one full revolution. It really sounds great, but there was silicone seal on a baffle that he wanted to cure before I flew it. My schedule won’t permit flying it until Tuesday. Cant wait. If you see a plane flying racetracks above KOSA Tuesday, that will be me. I expect to get it tested and run in before our family traditional get together in Galveston for July 4th.
There were lots of things that I got sorted on this plane before all this. I think it will now be a great plane!
