BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2018, 10:17

I have a customer with a M20J and the Plessey gear actuator has an issue and needs to be replaced (there is no support and parts for these units).
Is anyone aware of a more cost effective solution other than installing a repaired Eaton unit for $10K?
Thanks

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2018, 12:05

Username Protected wrote:

I have a customer with a M20J and the Plessey gear actuator has an issue and needs to be replaced (there is no support and parts for these units).
Is anyone aware of a more cost effective solution other than installing a repaired Eaton unit for $10K?
Thanks

what is the exact issue. On my M20F we had the worm gear go bad on the manual extension. There were non left. Ended up buying a $1000 actuator for a gear. If it was going to be much mare was looking at owner produced part.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2018, 13:21

If the spline/coupling on your manual gear failed, those are available new from LASAR. I bought one 3.5 years ago for a bit over $200.

LASAR is probably the best source for dealing with Mooney actuators, so I'd start there. They service/rebuild them as well as maintain some stock of used ones, I think.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 24 Jul 2018, 20:42

The issue is sometimes upon turning on the master, the gear motor will cycle on and off. this can continue for a minute or so. What is causing this is rotational play in the jack screw. When the gear is down and the down lock switch shuts down the motor, the jack screw can turn enough to unseat the down lock switch, which turns the motor back on, and so on, and so on.

Something is going on with the no-back spring, or excessive pay in the gears. Its not an axial shimming issue

I dont have a component maintenance manual for it, so I decided not to mess with it, and would have preferred to send to LASAR, but they wont touch a Plessey, no parts.

Swapping to an Eaton seems to be the only option

Username Protected · **Posted:** 25 Jul 2018, 09:29

I didn't realize LASAR can't fix the Plessey...that sucks. We have a couple salvage guys on mooneyspace.com (Alan Fox is one and he's also here). Maxwell Aviation in TX might have some used ones as well. Paul @ https://www.loewensmooneysalvage.com used to own LASAR and has a good inventory too. Good luck.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 30 Jul 2018, 11:43

Suggest you call Don Maxwell in Longview, Texas. He is a Mooney expert and specialist and will tell you what you need to know in about 5 minutes. It will save you a lot of wasted time, and maybe some money.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 27 Aug 2018, 14:11

To follow up and have closure here, I ended up buying an Eaton actuator from Don Maxwell, put it in with no rigging issues, and it works great!

Mooney Gear Actuator