dual vacuum-pump STC

[cross-posted rec.aviation.owning, rec.aviation.ifr]

Anyone have any feedback on the dual vacuum-pump STC from Aero Advantage?

I'm considering it for my M20J. Need to convince my partners.

Info on the STC at http://www.aeroadvantage.com

I just spoke to company president David Boldenow, and he said there were about
100 units installed in the fleet. Any of those 100 on this newsgroup?

Thanks.

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--
Dave Butler

"Dave Butler" wrote in message
...

I just spoke to company president David Boldenow, and he said there were
about
100 units installed in the fleet. Any of those 100 on this newsgroup?

Are you sure it will fit?

They told me there is an STC for the P210N, then they told me even though
there is an STC I needed to be sure it will fit since it is longer than the
original vacuum pump. My mechanic does not think it will fit. It is
unclear to me how they could get an STC or claim to have an STC and then not
even know if it really fits that model... even if it did fit in my plane, I
would be leary now of the pump until I saw its history in the field,
especially since the product was already delayed once due to a need to
re-engineer it somehow... It all sounds to me as if the bugs might not all
be fully worked out yet, even if the idea sounds great in theory.



--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

Thanks Richard, see inline.

Richard Kaplan wrote:
"Dave Butler" wrote in message
...


I just spoke to company president David Boldenow, and he said there were

about

100 units installed in the fleet. Any of those 100 on this newsgroup?


Are you sure it will fit?

No, but David said he knew it was installed in at least one M20J, and he had
measured another M20J on his home field and found there was room for it. He said
he thought it would fit unless we had another STC or unusual accessory that
would interfere. They have a cardboard template they were handing out at OSH,
but I am loathe to undertake removing the cowling just for that. Too many
daggone fasteners in that puppy. They say the dual pump is 1.5 inches longer.


They told me there is an STC for the P210N, then they told me even though
there is an STC I needed to be sure it will fit since it is longer than the
original vacuum pump. My mechanic does not think it will fit.

That's a first: fits in a Mooney but not in a 210! Ahh, but you're turbocharged,
right, and the turbocharger is in the same area as the vacuum pump?

It is
unclear to me how they could get an STC or claim to have an STC and then not
even know if it really fits that model...

That is quite peculiar, indeed.

even if it did fit in my plane, I
would be leary now of the pump until I saw its history in the field,

Yes, I agree, but I'm inclined to take the risk. Somebody has to go first
(101st, actually). We can always go back to the original vacuum pump if it
doesn't work out. But still, that's why I'm asking here.

especially since the product was already delayed once due to a need to
re-engineer it somehow...

I wasn't aware of that. Do you have any more information about that?

It all sounds to me as if the bugs might not all
be fully worked out yet, even if the idea sounds great in theory.

"Dave Butler" wrote in message
...

That's a first: fits in a Mooney but not in a 210! Ahh, but you're
turbocharged,
right, and the turbocharger is in the same area as the vacuum pump?

The turbo is closer to the exhaust but nonetheless it would be too tight a
fit. To be fair, the plane has two vacuum pump pads and used to have two
separate pumps; I took one vacuum pump off to make room for a standby
alternator, so I realize there is a limit to what can fit under the cowling
and the dual chamber vacuum pump was not that high on my wish-list because I
do have a vacuum AI/DG and an electric AI/DG. It turns out that my vacuum
pump failed so I was looking for options to replace it, and if the dual
chamber one had been available I would have considered it. There is enough
redundancy now that I would not replace the pump again without good reason.

That said, my plane before my P210 was a Mooney M20C... my mechanic says my
P210 is about the only plane worse than the Mooney from a maintenance access
perspective; maybe he is humoring me a bit.

I wasn't aware of that. Do you have any more information about that?

They sent out an email in very late 2002 advising customers that their STC
would be delayed by a couple months as they researched some potential falure
mode for the pump -- I cannot find that old email now but I will let you
know if I find it. You could probably ask AeroAdvantage for a few details.

I agree with you that there does not seem to be all that much to lose in
trying this out though.

--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

Dave Butler wrote:
[cross-posted rec.aviation.owning, rec.aviation.ifr]

Anyone have any feedback on the dual vacuum-pump STC from Aero Advantage?

I'm considering it for my M20J. Need to convince my partners.

Info on the STC at http://www.aeroadvantage.com

I just spoke to company president David Boldenow, and he said there were
about 100 units installed in the fleet. Any of those 100 on this newsgroup?

Follow up on this thread...

We were quoted three week delivery and that's what we got, plus or minus a day
or two.

We installed the dual vacuum pump STC in the Mooney. There was no problem with
the fit, in fact there's room to spare. The dual pump is about 1 inch taller
than the standard pump that was replaced. I see on the AeroAdvantage web page
that they will have a still-shorter model available next year, only 1/4 inch
longer than a standard pump.

The LED low vacuum indicators (one for each pump) were installed in the pedestal
rather than next to the AI/HI. I'd rather have them closer to the flight
instruments, but the pedestal location is not bad. The lights are bright enough
to get your attention in all but a sunny cockpit (and of course, if the cockpit
is sunny, who needs two vacuum pumps?). Anyway it's an improvement over the
former arrangement with no vacuum gauge and only the low-vacuum annunciator in
the annunciator panel. Said annunciator is still operational. So if one of the
pumps fails, we get a red LED on the pedestal, and if there's a complete vacuum
failure, we get the annunciator on the annunciator panel.

According to the A&P who did the installation, the quality of the parts and
documentation was good.

I don't have the invoice yet for the installation, but from my conversation with
the installer, it took "4 or 5 hours". This is in line with the documentation
and advertising that estimates "4-8 hours". According to Aero-Advantage, the
higher end of the range is quoted with Mooneys in mind, so the 4-5 hour
installation time in our Mooney indicates that estimate is generous.

I don't have any operational experience yet, but I don't expect any differences,
except for a reduced pucker factor in IMC.

Dealing with Aero Advantage has been a positive experience all around. I'm
guessing this is going to be a popular STC.

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Dave