Does the Velocity kit not have instructions regarding
the fuel tank sight glass? How to? Materials, etc?
Bill B
From:
Rotary motors in aircraft
[mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On
Behalf Of Christopher Barber
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 6:54
PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Site gage tube tore
like wet cardboard, YIKES
This may be one of these "known
issues" that I was just clueless about, but a couple of weeks ago I arrived at
the hangar to the strong smell of fuel in the air. Uh oh. I went
to the plane and found about a 1/4 inch of fuel in the fuselage. What
gives? I had just removed the old engine (13b) to build a new one when I
found coolant in the rotor housings. I thought that perhaps moving the
fuel lines around behind the firewall may have allowed fuel to flow in a wired
way and it drained into the cabin.....not sure, but first things first, lets
clean the fuel up......anyone got a cigarette????
<g>
After all was clean and no
more fuel was leaking I put the issue on the back burner to think about it and
to check all the lines. I am waiting for the PSRU to come back from
Tracy so I am doing some major "clean up" of "proof of concept" wire runs
etc.
As I was re-running the wire that
goes to the strake (Velocity SE) fuel sender I had to move the wire around the
"clear" tubing that is used as a site gage in the strake luggage area.
To my shock the tubing ripped with just a slight touch. In my dismay I
pressed it with my fingernail and my nail cut clean through it. I looked
and found a crack on the pilot side tubing. Hmmmmmm, since I checked all
my aluminum connections inside the cabin and all were secure and, the sump was
still full of fuel I am guessin' I found my fuel
leak.
Is this common? What did I
do wrong? My first thought is this clear tubing is NOT compatible with
auto gas. I have been fuel with local auto gas from the local station. I
don't remember but it MAY have some ethanol included. I do not have much
concerns there is issue with the tanks themselves as they were coated with
Jeffco way back when.
What tubing would y'all recommend
for this use, that is clear AND not subject to deteriorating? Really, it
tore like wet cardboard. I must have completely missed earlier
discussion on this problem. But, alas, would much rather find it
now. I got some regular black fuel lines to use until I find a solution
so I can continue my engine development as my PSRU arrived back
today.
Velocity SE/FG w/ rotary
13b