fuel line through the firewall

[birddog486 21]

I'm trying to come up with a plan for routing my fuel lines but I cant seem to decide on how to get the fuel to the other side of the firewall. I'm not planning on a gascolator because I think any water or crud will probably stay in the header tank and I'd like to keep it on the cheaper side.

For now I'm leaning toward using the gates barricade hose for all my fuel line. I'll be using a 912ULS and I think somehow I'll be running the line through the center of the firewall at the top of the engine.

Anyone have ideas?

Travis

[akflyer 1427]

I'm trying to come up with a plan for routing my fuel lines but I cant seem to decide on how to get the fuel to the other side of the firewall. I'm not planning on a gascolator because I think any water or crud will probably stay in the header tank and I'd like to keep it on the cheaper side.

For now I'm leaning toward using the gates barricade hose for all my fuel line. I'll be using a 912ULS and I think somehow I'll be running the line through the center of the firewall at the top of the engine.

Anyone have ideas?

Travis

I used aluminum tubing from the header tank up through the firewall and ran it along the right side of the plane at the corner of the floor boards. I put a shut off valve on each wing to the header tank and the main shut off on the firewall. Some people say that you dont need or shouldn't have a valve on each wing tank, but after taking off in a PA 12 one time without the fuel cap on and seeing how fast it sucked the fuel out fo the tank, I like to be able to shut them off so I wont cross feed and loose all my fuel! Another time it is very usefull is when we are playing on the beach or a hill side and you park it with one wing low for any length of time. Stopping that fuel transfere can save you some lost gas.. I learned that first hand over a long weekend of beach camping.

[6320012s 12]

I wouldn't skimp on the gascolator. Every so often I get a little crap out of mine, and it makes me glad I have it. Pretty cheap in comparison to a very bad day!

[Av8r3400 1179]

The main reason I run a gascolator is not for sumping, but for the filter screen in it.

It's a much better option for filtering than an inline thing that can block flow with a little water contamination.

[SuberAvid 617]

Probably a lot of ways to do this that work and some that don't. I think it is very important to have valves on each tank before the header tank as Leni says plus I only fly with one on at a time or I can get some fuel spitting out of the cap vents from differential pressure if the tanks are full. Place the fuel valves where you can reasily see them and reach them; I have mine right above the header tank. I also have a set of glass filters above each valve so you can see the fuel flowing through each one and can see any dirt or ice crystals. Out of the header tank I have another in lne filter before my fuel flow sensor and then a set of in line finters into each electric fuel pump. From there I ran the line along the floor board and through the bottom right corner of the firewall and up the firewall on the engine side, then teed to run a line to each carb. I did not use a gas colator but be sure to keep everything sloping back to the header tank. It's not to hard to do with a tail dragger but If I had a nose dragger I would use a colator at the lowest point on the firewall. I also have my vent tubes comming out if each gas cap. I have seen some interesting vent arrangement out of he top of the header tank and none on the caps; that seems like a problematic arrangement IMHO.

[EDMO 1078]

I'm trying to come up with a plan for routing my fuel lines but I cant seem to decide on how to get the fuel to the other side of the firewall. I'm not planning on a gascolator because I think any water or crud will probably stay in the header tank and I'd like to keep it on the cheaper side.

For now I'm leaning toward using the gates barricade hose for all my fuel line. I'll be using a 912ULS and I think somehow I'll be running the line through the center of the firewall at the top of the engine.

Anyone have ideas?

Travis

Whatever you do, I would use a bulkhead fitting thru firewall - and fireproof hose from there to carb. Think FAA will frown on anything less.

ED in MO

[akflyer 1427]

Whatever you do, I would use a bulkhead fitting thru firewall - and fireproof hose from there to carb. Think FAA will frown on anything less.

ED in MO

I just have the aluminum tubing running thru the firewall inside a rubber gromet and blue see thru snowmachine gas line from there to the pumps to the carbs. FAA cant say one word about it as there are NO hard and fast rules on it. That is the beauty of experimental, we are pretty free to kill ourselves a multitude of ways. I look at it like this.. I have a fire i nthe engine compartment 99.99% of the time with a 2 stroke it will be because a gas line ruptured and is shooting gas out of it. Having a fire sleeve on it may look cool, but it damn sure wont stop the gas from coming out and feeding that fire. But these are just my thoughts and I am good with rolling the dice. I limped away from a crash once, I would just as soon get it done and over with next time Atleast the new bride will have lotsa money to help her get over the emotional loss

sorry, I may be a bit morbid at times.. I just am not really big on all the what ifs. If I get the 1 in a million chance to deal with something, I will deal with it then, not waste my time on a million solutions to not have to deal with it.

[EDMO 1078]

I just have the aluminum tubing running thru the firewall inside a rubber gromet and blue see thru snowmachine gas line from there to the pumps to the carbs. FAA cant say one word about it as there are NO hard and fast rules on it. That is the beauty of experimental, we are pretty free to kill ourselves a multitude of ways. I look at it like this.. I have a fire i nthe engine compartment 99.99% of the time with a 2 stroke it will be because a gas line ruptured and is shooting gas out of it. Having a fire sleeve on it may look cool, but it damn sure wont stop the gas from coming out and feeding that fire. But these are just my thoughts and I am good with rolling the dice. I limped away from a crash once, I would just as soon get it done and over with next time Atleast the new bride will have lotsa money to help her get over the emotional loss

sorry, I may be a bit morbid at times.. I just am not really big on all the what ifs. If I get the 1 in a million chance to deal with something, I will deal with it then, not waste my time on a million solutions to not have to deal with it.

Not saying you are wrong - but why have an "airworthiness Inspection" - to see if cotter pins are bent right?

I would prefer to stay with some of the FAA regs, and 43-13, and hope for the best.

BUT, I am just an old AMT/A&P and the FAA only approves schools that tell you to "remove and replace what the manufacturer did" - never to innovate!

Being a new "manufacturer" is sometimes shakey territory where you face the unknown, and I tend to go with the "known". I know that plastic can crack or melt without a fire, and maybe cause one.

Thats my 2c worth. Like you say, "we are experimental" - use garden hose if it works for you!

ED in MO

edit: But, at least, I would use neoprene fuel hose from autoparts that can take alcohol.

Edited 30 Oct 2012 by Ed In Missouri

[birddog486 21]

Thanks for the replys guys. Ed I almost fell over laughing at the garden hose bit...

Not saying you are wrong - but why have an "airworthiness Inspection" - to see if cotter pins are bent right?

I would prefer to stay with some of the FAA regs, and 43-13, and hope for the best.

BUT, I am just an old AMT/A&P and the FAA only approves schools that tell you to "remove and replace what the manufacturer did" - never to innovate!

Being a new "manufacturer" is sometimes shakey territory where you face the unknown, and I tend to go with the "known". I know that plastic can crack or melt without a fire, and maybe cause one.

Thats my 2c worth. Like you say, "we are experimental" - use garden hose if it works for you!

ED in MO

edit: But, at least, I would use neoprene fuel hose from autoparts that can take alcohol.

[EDMO 1078]

Thanks for the replys guys. Ed I almost fell over laughing at the garden hose bit...

Been taking lessons from politicians: "If you cant dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit" - and keep them laughing ! vote for me!

ED in MO

[akflyer 1427]

Been taking lessons from politicians: "If you cant dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit" - and keep them laughing ! vote for me!

ED in MO

Hey now, I am the #1 snake oil salesman around these here parts.. I got the baffle em with bullshit covered! hahahahaha

hmmm, now to figure out a good place to hang that garden hose on the airplane. thats what I used to use to empty the tanks till I got the shaker hose

[EDMO 1078]

Hey now, I am the #1 snake oil salesman around these here parts.. I got the baffle em with bullshit covered! hahahahaha

hmmm, now to figure out a good place to hang that garden hose on the airplane. thats what I used to use to empty the tanks till I got the shaker hose

I used to sit in the Alaska Regal resturant and watch all the planes with waterwings taking off from Lake Hood - always thought the rope trailing behind might be the water hose !

ED in MO

[horsepower 24]

I was going to run all the FAA approved billion dollar fuel lines but a buddy mechanic of mine said unless your going to run avgas or non ethanal premium all the time to not use the FAA hose.He said if you are running the plain ole premium it can contain up to 10 percent of the crap and thats enough to dry out the rubber that is in the hose.I just run the blue silicone hose from CPS and plan on changing it every other year.Never thought of the garden hose,then you could just have a hose bib for a shutoff on each tank.Randy

[EDMO 1078]

I was going to run all the FAA approved billion dollar fuel lines but a buddy mechanic of mine said unless your going to run avgas or non ethanal premium all the time to not use the FAA hose.He said if you are running the plain ole premium it can contain up to 10 percent of the crap and thats enough to dry out the rubber that is in the hose.I just run the blue silicone hose from CPS and plan on changing it every other year.Never thought of the garden hose,then you could just have a hose bib for a shutoff on each tank.Randy

He was correct in telling you not to use the "certified aviation" hoses. There were test run on them many years ago and they swelled (shut, I thinK) or the lining ended up blocking ethenol fuel. Good old automotive hose is now made for ethenol, and is a heck of a lot cheaper - well, maybe not as cheap as chinese garden hose - but should last a lot longer. Thought vice-grips or clothes pins were made for shutting off fuel?

ED in MO