Subject: Fuel System Questions
From: ACRE NL
Date: 10/15/2001, 12:54 AM


"Ugolini, Nick (Efdsouth)" wrote:

I will never use brass again.  I was searching for a fuel leak after a
flight and found one cracked (90%) around which broke off when I wiggled it.
If it had totally failed in flight it would have pumped gas into my cowl
right before my carb.  I probalbly would have been a flaming fireball,
instead of a flaming Assh...

I now use "race car" fitting from my speed race shop or from the
rubber/gasket shop.  They are AN fitting (aluminum) anodized and either cost
the same or less than ACS with a better selection.  AL fittings are also
much lighter than brass.

BTW check out your local rubber/gasket shops.  I got drain fuel o-ring ($.04
ea) instead of Aircraft Spruce's $.75 ea, red silicon cowl seal material, AN
fitting, Teflon fuel hoses, etc MUCH cheaper and readily avaliable than ACS

Nick


How you support a fitting is very very important. Do not cantilever
combinations
of fittings. Note; in this picture the relatively heavy oil pressure sensor
is cantilevered off the oil filter replacement block. Also note the unsupported
aluminum line feeding oil to the PSRU. If a resonant frequency is excited
by a certain engine RPM these device and/or fittings could fail in a matter
of minutes.
It is near impossible to determine this in advance as full power RPM's
in-flight
are higher than any RPM achievable on the ground with a fixed pitch prop.
It is best to support these device with Adel clamps and other kinds support
of brackets. Any type of plumbing fitting will break eventually if this is not
done.

Paul Lamar


 All my fuel fittings are AN steel (black) or hydraulic stainless steel.
Probably
adds less than 1/2 lb to the engine.  I can think of few places where I want
over strength more than in my fuel system.  All lines are AN aircraft fuel line
with fire sleeve.

Bill
Long EZ builder & pilot
BSME, MSME
EAA Technical Counselor

 
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