REFLECTOR:Fw: Testing fuel tanks
Ronnie Brown
reflector@tvbf.org
Sun, 27 Jul 2003 10:09:39 -0400
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I'm forwarding this note from a lurker who has quit writing to the =
Reflector because of some bad manners from some of our members. He is =
not the only one that lurks and doesn't write for this very reason. As =
you can see, here's some great information but you wouldn't have gotten =
it otherwise.
So watch your manners and etiquette! We need all of the input we can =
get to make our V's as safe and enjoyable as they can be! Even bad =
ideas spark great discussions and information exchange!!!!!
See you at Oshkosh!
Ronnie=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Ronnie Brown=20
To: (omitted at author's request)
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 10:03 AM
Subject: Re: Testing fuel tanks
That sounds like the trick for sure! What kind of smoke is used?
And I checked my gas caps yesterday. Just hooked a 3/8" nylon tube to =
the vent, unloaded about 3-4 lung fulls of air into the tanks, put soap =
suds on the caps and found nothing. Took all of 15 minutes to do it. =20
I think Don White's idea of checking fuel levels every 30 minutes while =
in flight is a super idea (I have a timer set to do the same thing).
My header tank has a Westach capacitance sender in it and it always says =
the header tank is full. As it should be with 3/8" vent lines, sloping =
upwards to a common header then vented out the bottom with the slash cut =
toward the front to build pressure - not vacuum in the vent and tank =
system. As some else mentioned, there's not a whole lot of fuel head =
that we are working with. =20
I have seen oil and water lines trap air and impede liquid flow, but a =
few bumps or some alternate rudder inputs ought to break these loose. =
The fuel lines should slope downward from the strakes, which will help =
avoid this situation.
I'm going to resend your note (without your name) to the reflector. =
Folks should know about the leak checker available at their local Toyota =
dealer.
See ya
Ronnie
----- Original Message -----=20
From: DELETED BY AUTHOR'S REQUEST
To: romott@adelphia.net=20
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 8:08 PM
Subject: Testing fuel tanks
Hi Ronnie,
Been watching the continuing thread about pressure testing fuel tanks. =
Down at the Toyota dealership, we have a neat tool for diagnosing =
evaporative fuel system leaks in cars. It is a flow gauge type unit that =
can be calibrated to sense a leak as small as .010" with less than 1 psi =
pressure. On top of that, it has the ability to inject smoke into the =
tank to make any leak readily apparent. Just the other day I used it to =
find a fuel filler cap that would seal in one direction but when rotated =
180 deg, would allow pressure to escape. I had performed a pressure test =
from an access port at the engine area and found that the system would =
hold 775mmHg. I then removed the cap to release the pressure and then =
reinstalled the cap. I road tested the car monitoring the fuel pressure =
sensor and found that the tank would not build pressure beyond atm of =
761mmHg.
That would have been hard to find without the smoke.
Maybe some of the builders could suck up to a tech with a six-pack abd =
get their neighborhood wrench to bring a tester home.
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I'm forwarding this note from a lurker who has quit =
writing to=20
the Reflector because of some bad manners from some of our=20
members. He is not the only one that lurks and doesn't write =
for this=20
very reason. As you can see, here's some great information but you =
wouldn't have gotten it otherwise.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>So watch your manners and etiquette! We need =
all of the=20
input we can get to make our V's as safe and enjoyable as they can =
be! =20
Even bad ideas spark great discussions and information=20
exchange!!!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>See you at Oshkosh!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Ronnie </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A=20
title=3Dromott@adelphia.net href=3D"mailto:romott@adelphia.net">Ronnie =
Brown</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> (omitted at author's request)</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 27, 2003 10:03 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Testing fuel tanks</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>That sounds like the trick for sure! What kind =
of smoke=20
is used?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>And I checked my gas caps yesterday. Just =
hooked a 3/8"=20
nylon tube to the vent, unloaded about 3-4 lung fulls of air into =
the=20
tanks, put soap suds on the caps and found nothing. Took all of 15 =
minutes=20
to do it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I think Don White's idea of checking fuel levels =
every 30=20
minutes while in flight is a super idea (I have a timer set to do the =
same=20
thing).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>My header tank has a Westach capacitance sender in =
it and it=20
always says the header tank is full. As it should be with =
3/8" vent=20
lines, sloping upwards to a common header then vented out the bottom =
with the=20
slash cut toward the front to build pressure - not vacuum in the vent =
and tank=20
system. As some else mentioned, there's not a whole lot of fuel =
head that=20
we are working with. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I have seen oil and water lines trap air and impede =
liquid=20
flow, but a few bumps or some alternate rudder inputs ought to break =
these=20
loose. The fuel lines should slope downward from the strakes, =
which will=20
help avoid this situation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I'm going to resend your note (without your name) to =
the=20
reflector. Folks should know about the leak checker available at =
their=20
local Toyota dealer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>See ya</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Ronnie</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:=20
DELETED BY AUTHOR'S REQUEST</B></DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"> </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dromott@adelphia.net=20
href=3D"mailto:romott@adelphia.net">romott@adelphia.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, July 26, 2003 =
8:08=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Testing fuel =
tanks</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Ronnie,</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Been watching the continuing thread about pressure testing fuel =
tanks.=20
Down at the Toyota dealership, we have a neat tool for diagnosing =
evaporative=20
fuel system leaks in cars. It is a flow gauge type unit that can be =
calibrated=20
to sense a leak as small as .010" with less than 1 psi pressure. On =
top of=20
that, it has the ability to inject smoke into the tank to make any =
leak=20
readily apparent. Just the other day I used it to find a fuel filler =
cap that=20
would seal in one direction but when rotated 180 deg, would allow =
pressure to=20
escape. I had performed a pressure test from an access port at the =
engine area=20
and found that the system would hold 775mmHg. I then removed the cap =
to=20
release the pressure and then reinstalled the cap. I road tested the =
car=20
monitoring the fuel pressure sensor and found that the tank would not =
build=20
pressure beyond atm of 761mmHg.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>That would have been hard to find without the smoke.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Maybe some of the builders could suck up to a tech with a =
six-pack abd=20
get their neighborhood wrench to bring a tester home.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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