REFLECTOR: Site gage tube tore like wet cardboard, YIKES

Wed May 21 13:57:17 CDT 2008

In installed the hose that came with the kit.  I am gonna use regular black 
fuel line until I determine the solution.  Off to investigate the various 
suggestions.  Thanks.

All the best,

Chris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Site gage tube tore like wet cardboard, YIKES

> Tygon is hydrocarbon resistant  and perfectly  acceptable.  I'm 99%
> certain  alcohol won't effect it either/.
>
> I'm not sure what you installed but it certainly wasn't fuel resistant!
>
> I have the tygon fuel site lines. 450 hours of flying and they have
> worked great.  It would be tough to puncture them, really tough. And its
> very easy to change them when they start to get that film on the
> inside.  Vance gauges are somewhat more resistant to puncture but they
> also could be broken with a sharp wack from something hard, something
> the tygon would resist.
>
> There are good reasons for both sides...
>
> Scott
>
> Chuck Jensen wrote:
>> WITH EDITING: I believe you want polyurethane tubing (ACS Page 120), not 
>> polyethylene or even tygon.  The polyurethane is liquid clear and 
>> resistant to fuels.  If you put plugs in the fitting on both ends of the 
>> fuel tube and insert Vance Atkins little-red-balls into the tube, you can 
>> see fuel level in an instant.  I stuffed stainless steel scrub pad into 
>> the fitting so the small red ball can't go in the tank, top or bottom.  A 
>> more elegant solution is to machine small plugs with a small hole drilled 
>> in the plug to let fuel in/out.  Fit the plug in the opening of the 
>> fittings and viola--sight gauge that dampens fuel sloshing.
>>
>> Chuck Jensen
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Chuck Jensen
>>
>> Diversified Technologies
>> 2680 Westcott Blvd
>> Knoxville, TN  37931
>> Phn:    865-539-9000 x100
>> Cell:    865-406-9001
>> Fax:     865-539-9001
>> cjensen at dts9000.com
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
>> Behalf Of Chuck Jensen
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:30 AM
>> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Site gage tube tore like wet cardboard, YIKES
>>
>>
>> I believe you want polyurethane tubing (ACS Page 120), not polyethylene 
>> or even tygon.  The polyurethane is liquid clear and resistant to fuels. 
>> If you put plugs in the fitting on both ends of the fuel tube and insert 
>> Vance Atkins little-red-balls, you can see fuel level in an instant.  I 
>> stuffed stainless steel scrub pad into the fitting so the small red ball 
>> can go in the tank.  A more elegant solution is to machine small plugs 
>> with a small hole drilled in the plug to let fuel in/out.  Fit the plug 
>> in the opening of the fittings and viola--sight gauge that dampens fuel 
>> sloshing.
>>
>> Chuck Jensen
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On
>> Behalf Of jewen at comporium.net
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:19 AM
>> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
>> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Site gage tube tore like wet cardboard, YIKES
>>
>>
>> Chris,
>> Did you use the tubing supplied with the kit?  The tubing that came with 
>> my kit was slightly yellow, I believe it is likely tygon.  Tygon should 
>> resist fuels OK, while others such as clear PVC will deteriorate.  I like 
>> many others have installed the atkins units.
>> Joe
>>
>>
>> ---- Original message ----
>>
>>> Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 17:53:55 -0500
>>> From: "Christopher Barber" <CBarber at texasattorney.net>
>>> Subject: REFLECTOR: Site gage tube tore like wet cardboard, YIKES
>>> To: "COZY Mailing List" <cozy_builders at mailman.qth.net>, "FlyRotary 
>>> aircraft" <flyrotary at lancaironline.net>, "Velocity Aircraft Owners and 
>>> Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
>>>
>>>   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.
>>>
>>>   Thanks all.
>>>
>>>   All the best,
>>>
>>>   Chris
>>>   Houston
>>>
>>>   Velocity SE/FG w/ rotary 13b
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>
> -- 
>
> -
>    What county can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned 
> from time to time that its people preserve the spirit of resistance.
>
>    Thomas Jefferson
>
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