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smokey_bear_40220(at)yaho
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 Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject: Kitfox Runs out of gas Please read on! |
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Don,
You could just try a little heat wrap on the line and
see if that helps?
Kurt S.
--- Don Smythe <dosmythe(at)cox.net> wrote:
| Quote: | This might not apply but, is along the same subject
line. I have a riding
lawnmower and the fuel system is "similar" to a
kitfox. That is, has a
large tank above the engine and is gravity fed to
the engine. Now, my
lawnmower will run 1/2 of the fuel in the tank and
then, go dead (out of
fuel). This is observed by the completely empty
inline fuel filter. It's
not the vented cap because it happens with the cap
off????? If I pull the
tank side line off the filter, fuel again starts to
flow from the tank,
refills the filter and off she runs again??? It has
to be some sort of
vapor lock and wonder if some sort of similar
situation could happen to a
Kitfox system. BTW, the lawnmower will use the
whole tank if filled with
100LL. 100LL tends not to vapor lock like autofuel.
I spend hours and
weeks testing my Fox fuel system to see what would
conditions could cause
flow restrictions etc. This lawnmower system has me
stumped.
Don Smythe
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Float Flyr
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 4:41 am Post subject: Kitfox Runs out of gas Please read on! |
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It is true that the 100LL is not a volatile as the MOGAS therefore won't
vapour lock as easily. Your riding mower has the tank in an enclosed area
directly over the engine where the gas can get very warm. The plane on the
other hand has the tanks in the wings and header remote form engine heat.
All I can think of is on my plane the vent form my header is connected to
the right wing tank if the right tank were to lose it's cap I could see how
both the right tank and the header could be siphoned very quickly. Once the
plane comes to a stop fuel form the left tank could then equalize making it
look as if there was fuel in all three tanks at the moment of a fuel outage.
I don't have a low fuel warning light on my header tank but I'm seriously
looking into it.
Noel
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Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats |
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dosmythe(at)cox.net
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:35 am Post subject: Kitfox Runs out of gas Please read on! |
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I remember my old buddy Michael Harter (Rest his sole) took off twice not
once without a fuel cap. One time he left it way up in Eastern Canada and
it was mailed back to him from the airport (bent). I ended up giving him
both of mine (from my kit) since I used recessed fillers. I do not remember
him ever saying that he lost a significant amount of fuel??? On the trip to
Canada I seem to remember him having to purchase a replacement cap at the
auto store when he noticed the original missing.
Don Smythe
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rjdaugh
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 195
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:48 am Post subject: Kitfox Runs out of gas Please read on! |
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Noel,
I have to disagree with you a little bit on your assertion that BOTH the
header tank and the right wing tank would be emptied quickly if you lost the
cap on the right side.
In your scenario of losing the right cap, low pressure will start to pull
gas from the right tank. BUT, the header tank will not empty until all the
gas from the left tank is pulled through the header tank. Even then much of
the gas in the header tank will be available to the engine.
In the case of losing the left cap, it is possible that the "unported" vent
line in the right tank will clear of fuel quickly and thus let vapors go
into the header tank and push gas up the feed line to the left tank, it will
not empty the header tank since the vent is from the top of the header tank.
The right tank will keep feeding fuel to the header tank until the right
tank is empty. Then after you have burned the fuel left in the header tank,
it will get quiet. This, with your left tank possibly holding lots of fuel.
One thing to worry about in the case of losing either cap is that the lower
pressure in the fuel system makes vapor lock much more likely.
Randy - Now checking caps as part of preflight!
I agree with you that Don's lawn mower problem sounds like vapor lock.
.
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Randy
Kitfox 5/7 912S
Black Hills, South Dakota |
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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:48 am Post subject: Kitfox Runs out of gas Please read on! |
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Lots of theoretical stuff here, Why not a volunteer test pilot type to give
it a try  .
Actually the scnerio presented would suggest to me - correct me if I am
misreading this - that the missing fuel cap (left tank as described) would
suck gas from the right tank (right tank being pressurized by the cap pito
pressure) and if I am reading this correctly, the first sign of missing fuel
would then be a drop in the sight gauge on the right tank.
When I flew the three hours with my right cap askew - only one tang
attached - the lost fuel came almost exclusively from the right tank,
sucking it to almost empty. The left tank showed some fuel loss as well,
but I typically burn preferentially from the left tank for the much
discussed unknown for sure reason. I would propose that the primary loss of
fuel would be due to the low pressure at the top of the wing near the filler
neck rather than any pressure generated from the forward facing vent on the
other fuel cap. At the time I was burning about 8 gallons in a three hour
run - throttled back.
Lowell
Lowell
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