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Fuel float positioning and proseal

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jchang10

Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 227

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

http://www.jline.com/log/aviation/build/wingkit/photos/IMG_4432.html



Hi all, I was just admiring the result of all of my hard work for the past month

or more, while working on the fuel tanks, and noticed something.



The float sender is sitting on the bottom of the tank skin. It is actually the

steel wire touching the inside tank skin. I imagine a worst-case scenario may be

the wings sitting empty with water in the bottom of the tank, with the steel

wire on the fuel sender touching the bottom tank skin. Also, during normal

operation, the float wire may bang up and down hitting the fuel tank skins.



To mitigate any damage caused by the above, has anyone put a thin layer of

proseal on their tank skins, where the float wire hits the skin? It seems like a

good idea to do. I haven't seen any mention of doing this in any archives, so I

am a little wary that I may be missing something? Am I?



Thanks,

Jae

#40533 - Light-headed from inhaling all the black death and MEK

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_________________
#40533 RV-10
First flight 10/19/2011
Phase 1 Done 11/26/2011

Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:43 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

Jae,



I wouldn't worry about it.  You're not often going to fly anywhere near

that fuel level required to make the metal bang, unless you like to

be near disaster.   Also, you won't get much water in the tanks if

you're lucky.  I've rarely had anything to sump, but even if you do

get water there, you'd be nuts to let the plane sit with empty tanks...

because that's one of the CAUSES of water in the tanks.  Far better

to use locking caps if necessary, but park it with full tanks.

Probably the most valid concern of all of those is the hitting at

the top skin, if even that one is.  Sure, you could put proseal there,

but now you run the risk of the softer proseal being chipped away

and floated through your fuel system...probably catching and plugging

your finger strainers first, if they're big hunks.



In short, (which I seldom can manage), I see no problem there you

should worry about.  If others think I'm off base, I'd love to

hear their take.



Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

do not archive



Jae Chang wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 http://www.jline.com/log/aviation/build/wingkit/photos/IMG_4432.html

 

 Hi all, I was just admiring the result of all of my hard work for the past month

 or more, while working on the fuel tanks, and noticed something.

 

 The float sender is sitting on the bottom of the tank skin. It is actually the

 steel wire touching the inside tank skin. I imagine a worst-case scenario may be

 the wings sitting empty with water in the bottom of the tank, with the steel

 wire on the fuel sender touching the bottom tank skin. Also, during normal

 operation, the float wire may bang up and down hitting the fuel tank skins.

 

 To mitigate any damage caused by the above, has anyone put a thin layer of

 proseal on their tank skins, where the float wire hits the skin? It seems like a

 good idea to do. I haven't seen any mention of doing this in any archives, so I

 am a little wary that I may be missing something? Am I?

 

 Thanks,

 Jae

 #40533 - Light-headed from inhaling all the black death and MEK

- The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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jeff(at)westcottpress.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

Hi Jae,



The word I got from Vans is that you want to bend the wire so that  

the plastic arm bottoms out with the float resting about 1/8" above  

the base of the tank.  That will keep the float from chattering  

against the tank skin when empty.



I was ultimately uncomfortable with the float clearances, and have  

left the baffles off the tanks in anticipation of the capacitance  

senders the Vans is working on for the 10.



Last I checked, they didn't have a completion date scheduled, but  

they were working on it.  With my flaps half done, my ailerons yet to  

be touched and my fuselage sitting in the crate, I figure I've got  

plenty of time before I'll really need to close up those tanks.



Jeff Carpenter

40304

On Nov 13, 2006, at 12:06 PM, Jae Chang wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 matronics_rv10(at)jline.com>



 http://www.jline.com/log/aviation/build/wingkit/photos/IMG_4432.html



 Hi all, I was just admiring the result of all of my hard work for  

 the past month

 or more, while working on the fuel tanks, and noticed something.



 The float sender is sitting on the bottom of the tank skin. It is  

 actually the

 steel wire touching the inside tank skin. I imagine a worst-case  

 scenario may be

 the wings sitting empty with water in the bottom of the tank, with  

 the steel

 wire on the fuel sender touching the bottom tank skin. Also, during  

 normal

 operation, the float wire may bang up and down hitting the fuel  

 tank skins.



 To mitigate any damage caused by the above, has anyone put a thin  

 layer of

 proseal on their tank skins, where the float wire hits the skin? It  

 seems like a

 good idea to do. I haven't seen any mention of doing this in any  

 archives, so I

 am a little wary that I may be missing something? Am I?



 Thanks,

 Jae

 #40533 - Light-headed from inhaling all the black death and MEK

- The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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jchang10

Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 227

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:45 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

Tim... Thanks for the food for thought. It is certainly not a major deal but was

curious what other builders thought. Also, I'd imagine every certified airplane

out there has their senders installed exactly the same way.



Jae

Do not archive

- The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

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_________________
#40533 RV-10
First flight 10/19/2011
Phase 1 Done 11/26/2011

jchang10

Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 227

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

Jeff... Thanks. That's interesting to know what van's take is. Although, I think

1/8" clearance might be too little to prevent the chattering.



Capacitance senders, hmm... Will have to think about that one. 



Also, it's a good sign that Van's is still tweaking or "optimizing" the -10

design.



Jae

Do not archive



--

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_________________
#40533 RV-10
First flight 10/19/2011
Phase 1 Done 11/26/2011

Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:17 pm Post subject: Fuel float positioning and proseal

One more thing....could you not bend them slightly so they have just

slightly less travel and they just barely make it to the top

and bottom? On the lower end, it'll take almost nothing to get them

floating off the bottom.  On the high end, they'll be plastered

up against the stops until the fuel level drops about 6 gallons,

and then soon after they'll be heading down.



Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

do not archive

Jae Chang wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Tim... Thanks for the food for thought. It is certainly not a major deal but was

 curious what other builders thought. Also, I'd imagine every certified airplane

 out there has their senders installed exactly the same way.

 

 Jae

 Do not archive

- The Matronics RV10-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV10-List

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