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pacificpainting(at)comcas
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 Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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This is probably a simple question, but I need some advice on the ground wire for the sender. There is a tab mounted on the tank which I assume is for a ground. There is also the actual wire coming from the mounting plate on the sending unit. Doesn't all this have to be attached to the airframe? I plan on running everything up to the firewall to a common ground off the engine. Can I just run the sender ground wire along with the power wire? I also plan on doing the strobes the same way, although the directions show to just ground to a screw on one of the ribs.
Dave in Salem
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p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:53 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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Hi Dave,
The tricky part of the fuel sender is getting the ground from the metal plate to the airframe or electrical ground point. To do this on my plane, I decided to leave off one of the paper washers on the sender mounting screws. Another way to do this is to weld an electrical contact to the sender plate. Without one of these tricks, the sender simply will not work.
It is also a good idea to ground the fuel tank. I am not sure what all the reasons for this are, but the sender is one and grounding electrostatic discharges from the gas tank for fueling is another.
Good luck,
Paul
XL fuselage
| Quote: | This is probably a simple question, but I need some advice on the ground wire for the sender. There is a tab mounted on the tank which I assume is for a ground. There is also the actual wire coming from the mounting plate on the sending unit. Doesn't all this have to be attached to the airframe? I plan on running everything up to the firewall to a common ground off the engine. Can I just run the sender ground wire along with the power wire? I also plan on doing the strobes the same way, although the directions show to just ground to a screw on one of the ribs.
Dave in Salem
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pacificpainting(at)comcas
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:59 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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Paul,
My senders have a power wire stud and a ground wire stud. I thought they were all that way.
Dave
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Michael Valentine
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 108
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:12 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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I followed the advice of an earlier poster and used copper washers instead of the paper washers. This means that the tank is in direct contact with the inner metal ring, which is connected to the top plate with the five bolts. In out-of-wing testing, everthing seemed to work well. I then ran a ground from one of the bolts to a nose rib that will be accessible from my finger screen inspection plate. Assuming the nose rib is well enough connected to everything else (meaning the corrosing protection hasn't gotten in the way), is there any reason this won't ground both the tank and the sender in one fell swoop?
Michael
Contoocook, NH
p.s. On my sender there is a specific nut sticking up that one could attach a ground to even if he used the paper washers.
Paul wrote:
| Quote: | Hi Dave,
The tricky part of the fuel sender is getting the ground from the metal plate to the airframe or electrical ground point. To do this on my plane, I decided to leave off one of the paper washers on the sender mounting screws. Another way to do this is to weld an electrical contact to the sender plate. Without one of these tricks, the sender simply will not work.
It is also a good idea to ground the fuel tank. I am not sure what all the reasons for this are, but the sender is one and grounding electrostatic discharges from the gas tank for fueling is another.
Good luck,
Paul
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Dave wrote:
[quote] | Quote: | This is probably a simple question, but I need some advice on the ground wire for the sender. There is a tab mounted on the tank which I assume is for a ground. There is also the actual wire coming from the mounting plate on the sending unit. Doesn't all this have to be attached to the airframe? I plan on running everything up to the firewall to a common ground off the engine. Can I just run the sender ground wire along with the power wire? I also plan on doing the strobes the same way, although the directions show to just ground to a screw on one of the ribs.
Dave in Salem
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Float Flyr
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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Usually there will be a bonding strap of braided copper that will connect the tank and the sender to the frame of the plane. One end is usually installed as a ring terminal around one of the machine screws that hold the sender unit in place The other end is usually attached through a ring terminal around a stud on the frame.
If these grounding straps are not present ( in metal gas tanks ) then grounding the plane for refuelling won't ground your gas tank and can still cause a spark from the gas nozzle. ( No fun)
Another place where you will probably want to have bonding straps installed is across the elastomeric mounts of your engine mount. This will help give a good ground to your plane for both starting and battery charging.
Noel [quote]
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Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats |
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601zv(at)ritternet.com
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:41 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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Dave,
You are lucky. Lots of us have the VW Rabbit type senders supplied by ZAC. They not only have no ground lug, but when installed in the ZAC tanks they protrude above the top skin.
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Float Flyr
Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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Believe it or not the system you have described is good. You should also use a bonding braid across your wing root attach point. It is possible for a bit of minor corrosion to occur across the main attach bolts which will affect the ground of your wing. The short bonding straps that jump these attach points ensure the strength of your wings ground even as the wing is flexing. (One bonding strap per wing)
Noel [quote]
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Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats |
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pacificpainting(at)comcas
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| Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject: Fuel sending unit ground. |
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So, that's what you guys have been talking about. Making domed covers to clear the senders. If it makes you feel better I do have to grind off about 1/8 of an inch so my top skins will clear. Just kidding.
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