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Fuel tank dip stick

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rstone4(at)hot.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 3:15 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

Members,

      I have checked the actives  and can find nothing about a fuel tank dip stick for the standard 12 gallon tank  used in the Zodiac601XL.  If any of you have made one up I would like to  have enough information to make one for myself to include gallons or fractions  thereof per inch in the stick.

      Some weeks ago I asked for  a check list for pre-flight and got several which I used to develop my own and  one of the list items is dip the fuel tanks since gauges are not always  accurate.

  

 Tracy Stone

 ZodiacXL

 Harker Heights, Tx

   [quote][b]

gfmjr_20(at)HOTMAIL.COM
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:10 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

A fuel dip stick is pretty simple to make.  I made mine from a piece of oak 

3/4 inch wide by 3/16 inch thick by 12 inches long. I drained my tanks and 

the proceeded to fill them a gallon at a time.  After each gallon, I 

inserted the stick (holding it against the rear of the filler opening to try 

and insure the stick went in vertically) and drew a line in pen and labeled 

it at the top of the wetted area on the stick. Be advised that you probably 

will not register any wetness on the stick until you have about 2 1/2 to 3 

gallons in the tank. I started my markings at about 3 gallons.  Continue the 

process until you have the tank filled. That'sabout it



George May

601XL  912s-----59 hours

 	  Quote: 	
		  From: "robert stone" <rstone4(at)hot.rr.com>

Reply-To: zenith-list(at)matronics.com

To: "Zenith list" <zenith-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: Fuel tank dip stick

Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2007 18:14:43 -0500



Members,

      I have checked the actives and can find nothing about a fuel tank dip 

stick for the standard 12 gallon tank used in the Zodiac601XL.  If any of 

you have made one up I would like to have enough information to make one 

for myself to include gallons or fractions thereof per inch in the stick.

      Some weeks ago I asked for a check list for pre-flight and got 

several which I used to develop my own and one of the list items is dip the 

fuel tanks since gauges are not always accurate.



Tracy Stone

ZodiacXL

Harker Heights, Tx


	


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amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 4:40 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

the best thing I have seen so far versus the tryed and true Oak stick is the Superhawk plastic dip stick. you calibrate it to where the gallon shows up on the dip stick as you fill the tank the first time, then you just dip the stick and refer to a little chart, and it tells what you gotts.

Oak stick is the best just notch it with a knife at each measurement.



Juan

Juan



--

xl(at)prosody.org
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:02 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

I don't use a dip stick. I don't think that it would be useful.

When I have about one half of a tank the fuel is at the corner of the

tank. That is as good a measure as a dip stick. I get 4.5 to 5 gph.

If I've flown ~2.4 hrs I see the fuel ~level with the corner (1/2 tank).

At 1/2 of a tank I'm good for 2 hours - if I dare. I have landed with

2 gallons in each tank, but only once. I know that I have over 2 hours

with 1/2 of a tank. So I will make a ~1 hour trip.

Below 1/2 tank the dip stick will read almost 0.



I don't depend on the fuel gauges, I depend on hours flown. Trip legs

of ~2 hours are best for me. I can get back to where I came from.



Joe E

N633Z (at) BFI

Zodiac 601XL, 431 hours

Jabiru 3300, Sensenich wood prop 64x49



ps. The canopy was a challenge. It took about 15% of the build time.

    Total build time for me was 1077.5 hours, 7 months.



pps. I built 633Z in a tent. See: http://www.cleanh2o.com/633z/



ppps. Someday I'll finish polishing.



pppps. zenith grin!

On Tue, 3 Apr 2007, robert stone wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Members,

 I have checked the actives and can find nothing about a fuel tank dip

 stick for the standard 12 gallon tank used in the Zodiac601XL.  If any

 of you have made one up I would like to have enough information to make

 one for myself to include gallons or fractions thereof per inch in the

 stick.

 Tracy Stone ZodiacXL

 do not archive

Tim Juhl

Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 488
Location: "Thumb" of Michigan

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:10 am Post subject: Re: Fuel tank dip stick

Being an old chemistry teacher I modeled my dipstick on a measuring pipette.   I purchased a couple of feet of rigid plastic tubing from aircraft spruce (you need enough to reach the bottom of the tank and grip at the top.)  I added fuel until there was enough to show in the bottom of the tube (whole gallons, not fractions) noted the amount and marked the tube with a scratch (used a triangular file.)  From there I added fuel a gallon at a time and marked the stick at each gallon until full.    For those who have not used a pipette, you insert the tube, cover the top hole with your finger and lift the tube out.  The fuel will remain in the tube long enough for you to get a reading. A 1/8th inch center opening works best - see http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/mepages/acryltube.php



To finish the job I used a tubing cutter to score a shallow ring around the tube at each mark.  I then used a cheap vibrating engraver to mark the gallons next to each line.  



Tim

_________________
______________
CFII
Champ L16A flying
Zodiac XL - Jabiru 3300A
Almost done! It'll fly in spring!

amyvega2005(at)earthlink.
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:57 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

Tim,



great Idea, the SUperhawk tank guages are high grade PVC with numbers marking that are fuel proof. Its a pipette with markings and its only $5.00 i think.



Juan



--

Tim Juhl

Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 488
Location: "Thumb" of Michigan

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel tank dip stick

I had a commercially made dipstick for my 182 - the one I made cost less than a buck and does not require a conversion chart - it reads the gallons direct.   



A trick I used when marking my stick.....  I slipped a tight fitting "o" ring over the tube.  After the first read I slid the "o" ring to where I thought the fuel level came.  On second try I'd see how close I'd come.  It might take a few adjustments but you can come pretty close when it comes to determining where to put the marks.



Tim

_________________
______________
CFII
Champ L16A flying
Zodiac XL - Jabiru 3300A
Almost done! It'll fly in spring!

n282rs(at)satx.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

I just use a wooden paint paddle that I picked up a Home Depot and Aircraft Supply. Paint it and mark it with a Sharpie. If you drop your pipette in the tank, it will roll to the lowest end of the tank. If you drop my wooden paddle, it will float near the filler neck. Don't ask how I know this. 



Randy Stout

San Antonio TX

www.geocities.com/r5t0ut21

--

bryanmmartin

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018

Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:30 pm Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

I've had two of those clear plastic fuel gauges from Sportys. The  

first one started developing cracks across the width of the plastic  

and finally fell apart. The second one is showing the same cracks. I  

don't know if the are adversely reacting to auto fuel or what. I  

guess I'll have to make another wooden dipstick.

On Apr 4, 2007, at 4:56 PM, Juan Vega wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <amyvega2005(at)earthlink.net>



 Tim,



 great Idea, the SUperhawk tank guages are high grade PVC with  

 numbers marking that are fuel proof. Its a pipette with markings  

 and its only $5.00 i think.




	


-- 

Bryan Martin

N61BM, CH 601 XL,

RAM Subaru, Stratus redrive.

do not archive.

_________________
--
Bryan Martin
N61BM, CH 601 XL, Stratus Subaru.
do not archive.

rstone4(at)hot.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:51 am Post subject: Fuel tank dip stick

Hi Tim,

     Try using an aluminum rod and use a file to make a notch for each 

gallon.  Fuel of any kind will remove most paint and or ink and it will also 

seep into wood so aluminum notched is the best way to go.



Tracy Stone

---

Tim Juhl

Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 488
Location: "Thumb" of Michigan

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel tank dip stick

I don't use paint or ink on my plastic tube....  I used one of those cheap vibrating engravers for the numbers and a tubing cutter to mark a nice straight line around the tube.  



I used to use a paint stick but didn't get as good a reading.  I never tried a metal stick with a fluid like gas.



Tim

_________________
______________
CFII
Champ L16A flying
Zodiac XL - Jabiru 3300A
Almost done! It'll fly in spring!

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