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Section 37 : Fuel System

Date Started 4/10/2012
Date Complete7/16/12
Time19
Changes From Plans Bonaco fuel lines
  Andiar fuel Valve and extension
  Red Cube FT-60 fuel flow meter
 

Fuel system finally finished

posted Jul 17, 2012, 8:19 AM by Bill Thomasson   [ updated Jul 17, 2012, 8:21 AM ]

After getting the valve all placed to my satisfaction I tried to install the lines to the fuel filter.  There was just not enough room to get it all the bends needed the the vertical space I had provided.  A  T fitting has to be placed between the valve and the filter for recirculating the fuel through the pump.  After ordering 3-4 different fittings and trying different pipe bends I finally found a combination that would work. 
First a 90 deg fitting with 1 male and 1 female end.  Attached to a T with a female end and 2 male ends.  This put the pipe too far forward to attach directly to the fuel filter as it needed to be down about 1 inch and over about 1 inch, so I used a spiral tube to attach it.  Even so the filter needed to be moved forward, so there was not enough room for a tube to the pump, so I ordered a female-female junction and attached the pump directly to the filter.  Several of these parts had to be special ordered, which took almost 1 month to get them in (even though they were "in stock".)
From front facing rearward
From lower in tunnel facing rearward
Through access panel.
 
I am happy enough with how it finaly turned out, but if I were to do it again I would just use the aluminum tube everywhere and skip the bonico fuel lines to the wings.
 
I really do like that I painted the forward area of the tunnel white as you can see in these photos.  It really makes it much brighter to work in, and should be much easier to spot fuel die if there are any leaks.
 

Redo Fuel valve mount, add extension

posted May 14, 2012, 9:32 AM by Bill Thomasson

Finally got the Andair 180 degree fuel valve extension.  Now I see why it is so expensive.  It is not just the extension, but a new mounting plate and handle (slightly larger then the standard one for some reason).  The Extension mounting plate also mounts with 4 screws instead of 3, so it comes with a different cover plate as well.  Still ends up being a very pricey valve when you add the cost of the extension in.  Also, ordering direct from Andair it too about 3-4 weeks to be delivered since they are in England.
 
Once I started to try to fit the Andair extension I found that my mounting bracket was not quite parallel with the tunnel cover.  I first spent several hours trying to shim the screws in the mounting bracket to get the extension to align.  I thought I had it, but then when I connected the fuel lines to the value, they put a little tention on it and the mounting bracket flexed, then causing the extention to have a lot of sideloading on it.  I decided this was not acceptable, and the main problem was the mounting bracket I had made.  So out comes the drill and I drill out the mounting bracket.  (Which involves removing all the fuel lines and the value, and is further complicated by the fact that I have the control linkages already installed)
 
I then made a new bracket out of angle and part of the Van's insurment panel (much thicker then prior bracket).  This I really took my time with and made sure it fit the tunel precicely, although I was so focused on this that I had it installed before I realized I had not primed it at all.  Oh well  That will be my reference piece to see if my plane would have corroded away if I had not primed.  I mounted the new valve mounting plate about 1/2 inch lower as well.  This gives move virtical clearance between the controls and the fuel lines, and keeps the fuel lines from having to bend as much.
 
Picture shows the mounting plate, extension, and extension mount all installed.
 
After working with the center console, tunel cover, and forward console coming on and off about a 1000 times for tesing shims I decided to cut the tunnel cover into 2 peices, one that is under the forward console and one under the center console witht the fuel valve extension mounted to it.  I riveted on a mounting plate to the forward one, and 3 nutplates to the rear one to connect them. (Sorr no more pictures other then the cut line.
Rear part of the tunel cover with the fuel valve extension mounted to it.
 
I am now very pleased with how it is all put together.
 
Today a also went over to help Brian & Brandi put the wings on their RV-10!  They are 4-6 weeks from first flight.
Talk about inspiring!  It was really fun helping them out.  Daniel was also their helping.  It was really cool as once things got going everyone just jumped on a task and we were all building and things went together very fast.
 
 

Bushings & changed routing

posted May 7, 2012, 6:37 AM by Bill Thomasson

I pushed the fuel lines further into the tunnel, causing them to do about a 120 deg bend, going all the way to the edge of the tunnel instead of and 80 deg bend.  This gives the controls more clearance.
 
Also added bushings to hold them in place.  This required expanding the holes in the supports with a unibit and installing XXX bushings.

Bonaco Fuel Lines and Andair bracket

posted Apr 30, 2012, 9:31 AM by Bill Thomasson   [ updated Apr 30, 2012, 11:48 AM ]

I liked the idea others had presented on minimizing the number of connections of the fuel lines in the cockpit.  I went with Bonaco fuel lines that are continuious from the fuel tanks to the fuel valve.
-6 Teflon w/ Clearcoat 38" long center to center with 90 degree fittings on each end, clocked 12 & 3 (right wing)
-6 Teflon w/ Clearcoat 38" long center to center with 90 degree fittings on each end, clocked 12 & 9 (left wing)
These were $41 each.
To better explain what that all means (as I did not know until talking with Brett).  The steal braided lines will bend, but not twist (at least not much), so if your fittings need to be pointed a specific directions (for ones that are not straight such as the 90 degree fittings) you have to specify what direction they need to be facing.  For the left wing, the fitting points at the fuel tank, but the line goes too the rear (Fitting pointed at 9 o'clock).  The line does a big U though the plane, and then the fitting needs to point up into the fuel valve (12).  The right tank is the mirror image of the left line, with the fitting pointing to the right (into fuel tank) and the other fitting pointing up (into the fuel valve).
 
I constructed a mount for the andair fuel valve.  I am mounting the andair valve near the bottom of the tunnel, so that the fittings can connect into the valve without having to go up.  There needs to be just enough space to get the special T-fitting that Vans has for the Andair fuel valve, and then a 90 degree fitting going forward to the fuel filter.
 
The Valve is installed backwards so that the left fuel line connects on the right side of the valve. This is needed as the braided fuel lines don't have the bend capability to bend that tightly. The valve extention with 180 degree coupler is used to have the valve handle work correctly.
After installing the fuel lines and valves I was worried that the control tubes were going to hit the valve, but once I connected the stick it was clear that it would never be pushed that far forward.
The shortest hose that Bonaco can make is about 6", and there is only about 3" from the fuel valve to fuel filter, so I am going to make an aluminum tubing line for that.
 
 
I don't have the fuel flow meter (RedCube) yet, and need to buy/borrow a flairing tool, so the rest of the fuel system is on hold for now.  I also need some new bushings for the fuel line that are on order.
 
 

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