anderman

Is it ok to use zip ties inside the tank? This is for a gas setup?

airtime82

My Feedback: (3)

if you are talking about actual unleaded gasoline then yes I believe Its actually recommended that all hoses be secured to their respective tubes with a zip tie.

airtime82

My Feedback: (3)

Also the clunk too.

anderman

Ok I wasn't sure if gas would decompose the zip tie. Thanks!

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Use solder on barbs and forget the zips. Instead of zips you can just use a small piece of fuel line over the main lines. Does the same thing without ever falling off or cracking.

ChuckW

I use the solder barbs too. They are easy to install and work great.

I know a lot of people use zip ties and I know that they probably work just fine but I just like the barb better.

StevL

I use soldered on barbs and a zip tie.... never had a problem.


Knocking on wood,
Steve

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Hold on here.. Since this is a beginners forum, and a lot of beginners refer to our fuel as "gas", it is NOT gasoline, it's alcohol (ethanol and nitro-methane plus a blend of oils). If the OP IS talking about gasoline... petrol... petroleum based fuels, then ok.

I am not quite sure how the plastic would do in a fuel (ethanol) tank, if it would decompose it or not, but I doubt it. For Gasoline, however, it does strange things to certain materials, so I would be very careful using plastic zip-ties in any fuel tank.

A twisted copper wire works, as does a good tight fitting glow fuel tubing around the barbed clunk feed tube without anything else. There are differences in tubing material for gasoline and glow fuel (ethanol based fuels).

CGr.

ChuckW

Actuall the nylon zip ties do very well in gasoline. They harden and get brittle over a long period of time but so does the gasoline fuel line. There is a lot of nylon and other plastics used the fuel systems of cars, small engines and other applications. Gasolines with high ethanol content may be an issue but I doubt it since it seems to affect mainly rubber-type materials.

Ijust don't like using a zip tie as a hose clamp. There ends up being a small unclamped area at the head of the tie. Chances are it will never be an issue though. Still, a purpose-made clamp or twisted wire as mentioned works well so long as it is not so tight that it cuts the fuel line. Ilike the barbs though; no clamps needed.

opjose

Yup... I've opened tanks up after 2-3 years of use with gasoline w/o any apparent damage to the zip ties inside.

Gasoline seems to be worst on plastic than glow fuel, and the zip ties seem to do well with either.

anderman

Thanks for the info that helps in getting this complete. Hopefully I will start the engine break in this weekend.

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

I prefer and use safety wire... but zip ties are fine.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have tried wire, nylon zip ties, fuel line over fuel line and barbs, they all seem to work in both gas and glow fuel. I just use line over line on most of my planes but if it's a set up in a plane I want no worries about at all I stick with the barbs and line over line. That's for gas or glow.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Gene... what do you mean "line over line"?

CGr.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I cut a piece of the fuel line about 3/16 and pull it over the lines from the tank, then I slip the fuel line onto the brass tube then slip/slide the small piece of line along the main line until it too is over the tube. Shazam, it's tight and will stay on, easier then using nylon zip ties. If you want a photo I can take a few for you. Being a YS guy I like to make sure my lines are on tight and aren't going to blow off. Most YS people use this little trick.