eniac

I was puzzling multiple fuel tanks the other night, thinking about how much it takes to push fuel through lots of line. The thought I came up with was to use the silicone fuel lines as couplers between the brass lines from the tank and aluminum lines (I have some really light/small stuff) for longer runs.

The only problem that I figured would come up was corrosion of the lines. I poked a bit of the aluminum tube into a small container of fuel, let it sit there for a few days and it didn't do anything, also poked some in and let it sit in the oxygen for a while, periodically dipping it back in some fuel so it was cycling the air every 6 hours or so when I noticed it.

Deposits in the engines would be a downer, so it might just be a disaster waiting to happen, so any thoughts or experience would be great.

eniac

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I have assembled A few ARFs with the aluminum tube that comes with there fuel tanks without any problems over long term. Don't know if it is the same thing you get from the local hobby shop or hardware store though.

jetmech05

Its the brass that corrodes aluminum is ok

da Rock

The aluminum tubing available at most hobby shops works great if it doesn't have to stand any stress. It's not sturdy enough unless supported.

The idea of rigid lines is good. But brass is a bad choice as already noted. And most aluminum isn't a good choice either. The right aluminum is great if you can find it.

What does work really well is the plastic tubing we've got lots of already. Pushrod tubing of the right size works great. Has no real drawbacks.

Bill Teller

Copper & aluminum attack each other when wet & in close proximinty, brass would do the same (mostly copper) so its a bad combination. Also alum. tube with tanks appears to me to have a smaller ID

Bill Teller

AERORICH73

ENIAC: I have only had copper fuel lines turn green in some older models with many hours of use. The normal situation is to always install a filter between the fuel line out of the firewall going to the carb. This is a suggestion usually in the engine manual instructions. Never had a filter plug up on me from contamination over the years of piloting. Keep the thread informed if you have a lot of filter plugging.

Happy Flying!!

Rich S.

bla bla

Long, "perminately" installed aluminum fuel/vent/fill lines are often installed in F3A planes.
Running from mid ships from the tank mounted on the CG to the fire wall, they make far more sense than long silicon fuel tubes flapping aroung inside the plane.
Use silicon tubing as couplers.
No problems