dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

My third Slimline pump started to leak massively and I think its time for a switch. I have read in a few posts that a $10 Autozone windshield washer pump makes a good pump for Glow fuel. Can anybody recommend a model number. There are a tens of hits on the site and and I didnt know if I needed a self priming type. I dont think a gravity feed type would work well.

Thanks for help

Dave

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

I have heard that this is a very bad idea that has been proposed and tried many times in the past. The washer pumps will not last very long and will contaminate the fuel as the pump parts fail or disolve. The Slimline pumps are the best thing available but possibly the company has gone under or is under new ownership. There WAS a pump ovehhaul kit that consisted of new rollers and special large diameter thin wall tubing [it is a parastaltic pump]. However the pump kit is not available from Slimline, except posssibly from one company "down in Texas". Sorry but this was just a conversation at the field today with a very knowlegable fellow that owns many Slimeline pumps. He is high up in heli competition and this is the pump they mostly all use. After hearing this, I am thinking if I ever was going to get a Slimeline pump, now is the time. I own three of those [expelitive] yellow Sulivan electric pumps and they all leak, sometimes badly. There is a huge need for a good, affordable pump for glow fuels and [dare we hope ?] gasoline.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

Bobhend

Thanks for the reply. I ended up purchasing a $14 univeral pump at Autozone just prior to your reply. Seems to work well for fueling and unfueling and I try empty the pump when not in use in case there is a reaction with the alcohol. Time will tell if it starts to fall apart and leak.

You are right in that there is a need for an affordable low end pump.

Dave

SrTelemaster150

Most windshield washer fluid is methanol based. It will detroy standard RV water pumps. Been there, done that trying to use WW fluid for methanol injection.

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

I found your Autozone pump http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...questid=893007 keep us posted. Regarding Slimline, the Boxxer pump is available for around $56. The overhaul kit for it is not in stock but the kit for the SL2000 is. My friend is ordering this kit thinking the hose and/or rollers will also fit the Boxxer. Right now I need 3 good pumps and am considering going back to hand pumps such as the H9. I built a metering fuel dispenser with a 24 oz bottle so I can measure fuel going into and out of a plane. This is for measuring tank size and fuel usage but it takes two pumps. I have 3 Sullivans and they all have tuna cans under them to catch the leakage.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

SRtelemaster150

You lost me. I purchased a windshield washer pump not a RV water pump. Since washer fluid is mostly methonal I would expect to hold up.

Dave

SrTelemaster150

Sorry for the ambiguous post.

My point is that WW fluid is methanol based & will detroy pumps not designed for methanol. Therefore, as you pointed out, WW pumps will most likely stand up to methanol fuels. I'm not sure if the nitro content of glow fuel will have an effect.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

You are right in that the Nitro content is an unknown and may be the cause of an early death to the pump. Another factor may be the concentration of alcohol. Nitro fuel is 65% methonal and I would guess WW fluid is less than 50% alcohol.

SrTelemaster150

Methanol is methanol. Some WW fluid is higher in meth content than others. Up to about 40%. I set up methanol injection on my 2006 Charger as an experiment W/nitrous. It didn't pan out & the pump that was included in the meth injection kit soon failed as it was a standard RV water pump.

If a WW pump can witstand 40% meth over many years/miles in a car I think it would hold up to glow fuel if the nitro isn't a factor.

On another note:

I bought a Hobbico "Top Fueler MK II" 2-way pump in 1997 when I started the hobby.

It had about 30 gallons of fuel pumped through it when I stopped flying in 1998.

After 14 years of sitting on a partialy full gallon of 15% Cool Power W/O being flushed, it was nearly locked up, barely running & not pumping any fuel. W/the pump running I pressureized the bottle by blowing into it. The pump picked up prime, the fuel soon flushed it out & it is working like new. I have pumped over 5 gallons of fuel through it since it was resurected.

I don't think I could think of a better, more durable glow fuel pump after those results.

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

I have found several guys in the club using the Hobbico Top Fueler MK 2 with no problems so I am going to replace my ever-leaking Sullivans with the Hobbico. It is currently listed at Tower as Top Fueler MK 3 and is only $ 13. We can only hope they are still being well made. Sorry , I PM'd Sr Telemaster about how the window washer pump was holding up, msg should have gone toDSZABO2..

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

So far my Autozone universal pump seems to work fine. No leaks yet, but time will tell.

Dave

SrTelemaster150

You can buy [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXVZ41]THIS PUMP[/link] for $12.99. I have the earlier MK II version & it has pumped the equivelant of 1/2 of a 55 gallon drum of 15% Cool Power fuel & then was left for 14 years W/fuel in it.

It was a little sluggish @ 1st, but after force priming it W/fresh fuel by blowing into the jug, it flushed itself out & is working like new.

Why spend more on an auto oarts store substitute?

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

My only question is will the MKIII work as well as the older MKII version or will it leak like all the other pumps out there? I did not see any comments about MKIII and its durability in any disucssions before I purchased the WW pump.


Dave

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

That's the problem question with everything. Our Whirlpool fridge is still running after 22 years with no problems. A new replacement Whirlpool is all new technolgy, new factory etc. and designed for maximum effeciency with little regard for lasting 22 years.

On fuel, I ran into serious problems with old 4S and 2S fuels that went bad, probably due to water absorption. The fuels had sat around too long due to a slow season last year. I believe water got in due to sitting with a pump mounted on the jug, and due to pumping unused fuel back into the jug [it gets water due to the exhaust pressure]. I am going to use more of these 2 quart jugs http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJ810&P=7 and I found a handy pour spout at Walmart auto section for $.50 because pouring fuel out of a jug always dribbles down the side of the 1 gal jug.. I am going to store any fuel pumped out of tanks in a "USED" jug. I spent a ridiculous amount of time tuning engines and changing glow plugs before I figured out the fuel was bad. In addition to start and tuning difficulties, the engines would suddenly quit mid-flight. Problems with about 7 engines cleared up when I started using new fuel and re-capping the jug every day.

SrTelemaster150

I keep my hose plugged back into the vent line on my filler cap when not in use. It is essentially a sealed loop. I leave my Hobbico Top Fueler MK II connected & I pump unused fuel back into the jug.

When I resurected all my equipment after the 14 year hiatus I had 1 gallon of 15% Cool Power that was unopened & just a little over 1/2 gallon in the jug on my flight box that had been left in the closed loop as descibed above. Both were kept indoors in a semi climate controled condition out of direct sunlight.

The unopened jug was just fine & I used it as my initial fuel for starting up my engines, 2 of them NIB that I had purchased just before I was lead away from the hobby. A Saito FA150 on spark ignition & a glow ignition FA180. I also had a glow ignition FA91S that had low hours that I also started on the 14 year old unopened fuel.

The fuel that was left sealed after use had some fine white sediment floating in the bottom. I filtered it through a coffee filter & gave it a try. To my amazement it peformed just about like the unopened gallon W/perhaps a little more roughness @ idle in the glow ignition engines.

There was no appreciable difference in performance when I purchased a case of new 15% Cool Power fuel. Bear in mind that this was used purely for test stand runs so I was not gambling on destroying any aircraft by utilizing old fuel.

Conclusion? If kept sealed from atmospheric moisture & kept out of direct sunlight in a climate controled inviornment, glow fuel has a long shelf life. Even after opening, if care is taken to keep the jug sealed, there is little degredation.

Just my personal experience. YMMV. I do not run any 2-stroke engines, all 4-stroke Saitos. There may or may not be any difference when 2-stroke engines are involved as far as pumping contaminated fuel back into the jug when draining the tank.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

I would agree with SrTelemaster. I do the same and have never had an issue with bad fuel.

SrTelemaster150

quote]ORIGINAL: dszabo2

My only question is will the MKIII work as well as the older MKII version or will it leak like all the other pumps out there? I did not see any comments about MKIII and its durability in any disucssions before I purchased the WW pump.


Dave
[/quote]




I agree W/your concerns 100% but have a close look @ these 2 PIX.

1st, my old, reliable, neglected but still functioning perfectly Hiobbico Top Fueler MK II Vs the "new, improved Hobbico Top Fueler MK III



See any similarities? The configuration is the same & I would suspect that aside from the new "imporoved" 21st century styled case, they are esentially the same pump.

SrTelemaster150

I just snapped some PIX of my pump for my recent post above so I thought that this one of the "sealed loop" would be appropriate on this subject.



You can see my Slimline Excel filler valve plugged back into the jug vent line when not in use.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

As soon as my WW washer pump craps out I will definately go for the MKIII !

SrTelemaster150

I might just pick one up for a spare since my MK II is going on 16 years old.

dszabo2

My Feedback: (1)

I have the same set up

Bobhend

My Feedback: (1)

I examined my fittings and took some pictures. The key element is the o-ring seal in the vent hole that seals to the fuel fitting when not in use. One of mine was shot. Next, as most of us know, the plastic nut on the DuBro "Fuel Station" is always coming loose. There is a big O-ring under it and it may well not be sealing when the nut is loose. I air tested my three fueler cap setups and none of them was really sealed. I am going to try to get one of those Slimline caps that you have, because then there is no question about being sealed. However it is $30 for the #2528 cap. My LHS says he can't get Slimline products anymore, but he has one of the #2013 which is the "360" cap with a mount for a hand pump, $40.

erik valdez

My Feedback: (80)

I have a friend who has used a windshield washer pump with gasoline for about ten years now, never had a broblem. I went and bought one just like his and mine failed immediately, go figure. My understanding is that you should not let them run while dry. I have also been told that BMW or Audi cant remember which has an excellent ww pump for fuel use.

erik valdez

My Feedback: (80)

This is the pump for BMW.

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eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

I use a H9 fuel pump and a Slimline cap. The pump has never leaked a drop in almost 10 years, and the cap couldn't be better. Hadn't flown for a couple years, but ran the remaining quart out without a problem.