KW_Counter

Good Morning,

I'm working on my first cowled engine, a BH T-28 with a 61 FX.
I am using a 3 fuel line system with a fuel dot.
How do I know when the tank is full?
I hope I don't have to wait until it runs out the muffler.
It is a Pitts style muffler in case it matters.

Thanks,
KW_Counter

MajorTomski

At the present time, yep, wait till it runs out the muffler. If you use a hand crank pump you can count the cranks to a just-less-than-full tank and always only add that much fuel.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Ditto

KW_Counter

I'm a Scottish Accountant and old hippie.
At $20 bucks a gallon for fuel that ain't the answer I wanted.

I've also been married 21 years, since when do I get what I want?

Thanks,
KW_Counter

Admiral052

Well this explains why I always see fuel soaked into our tables on the flight line. I always wondered why but never asked.

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

I use a small wide mouth jar placed under the exhaust tubes to catch the overflow. Keeps the table dry.

Bruce

koastrc

Like the Major pointed out, I count the cranks. However there is another rig I have seen. It was one of those quick fills. You know the kind. Plug in the special thing and fill the tank. Dude had one of those on the under side of the cowl. Wait, he also had a fuel dot. Wanted to tell him those quick fills are at times trouble. He sticks a line in the quick fill that is attached to a small tank. He uses the fuel dot to fill the plane. Soon the fuel ran into the small tank from the quick fill. I figure he had the quick connector on the exhaust pressure line. It appeared to work. Glad I kept my mouth shut about the quick connector.

opjose

If you don't want to spill the fuel, connect a return line to the muffler pressure line ( disconnect it at the muffler ), and just keep pumping until you see fuel coming back up the return line.



BTW: I'll bet our field tables would make excellent kindling, with all of the different types of fuel that has soaked into the wood.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Counting the cranks is a good way to avoid spilling too much. Let's say that on an empty tank it takes 100 cranks. Then you know that when you hit 95 or so, you'll want to slow down. You could stop at 95, bit I like to be sure the pump is still working (you know how those things can slowly go bad)

Then after each flight, count again. You'll usually find that you use about the same amount of fuel each time. So maybe, after each flight, you'll need to slow down at around 50 cranks.

Yea, you'll still spill a little, but as long as you're going slow, it won't come out too fast.

acdii

What you can do is loop the pressure line through the cowl so you can see it, doesn't matter where, just as long as you can see a small part of it, then just keep your eye on it when filling, when you see bubbles or fuel, stop.

KW_Counter

acdii,

I like that idea! I'll see if it will work on my plane.

opjose,

You missed the part about it being a cowled engine.
Normally I run the pressure tube into a retired fuel tank for retrieval.

Thanks All,
KW_Counter

opjose

I sure did!

ACDII's idea is pretty good.

The line doesn't have to run outside the cowl at all.

A more complicated approach is to put a secondary fueler on the pressure line rigged so that excess fuel flows out when you have the fitting in place.