Just thought I should post this as I have had 2 valves fail in 1 months time. The valve has a rubber flapper inside for the check valve to operate, With pressure in the tank they press on the cone side to shut off the air and with prolonged use and storing them with full air tanks in between flights the rubber has failed. I only found this as I was pulling into a parking sapce and had the plane in the back of my van and heard the pressure release. Had this happened in the air I would have lost brakes on landing or worse gear down and locked when needed. I just wrote off the first failure as a fluke but will now be replacing them with BVM filler valves.

Hi Ron:

Same issue on Mark Frankel's new SkyRay. Discoverd at Heart of Ohio.

I recommended Mark go with a FESTO check valve as they are designed for "industrial" use.

Vampire--can you tell me more about "Festo" valves?

Vampire - I too would be interested in the "Festo" valves. Please share you knowledge.

By the way, does anyone know how the BVM check valves work? I thought it was on the same principle as the robart ones. I am not sure so that is why I asked.

Patrick.

I also had a Robart checkvalve fail this weekend, at Southwest Jet Fly. The rubber diaphram developed a tiny pinhole in the center, and the leakrate was noticed before flight. Someone told me they are going back to the older style filler valves, which is what I replaced the bad valve with.

I've had 2 failures with Robarts...same pin-hole deal.....switched to BVM's 1 year ago on all my planes and no problems since that time....

There have been postings of where you can get these valves a bit cheaper than BVM, but I usually pick them up at SM or FJ where he often has them marked down or on one of his monthly web site sales...

Tom

BV valves are Festo valves. This is clear on his website.

The festo check valve is a spring-loaded ball designed for industrial pneumatic systems, as Vampire stated, thus it's pretty durable.

You guys should also know that if you prefer the Robart filler coupling, you can tap the BV valve to get inner threads that fit the Robart filler. Thanks to Todd for that tip.

Antony

The name of FESTO's non-return valve is H-QS-4, for the 4mm one.
[link]http://catalog.festo.com/enu/asp/DefaultPSresult.asp?ID=153462&L=001[/link]

Clippard also has one, but this is the "screw on" type. Works as good as the FESTO but larger.

Brg Thomas

Seems like 2 different BVM valves are being discussed here....one is the Festo....the blue ones..H-QS-3 or 4 or 6mm....that are generally used for fuel tubing, or gas tubing check valves, not for retract hookups, which use the 1/16" I.D. tubing....

The part I was referring to is BVM #5758, the BVM Air Fill Valve which I believe is a Clippard Valve with a barb on one end that fits the airline tubing, and the other which has a standard auto/bicycle weird thread, something like a 5/16-34 ?....you can use a standard screw on or clamp on tire inflator on it, or the swivel screw cap that BVM sells that fits standard tire inflator hose...

You can also tap it 8/32 so that Spring Air filler will fit....the purchase is a little thin to tap for the larger Robart filler, which is close to 1/4" if I remember correctly....

The internals of the valve are displayed on Clippard's website....I forgot the catalog page number...It is internally spring-loaded with no rubber diaphragm and good for up to about 300PSI....BVM states a conservative 180 PSI continuous...

Tom

I have been using the alum one that looks like a tire valve. It fits on the air comp and never leaks. Robart still sells them.

Vin...

I had a Robart check valve blow in flight. Must have been just as I rotated as I sucked the gear up at rotation and it went limp.

I understand that Robart discontinued the separate fill port and check valve system. They went back to the one piece, threaded, fill / check valve combo.

Anybody have trouble with the one piece, threaded, fill / check valve combo?

Art:

I used to use the old Robart one-piece filler valves on warbirds with retracts. I went to the two part system since after about 6 months the one-piece valves started leaking (I've got three of them that are worthless). So far no problem with the two piece ones (filler and check valve).

Had the newer Robart blow out on me as well, still have one older robart valve (about 6 to 8 years old) that doesnt leak a drop. Been using the BVM valve for about three years now without any of them leaking and have two or three on each jet... As Antony and tom said if you prefer, you can tap the BVM for either Robart or Springair filler vlaves and still have the external schrader type fitting if you need to borrow a pump.....

2 valves in one day!!! the old style at Winamac.

but why carry the same part # on both old and new??

It is the check vlave sold by BVM.

BRG

FWIW, I use the new Robart valve that Jetman007 talked about above
and it works great!!!!!!