Oct 28, 2023     Third Time's A Charm Category: Fuel System

After reviewing both the manuals for the fuel probe and for the Dynon, I have the gremlins at bay. A few points: tri gear Sonex sitting level are hard pressed to take more than about 14 gallons of fuel. To get 16 in I had to put a chick under the nose wheel. The dip tube for manually checking the fuel level didn't work very well, and is going to be replaced with a wood dowel painted flat black. The actual fuel calibration routine in the Dynon SkyView is not like the manual - you tell it how big the tank is and it will tell you the size of the Pours.. For the last Pour in the sequence you press Add, then Full.

The key was calibrating the Princeton/RED box to zero before starting in with the Dynon calibration.

  Oct 16, 2023     Replace fuel probe, etc       Category: Fuel System

Replaced the fuel probe, but it clearly needs to be recalibrated, so I drained the fuel tank.

Developed a pattern for a "bib" around the fuel filler, per Jeff Schultz, to keep fuel spills out of the cockpit.

Also worked on the timing indicator for calibrating the electronic ignition.

  Jan 15, 2023     Rigged "pigtail" for future aux fuel       Category: Fuel System

Plumbed up a fuel inlet per Jeff Schultz's schema. http://www.sonex604.com/aux_fuel.html

Also finished removing the toe brakes, and cleaned up the wet, cold shop.

  Dec 20, 2022     Auditing carb, relocating controls       Category: Fuel System

Pulling the throttle and mixture controls to move them from the center to the left hand fuselage side. Access to everything is extraordinarily difficult. Checked the free motion of the throttle slide while I'm at it. I'll have to pull the tank to re-route the cables, so I drained it.

  Dec 19, 2022     Fuel flow test       Category: Fuel System

Used a farm jack to put the nose up as high as possible, over 20 gph achieved for an engine that burns 6 gph at full throttle.

  Nov 29, 2022     Calibrate fuel sensor       Category: Fuel System

With the help of my lovely wife, we calibrated at the Dynon the capacitive fuel probe. The tank WILL NOT accept the advertised 16.5 gallons as a tri-gear with the upper Longeron level, about 14.5 was all you could get in before it dribbles out the filler neck. We propped up the nose wheel and got 16 in it, we could have likely got a little more but as a practical matter I think "full" is 14.5 gallons.

  Oct 14, 2022     Fuel cap, tank, door       Category: Fuel System

The over center lever fuel cap would not fit under the fuel door, so I built a hot knife to shave down the neck of the tank without putting any debris in the tank. Also filed down the handle a bit.

  Aug 31, 2022     Vent, fuel door       Category: Fuel System

Put the Port cowl on, bent the Peter Anson vent assembly to fit, and cut the fuel door to suit.

  Aug 28, 2022     Finished remote fuel shutoff       Category: Fuel System

Completed the "rod" (actually some channel stock I had on hand) and the bracket to remotely actuate the fuel tank outlet valve.

  Aug 21, 2022     Installed fuel tank vent       Category: Fuel System

I ordered one of Peter Anson's fuel tank vents, complete with check valve to keep fuel in the tank in an overturn. Pete Fernel had an external vent on his airplane and it's a handy attitude reference. Pin the vent on the horizon and you are approximately level. Beautiful part. I have his canopy latch and flap up-stop as well, yet to be installed.

  Jul 10, 2022     Do it like the plans       Category: Fuel System

The plans show an aluminum fuel line running through the firewall via a grommet. My airplane has a bulkhead fitting on the firewall. It adds weigh, expense, two points for leakage, and forces you into fabricating a short line with complex geometry you have to tighten up in two places. It took me ALL DAY to make this line, and to install it I have to crawl under the panel. Which I can only barely do with the seat out and my legs down the tail cone and a temporary plywood platform spanning the spar carry throughs.

  Jul 04, 2022     From finger strainer to firewall       Category: Fuel System

Several hands have worked on the fuel system, and it no longer made sense to me. The plans have the line (aluminum tubing with flare fittings) running straight forward, along the airplane's centerline, to a grommet in the firewall. MANY people consider the grommet to be cheesy, and use a bulkhead fitting, but this forces the line slightly off centerline, and creates a possible interference with the rudder pedals.

On THIS airplane, the original builder turned the line 90 degrees with an elbow, and modified the original handle for some form of remote actuation, now lost, when EAA 393 completely re-did the panel. The handle was replaced (see previous log entries), but it was still tough to reach to actuate - not what you want in an emergency. Also, the new handle did not fit the valve properly, and was only held on the stem with a few threads of a shear nut.

I didn't like any of it. So I took it all out, and now have to re-fabricate the line in the image of the plans, and rig a remote actuator, using the various examples on Sonex Builders.

The pictures show the fuel valve and handle as I found them, the handle side view after modification, the valve full open (note the little aluminum shim super glued in place to take up some slop between the handle and the stem), and the valve full open.

  Jan 22, 2022     More recent completions - Fire Sleeve       Category: Fuel System

Fire sleeved all the fuel lines from the firewall forward.

  Jul 07, 2021     Re-install The Fuel Tank - (1 hour)       Category: Fuel System

Bill Lawrence re-installed the fuel tank and re-connected the fuel line and fuel probe wires.

  Jul 03, 2021     Rework Fuel Tank Mounting Straps - (9 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teicheira, Ryan Young and Bill Lawrence measured positions on longerons for proper fuel tank lower support strap locations, drilled new strap mounting holes, re-contoured straps to properly fit tank and installed straps on longerons. Afterwards, placed tank in position to check for glare shield proper fit.

  Jan 30, 2021     Replace Handle On Fuel Valve - (.5 hour)       Category: Fuel System

Bill Lawrence replaced fuel valve handle with a longer, easier to operate handle.

RRY Note: what's shown here is not to plans, and I revised it later.

  Jan 30, 2021     Make New Fuel Line and Install - (3 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teicheira made new fuel line, Bill Lawrence installed line and repositioned throttle cable to eliminate interference.

  Jan 20, 2021     Added Fuel To Fuel Tank - (2 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence added fuel to fuel tank and checked for leaks. Identified a leak in line form gascolator to carburetor and tightened loose fittings.

  Nov 01, 2020     Install Fuel Line and Intake Manifold - (9 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teicheira and Bill Lawrence routed and connected the fuel line from the gascolator to the carburetor. Re-routed the throttle cable to eliminate interference. Cut holes in the rear cooling baffle for the intake manifold to pass through, deburred holes and installed rubber grommets and installed intake manifold on engine.

  Oct 31, 2020     Throttle and Mixture Cables - (6 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Harvard Holmes, Marc Ausman and John Koehler routed and connected the throttle cable and mixture cable to the carburetor.

  Oct 28, 2020     Fuel Delivery - (10 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Harvard Holmes and Bill Lawrence check the inflated latex glove for overnight leakage of air. No leaks in fuel tank! Placed tank in position and checked output connection for proper location and connection to fuel tube that goes through firewall to gascolator. Positioned carburetor on intake manifold and properly routed throttle cable and mixture cable. Worked on connecting fuel line from gascolator to carburetor. Need to procure one fitting to make it work.

  Oct 27, 2020     Pressure Test Tank - (4 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Harvard Holmes and Bill Lawrence attach all fittings and valves to fuel tank and pressurize for overnight leakage check.

  Oct 25, 2020     Work on Fuel Valve Control Cable - (4 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Harvard Holmes and Lee Teicheira worked on control cable connecting cable to valve,checked for proper operation and fit tank in plane to check valve location relative cable location.

  Oct 21, 2020     Prepare For Fuel Tank Pressure Test - (2 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Harvard and Sara Holmes attach fittings to fuel tank and begin preparations to pressure test fuel tank.

  Sep 27, 2020     Reposition Fuel Tank Insulation - (2 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Bill Lawrence transferred cork insulation from fuel tank to tank support strips and secured loose strips on tank.

  Sep 22, 2020     Fit Fuel Tank (continued) - (12 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teicheira, Harvard Holmes and Bill Lawrence remove lower fuel tank straps and re-bend to better fit contour of tank. Reinstall straps and finish fitting tank and windscreen.

  Sep 20, 2020     Test Fit Of Fuel Tank - (2 hours)       Category: Fuel System

Lee Teidheira and Bill Lawrence test fit fuel tank and fuel cap.