in need of fuselage fuel tank

[N74DV]

please someone tell me there is a fuselage fuel tank available for my '46 BC12-D

My IA seems to think mine is no good.

[crispy critter]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

what is wrong with it???? I have one...I think.

[Guest]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

please someone tell me there is a fuselage fuel tank available for my '46 BC12-D

My IA seems to think mine is no good.

get it welded up, if you can't find somebody send it to me

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

my IA says it's in "bad" shape and he wanted me to explore the possibility of getting a new one. I told him a new one would be nearly impossible to find but a good used one might not.

I have yet to look at it. I may stop by his shop tomorrow and take pics.

I also need a fuel valve for the tank. Mine is shot. Was JB welded to the tank and leaks.

Anyone have a valve?

[Robert Lees]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

You can just see here the reinforcing plates added to my new, welded-in fittings on my old fuselage tank. This was from a fairly manky tank, although all the problems were associated with the fittings.

I had the wing tanks sorted too, and in this photo you can see a similar threaded-in filler neck that I also fitted to the fuselage tank. Here's a photo of the filler neck screwed in to the welded-in fitting on the fuselage tank.

All parts sourced from Aircraft Spruce, or similar.

More text detailing the leak testing and photos on this webpage here

Gas valve
These can be overhauled by lapping in the brass tapered valve with a very fine paste (I used toothpaste) and repacking the stem. I used cotton string and dental floss to re-pack (all officially approved, of course! )

Hope this helps.

Rob

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

These can be overhauled by lapping in the brass tapered valve with a very fine paste

my valve has so much JB weld on it you can hardly make out that it's a valve. I'm going to need another one

[jdoran]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

Rob,

For those of us old guys, could you define "manky"?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

Don't trash anything till you have a replacement (then send it to someone who thinks they can fix it). I believe there is NO SUCH THING as an unrepairable part. When I worked for the Navy we once got an Aden gun pod in from the Marines that had been run over by an M-60 tank. We COULD have fixed it, but the Planner Estimators laughed so hard when they saw it they wouldn't let us try. It was only about 3" thick. Now THAT was a challenge.
Hank

Bet I can get the JB weld off that valve and make it work! Got to break out the lathe and get some liquid Nitrogen. BWA HA HA HA!!

[Carl E. Carson]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

DJ-As you know I'm heading to Gold Canyon, Az. in about a month. I have the old tank out of my BC-65. It isn't pretty but it didn't leak when I took it out and I (hopefully) have no need for it. I used the valve in my replacement. I could bring it out in the motorhome, we plan to be in Az. about Jan. 1 or 2. It will be a bargain, 1900 miles in the motorhome at 7.5 mpg. shipping and handling. Just kidding of course, let me know if you are interested.

Carl Carson
[email protected]

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

hey thanks Carl! I'll know more about the condition of my tank hopefully tomorrow. If I need that tank I'll let ya know!

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

Harry says he has tanks on the shelf at the factory. So... My IA is going to order one. I told him do it COD or via credit card and expect it to be weeks or months before we see it.

But if Harry does in fact have them in stock then we may get one as early as next week. Apparently mine is cracked at the threads and the IA says he can't fix it. I said whatever.... I would have thought you could weld in a new pipe bung.

[Robert Lees]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

Rob, For those of us old guys, could you define "manky"?

"manky" means unserviceable.

These valves are made of brass, steel and other bits, I've not come across one being non-repairable.

I've got a spare, but I doubt your IA would accept it, because it doesn't come with a piece of paper.

my valve has so much JB weld on it

Chip it off and see what's underneath. I bet my penny to your pinch of elephant dung that it is quite repairable.

Apparently mine is cracked at the threads and the IA says he can't fix it

Well I fixed mine, and I'm a lot less "qualified" than your IA. See my post above.

liquid Nitrogen

More readily vailable is dry ice. I get mine from a CO2 fire extinguisher.

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

the IA says my valve is missing a pin that restricts the movement of the valve to 90°

I'll take any valve that has all its parts and is at least serviceable.... papers or not.

[Robert Lees]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

The very motion of the push-pull fuel on-off control is a 90 degree action on the valve. Due to its alignment on the tank, the Taylorcraft main fuel valve works from +45 degrees to -45 degrees, a total of 90 degrees.

There is also a mechanism (a ring with a pin) within the valve that restricts this movement to 90 degrees.

If this mechanism is missing within the valve, then I'd guess your IA is correct. But the valve must be seriously leaking without it, or at least extremely loose in its action. Perhaps that's where the JB is, to make up the difference in this missing piece inside the valve. Is the JB inside the valve?

I'd be interested in learning if this is the missing pin your IA is referring to, that restricts the motion to 90 degrees.

I can pull mine apart for detailed photos if needed.

Rob

[N74DV]

Re: in need of fuselage fuel tank

yes that's the pin he is referring to and JB weld was used to keep the valve from leaking after the pin had been removed or otherwise lost.