wing tank plumbing

[mulwyk]

Whoever took my project plane apart 20 years ago thoughtfully cut away the wing tank plumbing, wadded it up into a ball and threw it into a box. Thanks.

I have: about 4 ft. of 3/8" kinked copper tubing, both ends cut off, and a frozen solid junk Imperial valve with no handle. So I'm nearly starting from scratch here. Any input would be welcome.

The tube: is copper the best? maybe aluminum tube? or a long hose? 3/8"? 1/4"?

Routing the tube: it looks like it should be routed down in front of the door frame next to the aileron cable that runs through that area. Or maybe inboard beside the door frame?

Mounting the valve: I'll use an Apollo ball valve... mounted by the wing? (doesn't look like much room between the wing and the fuselage) Is there a clever way to mount a valve up there? Maybe it's better to mount the valve under the panel?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Watch the copper or brass tube from the wing tank. I had a friend flying a replica WW-I plane incinerated in flight when his fuel line cracked and dumped gas in the cockpit. My 41 has aluminum tube but I abandoned the wing tank in place and never use it.

The 41 has the wing tank valve under the panel where it tears your knee up when it's open. The 45 has the valve in the wing root and splits your head open if you forget and leave it in the open position.

Name your poison! Both sure make you aware when you forget and leave the valve in the open position. If you want to be legal, try and find out where it was originally and put it there. Just DON'T FORGET TO CLOSE THE VALVE AFTER THE TRANSFER IS FINISHED! Blood is hard to get off the upholstery.

Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: wing tank plumbing

By the way, since I am looking at using the wing tank again, does anyone have pictures of how the valve under the panel is SUPPOSED to be attached? Mine is clamped to the tube with a couple of radiator clamps.
Hank

And you were wondering why I didn't use it!

[flybikefarm]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Two adell clamps work good. One around each tube with a bolt holding the ends together. George

[Guest]

Re: wing tank plumbing

The valves are attached to tank and the handle stick thru the headliner just above your ear. I'll take some pictures if anyone wants them. Speak up if you do.

Dave

[guns68]

Re: wing tank plumbing

I'd be interested. For no other reason than I have a '46 and my wing tank valve is under the instrument panel. I can't see where it really matters, but I've been wrong before.

[pat williams]

Re: wing tank plumbing

use 3/8 alumimum, this will also comply with 85 hp stc down the road, finger strainer out of tank . 90 then sweep down post another sweep under edge of panel and place valve under yoke than to the T at tank

[VictorBravo]

Re: wing tank plumbing

The fuel valve should be up in the wing root. Everyone's heard me bellowing about this 50 times before. It is MUCH safer, and can save your life.

The situation where Hank's friend had a fatal fuel leak... would have been SAVE-ABLE in a Taylorcraft with the fuel valve up in the wing root. You need to have the ability to shut off the fuel flowing to the leak.

SOFT aluminum standard fuel lines are fine for this purpose. Use soft aluminum... there's just about zero pressure in the line. Safety is much more dependent on not cracking a line in this case than it is dependent on sealing against pressure.

That being said, in this installation the bottom 1/3 of the fuel line is permanently open to the main fuselage fuel tank. So if you have a crack in the BOTTOM part of this aluminum line, the fuel from the main tank will leak out through this crack regardless of which position the wing tank valve is in. So the key factor here is a well made line, made from soft material, and protected against chafing AND against movement.

I ran mine forward from the wing root valve, inside the cable pulley (outboard of the pulley, through that little open triangle formed by the steel tubes), and then down the front edge of the main door post tube.

Make sure the line is supported and well clear of the control yoke shaft, sprockets and chain.

Bill

[mulwyk]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Safety is my primary concern here. I hate to admit it, but I have a deep fear of onboard fire (nightmares and all). So, Hank and Bill, I read your posts with extra interest.

It's going to be a soft aluminum tube and wing root mounted valve for me. I'm even thinking about a second valve, at the inlet to the main tank, for use in an emergency situation. What do you think?

And Dave, please, post those photos.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Since I will probably rarely use the wing tank in mine I was thinking the same thing (two valves). The lower valve keeps the main tank from leaking through the transfer tube and the wing mounted valve is easy to see and provides a great reminder that you left it open when you bash your head on the handle. Only problem I see is that it really isn't "legal" to add a valve and the problem of forgetting to open the lower valve and not really transferring fuel.
Since I don't really use my wing tank yet and the $#@%&)(*&! handle smashes into my knee so much, I like to take the handle off and put it in the glove box. If there is no fuel in the wing anyway I don't see any problem in not being able to open the valve.
My IA might disagree, but it is on when he sees it.
Hank

[VictorBravo]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Two valves would work well mechanically, if you have the room. Because you would have to mount the second valve at the bottom of the tank, which would shut off all flow in or out from the wing tank feed lines. THEN you would mount your T fitting behind (upstream of) that valve. This will put the lines and the T fitting further aft in the airplane, which could possibly interfere with something else behind your panel.

[N96337]

Re: wing tank plumbing

I just got a field approval last year for mine and a friend's as well, to put the valve up in the wing root, where it needs to be. My FSDO and ACO had no problems with this at all, and in fact said it was a much better placement than original to the STC, which has the valves under the panel. We mounted the valves to an aluminum plate on the inside of the wing root area of the cabin.
John

[NY86]

Re: wing tank plumbing

I'm not familiar with how the wing tank plumbs into the header. Does it simply T into the line going to the engine? "Generally", when there is a transfer line, it dumps into the tank in the airspace so that, should the line break, fuel will not siphon out.

[Guest]

Re: wing tank plumbing

I'm not familiar with how the wing tank plumbs into the header. Does it simply T into the line going to the engine? "Generally", when there is a transfer line, it dumps into the tank in the airspace so that, should the line break, fuel will not siphon out.

it tees into the back of the fuselage tank near the the bottom.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Not a head banger. I hang an old wristwatch on it, and start it when the engine starts. Remember "Time in Your Tanks"? h