wing tank plumbing

[1938BF50]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Mike,

I think you need to just throw that valve in the plane and fly it up for me to look at.........

I stopped at Brodhead last night on the way home from looking at a a lawn tractor down in Monroe. Have you seen that nice blue & yellow BC-12D that Bill Knight restored back in the 80's? I talked with the new owner(forgot his name already) for quite a while. He landed about 10 minutes before the 40mph gusts started from the east.

[M Jones]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Mike,

As soon as I get a chance to get to the hangar I'll get a picture of the push/pull valve. Gone to see Mom for mother's day this weekend, but next week I should have something. I was thinking that we should have the aux tank under the seat with the wobble pump, but not sure if or when the push/pull wing tanks were used.

[1938BF50]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Mike,

I would love to see a pic of that valve. It may be original. As I contemplated what might be the SAFEST installation for a wing tank. I thought that using a valve directly out of the tank would be ideal....no nipple, no coupling, no additional plumbing. To do this the valve handle would need to be activated by a push/pull lever. What you are describing sounds exactly like what I wanted to do in the first place.

[M Jones]

Re: wing tank plumbing

This discussion has gotten me thinking about my wing tank fuel valve, so I have a question for you knowledgeable people out there... Would a "push/pull" valve for a wing tank have been original at all for a prewar Taylorcraft? Mine has one, and I've got no complaints with it. I was just wondering if it would have been used originally. The friend I bought the aircraft from said he hesitated to "reuse" it when he rebuilt the plane in '95, so it came with the project, but don't know from how far back.

Don't mean to hijack your thread Mike, but it kind of applies I guess...

[1938BF50]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Thanx Joel

[Joel Severinghaus]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Mike,

I don't have any restoration photos of that on the hard drive, so I'll go out to the hangar tomorrow and poke the camera through the headliner zipper to get some photos of the hardware between the valve and the wing tank.

[3Dreaming]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Thanx Joel,

Do you have any pics of the plumbing behind the plate? I talked with my IA last night and he was not going to sign off on "hardware" valves, so I will need another Imperial valve for the LH wing tank. I am wondering how some of you have handled the plumbing between the tank outlet and the valve. I would think some Aeroquip hose would be best for vibration in this section.

What kind of valves does he think they used back then?

Re: wing tank plumbing

3/8" copper tube is on mine and it looks original

[1938BF50]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Thanx Joel,

Do you have any pics of the plumbing behind the plate? I talked with my IA last night and he was not going to sign off on "hardware" valves, so I will need another Imperial valve for the LH wing tank. I am wondering how some of you have handled the plumbing between the tank outlet and the valve. I would think some Aeroquip hose would be best for vibration in this section.

[Joel Severinghaus]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Photos attached of my wing tank fuel transfer valve and line. The line comes down the front of the door post, beside the aileron cable, and connects to the main tank on the main tank's lower rear face, just in front of the throttle knob in the attached photo.

I only use this valve when I'm carrying the extra six gallons in the right wing for a long cross-country, and then close the valve after the ten minutes it takes to drain the wing tank into the main tank. And I touch the wing tank valve again to make sure it's closed, when doing a GUMPS checklist before landing.

My wing tank valve doesn't protrude below the door frame -- my problem has been passengers snagging clothing on the corners of the backing plate behind the valve, so I rounded and beveled its edges during last summer's restoration work, which seems to help.

By the way, there's a 1970s Taylorcraft factory parts price list which says for placard B12-307-1, "Note: Bulletin Sept. 15, 1970 -- This placard now reads 'Refill main tank in level flight and only when main tank is less than half full' and must replace old placard." I just phoned Antonio in Brownsville and bought a new old stock factory placard and stuck it on...

[1938BF50]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Does anyone have a pic of the tubing and connections used between the tank and valve in this forward mounted location. I like that layout and will do it for both wing tanks. Any "rubber" tubing used for vibration isolation anywhere between the valve and tank?

[mulwyk]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Hi Richard:
You're right, the tank outlet is about 8" aft of the valve location. I wanted to locate the valve so there was a direct connection straight out of the tank but 4 things made me choose the more forward position you see in the picture: (1) the infamous head banging problem. The aft valve location is directly in noggen-thumping range, but 8" forward it looks like you'd really have to stretch to get your head up there. (2) Howard's photo. I measured (as best I could) the distance from the valve to the door post in Howard's photo. It looks like Howards valve is definetly forward of the tank outlet. (3) I measured the room in there from the valve to the tank outlet, if I was to make a direct connection. 2.3"! Didn't seem like enough for my plumbing skills. (4) Some evidence from the collection of fittings I got with the project that the original installation used a elbow out of the tank, a short length of hose and then somehow connected to the valve.

Well anyway (sorry that got so long) I decided to locate the valve almost 8" forward of the tank outlet.

[Pearson]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Bob,

Your fuel valve in that picture is located about 6 to 8 inches forward of where mine where before I relocated them to beneath the instrument panel.
I don't know if this is because my tank's outlet is farther aft than yours or what, but I think this is curious because I thought all those wing tanks were the same. It makes me wonder how much unusable fuel you have in that tank.

Regarding locating the valves at the root or beneath the panel; I moved mine from the wing root to the bottom of the panel because I had drawn blood from my head on several occasions.

I took my plane to a reputable mechanic and explained that I didn't want to trade knee skin for head skin. We located the valves far enough forward from the lower edge of the panel that my knees have never made contact. You can't see the valves or the handles, but when you put your hand under the panel, you quickly feel the valves. We fabricated a piece of L bracket to act as a brace so the valves are very solidly mounted. It was the best thing I ever did to my airplane.

As an aside, while we had it all apart, this mechanic took the packing nut off the valves and sprayed WD-40 liberally on the insides. Ten years later my valves still work like new.

[mulwyk]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Here's a picture of my valve installation. I scaled Howards photo and placed my valve in about the same position. My installation IS different from Howards: I don't have headliner, and I used a modern valve (Apollo 76).

Just above the valve is that "half empty" placard and above that is a 3" inspection hole. The valve lever is pointed forward (left in the photo) when in the open position.

[NY86]

Re: wing tank plumbing

Or, build a standpipe into the tank...

http://www.ercoupe.info/uploads/Main/drawings/a-512.jpg