Water in fuel

[Tailwind]

Does anyone else get water out of their gascolator? I get several drops of water every time I sump it. I keep the airplane in the hangar and rarely fly in the rain. I have drained the tank and swabbed out the bottom with towels and still I keep getting water. I never get any water out of my 180 gascolator and I fuel it from the same tank. I was wondering if perhaps the fuel being right behind the engine warms up a bit in flight, and then condenses water as it cools down again in the hangar. I can't figure it out.

[Pearson]

Re: Water in fuel

I have never had a drop of water in my gascolator here in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Reading your description, it does sound mysterious as to where the water is comming from. I don't think you could get condensation in your fuel from the heat of the engine. You would need a source of cooling to get the moisture to condense. But obviously the water is comming from somewhere. I would start with checking the fuel before you put it in the tank. If you drain the gascolator, and check the fuel before you put it in the tank, and then STILL get water out of the gascolator the next day - that would tell me something is cooling the fuel to cause the water to condense. Are you having warm days and cool nights?

[flyguy]

Re: Water in fuel

I think you are on the right track on the warming tank. Theory is, the tank will breathe air out as it warms and in as it cools. The solution normally suggested is to fill the tank before you tuck it away for the day/night. No airspace in the tank to contract, no moist air sucked in to condense. Try that one.
Darryl

[magman]

Re: Water in fuel

I have never had a drop of water in my gascolator here in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Reading your description, it does sound mysterious as to where the water is comming from. I don't think you could get condensation in your fuel from the heat of the engine. You would need a source of cooling to get the moisture to condense. But obviously the water is comming from somewhere. I would start with checking the fuel before you put it in the tank. If you drain the gascolator, and check the fuel before you put it in the tank, and then STILL get water out of the gascolator the next day - that would tell me something is cooling the fuel to cause the water to condense. Are you having warm days and cool nights?

If that doesn't do it I wonder if some type of Dessicant Can hooked to the vents may show up something.

Works on engines!

[Dano"T"]

Re: Water in fuel

If you happen to burn mogas with ethynol in it...it will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and mix with the enthynol...looks like water in the gas...happened to me on a batch I did not test once.

[barnstmr]

Re: Water in fuel

Fly-guy has the solution. Keep your tanks full when the airplane sits for any period of time. If you fly from a location with relatively dry air and decend to land in an area with a humid tropical atmosphere, now you have a lot of moist air in your tanks. Try to fill up soon to displace all that moist air before it has a chance to condense out of suspension.

[Tailwind]

Re: Water in fuel

I fly the plane every few days and it doesn't sit much, but I generally don't fill the tank up after I fly. I'll start doing that and see if the problem goes away. If so, I guess I can assume that it's condensation. I'm on my way to the store to get a new no-go filter for my bulk tank now. I was just wondering if anyone else has this problem but it looks like not.

[M Towsley]

Re: Water in fuel

Having had three Taylorcrafts over the years, two different fuel setups between the BC-12 and L-2, always have topped off the tank(s) after flying and have never had water in any of my tanks. When using mogas, I always use a Mr. Funnel filter.

[avenger1949]

Re: Water in fuel

What are the mods required to burn ethynol mogas? I have the STC to burn mogas but the guys around here say it will ruin the carb and pretty much everything else. Are they nuts or am I misinformed? I do know when I took the gasolator gasket out after using ethynol gas it shrived up and broke.

[M Towsley]

Re: Water in fuel

You don't have an STC to burn mogas with ethanol. You only have an STC to burn ethanol-free mogas. There are no modifications you can do to make it legal to burn mogas with ethanol.

[magman]

Re: Water in fuel

You don't have an STC to burn mogas with ethanol. You only have an STC to burn ethanol-free mogas. There are no modifications you can do to make it legal to burn mogas with ethanol.

When I've done 337's for Mo-gas it would read something like'

" to enable use of Mo-gas meeting ASTM D-439 " ( may be superceded)

" it is the Operator's responsibility to assure the fuel used meets ASTM D-439".

[M Towsley]

Re: Water in fuel

Peterson's and EAA's paperwork specifically state no ethanol. I have had them both.

[Ron Coleman]

Re: Water in fuel

Take the cas cap off when you are through flyling, then snap a condom (un textured, un lubed ) over the filler tube. The condom will expand and contract with airpressure, but will not allow moisture to enter. There are other variations of this idea. One problem you may encounter is finding condoms small enough to fit the stand pipe. Don't sit on the cowling while you are doing this.

that's all!

RonC

p.s. please post pictures

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Water in fuel

Here you go. This was two days into my fuel leak test on the 41 last spring and it was still inflated with NO LEAKS!! It popped that day (I guess the fuel and sun broke the condom down. I am pretty confident my fuel system does NOT leak!
Hank
I took the photos to the pharmacist since he did NOT look convinced when I told him what I wanted them for. I had NO IDEA those stupid things were SO EXPENSIVE now! I remember when they were 25 cents! I mean I remember everyone TELLING me they were 25 cents!

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Water in fuel

NO! I did NOT have to put a bag over her head! Thew windshield was out and I didn't want birds in the cockpit in the hangar.
Hank