Fred, Steve and all,
My experience was slightly different. I used standard auto filters for
engine run in and first flight. Tossed them after first hour in the
air. Next set was a duplicate of the first. Tossed them after 5
hours. thire set was the same. Replaced them with Europa units at 25
hours. Never had a fuel starvation problem, though the first couple of
sets did show some mild restriction. Here's the kicker, after cutting
the tank holes, using a standard hole saw, I used compressed air to blow
out the tank and that was it. Never experienced any swarf problem. Go
figure...
Jeff - Baby Blue
299 hours and going to put #300 on it today, before trailering her home
for her 2nd annual. How times flies (forgive the pun)...
Steve Hagar wrote:
>
> Fred:
>
> No matter how good you clean your tank and system you can't clean it good
> enough. I spent days and days. Soap, water. multiple flushes with
> gasoline, compressed air, vacuuming etc. I felt fat and happy also with
> my process, nothing remotely visible or blowing around inside the tank.
> Several hours of taxi and runup, compass swing time etc. before first
> flight The engine burbled on the go part on a touch and go and the plane
> ended up in a big mud puddle off the end of the runway just short of the
> airport boundary and a 4 lane toroughfare. This happened at about 4 hours
> flight time.
>
> Solution: 2 BIG disposable automotive fuel filters downstream of your fuel
> selector valve. Throw them away before first flight. Fly 2 hours with new
> ones. Then go for 10. Then you can make believe you are on top of the
> situation. You can get Fram's at discount stores for about 8 bucks each.
> They are about 2 inches in diameter and 4 inches or so long, so there is
> plenty of surface area inside.
>
> Steve Hagar
> A143
> Mesa AZ
>
>
>
>> [Oyou can'triginal Message]
>> From: Fred Klein <fklein@orcasonline.com>
>> To: <europa-list@matronics.com>
>> Date: 6/29/2007 1:58:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Fuel filters
>>
>>
>> Thanks Terry,
>>
>> As a consequence of previous posts which highlight the problems caused
>> by swarf from the penetrations one makes in the tank(s), I've been
>> particularly careful in this regard. For example, besides using the
>> hole drill by drilling up into the tank which prevents most of the
>> swarf from remaining inside, I've carefully peered into the tank thru
>> the intake hole and the hole made for the Europa fuel gauge and located
>> even the tiniest particles...then...using some reversed duct tape on
>> the end of a small aluminum tube, I've found that I can pick them up
>> with no trouble. I found that the swarf particles were plainly visable
>> against the smoothe tank bottom. When drilling for the intake and vent
>> holes in the long ranger tank, I inserted a cut down 8 oz. paper cup
>> with a bent wire handle thru the large filler hole and placed it under
>> the holes which caught all of the swarf...again, use of the duct tape
>> on a stick allowed me to remove particles down to the size of dust. Now
>> I know we can only strive for perfection, but thanks to being alerted
>> to swarf-in-fuel issues by all who've gone before me, I'm confident
>> (knock on wood) that swarf will not be an issue for me when I finally
>> get this puppy in the air.
>>
>> Since I'm installing Mod 33, I'm tending toward installing line filters
>> rather than a gascolator...and I appreciate your thoughts on the
>> subject.
>>
>> Fred
>>
>> On Friday, June 29, 2007, at 09:31 AM, Terry Seaver (terrys) wrote:
>>
>>
>>> <terrys@cisco.com>
>>>
>>> Hi Fred,
>>>
>>> The glass filters supplied with our kit had had some reported problems,
>>> plugging up with tank residue (swarf) and with cracks in the glass. It
>>> occurred to us that the glass filters would trap and hold tank residue
>>> up against the filter material, plugging it up, with gravity helping to
>>> hold it there.
>>>
>>> The Andair gascolator, on the other hand, has a water trap at the
>>> bottom
>>> of it and a fine mesh screen at the top. Not only does water settle to
>>> the bottom, but also particles heavier than gasoline. We did a simple
>>> test with fuel tank swarf, and found it was heavier than gas, and
>>> settled to the bottom of the gascolator, where it can be drained out on
>>> the next pre-flight check for water. Please note that gravity helps
>>> keep the particles out of the screen of a gascolator, unlike the glass
>>> filters supplied with the kit.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Terry Seaver
>>> A135 / N135TD
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
>>> [mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com] On Behalf Of Fred Klein
>>> Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 4:59 PM
>>> To: europa-list@matronics.com
>>> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Fuel filters
>>>
>>>
>>> I have never been clear on the difference (if any) between a filter and
>>> a gascolator...could someone please enlighten me?
>>>
>>> Fred
>>>
>>> On Thursday, June 28, 2007, at 04:27 PM, Graham Singleton wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> <grahamsingleton@btinternet.com>
>>>>
>>>> Raimo
>>>> the best filter imho is an Andair gascolator. Easy to check for
>>>> contamination before every flight, which used to be routine.
>>>> I do not like the Purolator filters. Easily broken, easily assembled
>>>> wrong and easily blocked by debrie.
>>>> Grahm
>>>>
>>>> Raimo Toivio wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> All
>>>>> I have in OH-XRT original Purolator-filters as per manual.
>>>>> During the very first flight (about 10 hrs) I had an engine quit
>>>>> situation /fuel pressure was near 0 and that was at the height of
>>>>> 4000 ft - so no dramatic at all.
>>>>> Switching reserve and fuel pump and Rotax was happy again.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> This message has been scanned for viruses and
>>> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
>>> believed to be clean.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
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