It seems that this is an area where gascolators score over fuel filters.
Our gascolator is a cheap aviation kit type filter with a metal bowl and
drain valve at the bottom. The fine gauze filter is a flat mesh circle
in the top of the unit. The fuel enters through the bottom of the
chamber and leaves through the top.
Before every flight a fuel sample is drained from the gascolator using a
standard fuel test tube/ screwdriver. There is usually a small amount of
debry in the sample but never very much. If necessary several samples
are taken to flush out excessive deposits but this is rarely the case.
In the first year the gascolator was dismantled about every ten hours
and the gauze filter was found to be dirty but never clogged. It would
seem that most of the muck is drained off and never makes it to the
filter.
One precaution we have always taken is to filter the fuel into the fuel
tank using a proprietary filter/ water trap funnel (anti static too).
Another thing which may have lessened the dirt problem is that we pre
filled the tank prior to installation in the aircraft because the early
tanks swelled and caused problems. If there was any debry due to
manufacture this would have been removed when the tank was drained.
Carl Pattinson
G-LABS
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff B
To: europa-list@matronics.com
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Fuel filters
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>
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
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.
--
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