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Stainless Steel Fuel Line

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duranberg(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

I am considering using stainless steel tubing for the rigid fuel lines on my 7.  Yeah I know there are hundreds of RV's and thousands of other planes flying around out there with aluminum lines, but I thought it would be fun and educational to use SS, help my TIG welding skills, etc.... 

   

 Anyway, can anyone come up with any negatives to doing so?

  

  

 Michael Duran

  [quote][b]

mike109g6(at)insideconnec
Guest

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

!.  $$$$$

 2. I may be wrong but I believe that you can  only use steel AN fittings with SS.

 3.  $$$$$

 4.  I could see doing the brake lines, ie  pressure, but why the fuel lines?  Have you looked at all of the bends that  have to be made?  If you have an IO engine = nightmare.

 Good luck,

 Mike H 9A/8A

 [quote]   ---

jim jewell

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 82
Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:46 pm Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

Hi Michael,

  

 Here are four negatives:

  

 A way to add extra weight.

 A way to add extra cost.

 A way to add to the level of technical  difficulty.

 A way to add extra physical work bending and fitting  etc.

  

 The Kiss rule rules, {[

  

 Jim in Kelowna

  

 [quote]   ---

_________________
"I never make mistreaks"

skylor4(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

If you did use stainless lines, you would most

certainly want to use AN flared tubing, and not mess

around with welded line.



Nevertheless, as others have already pointed out, this

is a good way to add weight and expense without

addning much real benefit.



Skylor

RV-8 QB

Under Construction



--- Michael Duran <duranberg(at)gmail.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   I am considering using stainless steel tubing for

 the rigid fuel lines on my

 7.  Yeah I know there are hundreds of RV's and

 thousands of other planes

 flying around out there with aluminum lines, but I

 thought it would be fun

 and educational to use SS, help my TIG welding

 skills, etc....

 

 Anyway, can anyone come up with any negatives to

 doing so?

 

 

 Michael Duran

 


	


Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page. 

http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

robertrv607(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:56 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

Mike:  the only thing is how you aare going to do all that bending, believe me it was 

  hard and tedious, even on all aluminum tubes...

   

  bert



mike humphrey <mike109g6(at)insideconnect.net> wrote:

  [quote]        !.  $$$$$

  2. I may be wrong but I believe that you can only use steel AN fittings with SS.

  3.  $$$$$

  4.  I could see doing the brake lines, ie pressure, but why the fuel lines?  Have you looked at all of the bends that have to be made?  If you have an IO engine = nightmare.

  Good luck,

   Mike H 9A/8A

  [quote]  ---

aerokinetic(at)sbcglobal.
Guest

Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:28 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

BAD idea I think. In addition to being heavy, expensive and hard to work, stainless lines are notorious for cracking because stainless work hardens much more quickly than aluminum. It is best used in locations where heat is a factor and movement isn't -such as fuel lines on turbine engines themselves (which are formed by automated machines specially designed for the purpose and then stress-relieved). NASA can't keep stainless lines from cracking on the shuttles. It's a constant problem for them. 

   

  TIG welder? On fuel lines? Why? I own a TIG and have completed a flying RV and I can't think of why welding would be used in this application. 

   

  A fuel system is no place to screw around. Use the accepted techniques -they are in place because many people over many years have refined them, and determined them best.

   

  Scott Spencer

  RV-4 and A&P mechanic for 20  years.

 [quote][b]

davemader(at)bresnan.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:56 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

Any comments on stainless fuel lines for my primer system?  I  have a primer set-up like vans sells where you T off the carburetor and run an 1/8 fuel line to a solenoid switch which in turn primes 2 cylinders.  I had a bad situation a few years ago on my 6 in which I my fuel pressure was dropping, I turned on my electric fuel pump, and it helped the situation.  What I didn’t realize was that the primer line had cracked, and I was pumping fuel right down on my exhaust.  I noticed an increase in the fuel smell but the pressure was up and I continued on. Luckily, I was only a few miles from home.  I have since bought stainless fuel lines and fittings to replace these lines but haven’t installed them yet.  Would stainless be o.k. in this situation?  Since my engine starts fine, should I just forget it?  

   

Dave Mader  

RV6-flying-  

RV-4 90% done         

  

From: owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-rv-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of SCOTT SPENCER

 Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 10:43 AM

 To: rv-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: Re: Stainless Steel Fuel Line  

  

     

BAD idea I think. In addition to being heavy, expensive and hard to work, stainless lines are notorious for cracking because stainless work hardens much more quickly than aluminum. It is best used in locations where heat is a factor and movement isn't -such as fuel lines on turbine engines themselves (which are formed by automated machines specially designed for the purpose and then stress-relieved). NASA can't keep stainless lines from cracking on the shuttles. It's a constant problem for them.   

    

   

    

TIG welder? On fuel lines? Why? I own a TIG and have completed a flying RV and I can't think of why welding would be used in this application.   

    

   

    

A fuel system is no place to screw around. Use the accepted techniques -they are in place because many people over many years have refined them, and determined them best.  

    

   

    

Scott Spencer  

    

RV-4 and A&P mechanic for 20 years.  

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        [quote][b]

sheldonb(at)frontiernet.n
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:20 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

I had copper lines on a primer system on my 6A...  couple times the lines broke... FORGET that!... I then removed the entire  system... Engine starts fine..(pump throttle while cranking)... Elimated a  potential problem/system... On hot starts... learned to: leave throttle pulled  shut, start cranking..slowly push mixture in... starts when the engine likes the  mixture... every time...Otherwise, if I give it any prime (throttle) it'll  flood..

 Sheldon 6A 485 hours 0-360..

 [quote]   ---

mike109g6(at)insideconnec
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:32 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

Dave,

 Why not use SS braided fuel line instead of a hard  line?  It's already rated for high pressure, easier to work with, AN  fittings, can readily get it in any size that you need-primer line is 4 I  believe. 

 Mike H 9A/8A

 [quote]   ---

Vanremog(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

In a message dated 3/2/2008 7:57:45 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  davemader(at)bresnan.net writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  Any comments on    stainless fuel lines for my primer system?  I  have a primer set-up    like vans sells where you T off the carburetor and run an 1/8 fuel line to a    solenoid switch which in turn primes 2  cylinders. 	


 

 ========================================

  

 IMO this is a good use of SS and it makes the primer system more robust at  the small diameter.

  

  

  

 N1GV (RV-6A, Flying 887hrs, O-360-A1A, C/S, Silicon  Valley) 



Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living.

  [quote][b]

Mark Phillips in TN

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 431
Location: Columbia, TN

Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: Stainless Steel Fuel Line

In a message dated 03/02/2008 9:58:12 AM Central Standard Time, davemader(at)bresnan.net writes:

  	  Quote: 	
		  Since my engine starts fine, should I just forget it? 	


 When this has come up before, the folks living in the Great White North tend to support primers.  In areas where you normally don't have to shovel the airplane out of the hangar, it may not be necessary.  My carbed -320 starts very easily even on frigid mornings (35-40 degrees in the hangar) by just giving the throttle a couple of shots of accelerator pump WHILE the engine is cranking.  My used engine was liberated from a Cherokee and came with copper primer lines hooked to 3 cylinders.  I plumbed them to my MAP sensor, which saved me plugging into the port on #3 and removing the old lines and plugging the holes.  I must say I kinda prefer less gasoline arteries wrapped around the engine.

  

 Now if you plan on visiting Lake Woebegon for ice-fishing and leave the plane tied down on the lake, ya might need a shot of pre-heat before firin' that muthu up...

  

 From The PossumWorks in TN

 Mark



Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living.

  [quote][b]

_________________
From The PossumWorks...

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