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Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB

 
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gerf(at)gerf.com
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:46 pm    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
I was busy climbing out of the pattern this morning when I began to smell fuel inside the cabin. First glitch that's caused me to do a 180 and get straight back on the ground, nervously fingering the fuel shut off.

Fuel is collecting in the bottom of the FAB (AFP fuel injection, vertical induction on an Aerosport IO-320). Talking to Don at AFP its normal to have a little fuel dribble back down the intake pipes as the injector lines get heated up after shutdown - only place for the fuel to go is the cylinder head and down the intake tubes.

Any of you guys out there running the AFP setup on an IO-320 ? Have you had similar experiences ? Did you fit a drain tube to the bottom of the FAB to dump the excess overboard ? I see some (Dan C) fitting a "sniffle valve" on the bottom of the IO-360, doesn't seem to be an option on the IO-320.

g


[quote][b]

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dbris200(at)sbcglobal.net
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:15 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
So why did you smell fuel on climb out? I can't see why shutdown would
have anything to do with fumes in the cockpit when flying.

Dave

Gerry Filby wrote:
Quote:
I was busy climbing out of the pattern this morning when I began to
smell fuel inside the cabin. First glitch that's caused me to do a
180 and get straight back on the ground, nervously fingering the fuel
shut off.

Fuel is collecting in the bottom of the FAB (AFP fuel injection,
vertical induction on an Aerosport IO-320). Talking to Don at AFP its
normal to have a little fuel dribble back down the intake pipes as the
injector lines get heated up after shutdown - only place for the fuel
to go is the cylinder head and down the intake tubes.

Any of you guys out there running the AFP setup on an IO-320 ? Have
you had similar experiences ? Did you fit a drain tube to the bottom
of the FAB to dump the excess overboard ? I see some (Dan C) fitting
a "sniffle valve" on the bottom of the IO-360, doesn't seem to be an
option on the IO-320.

g
*
*


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gerf(at)gerf.com
Guest
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:48 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
This is still an open question - my original supposition was that the fuel that was collecting after shutdown was leaking out of the drain hole in the bottom of the FAB and soaking into the bottom of the cowling. During climbout the exhausts would warm up the cowling and the fuel evaporates. Others have commented that this is not likely the source of the odor and have relayed experiences when the tanks are overfull and the sun warms them up - fuel gets into the vent line which can lead to odor in the cabin

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kboatright1(at)comcast.ne
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:03 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
I have seen minor weeps around the fuel selector valve. This causes a noticeable smell in the cockpit. The quantity of fuel is very small, not even a drop or two, but it does catch your attention.

Is there any chance that your cockpit fuel smell is caused by a leak inside the cockpit, rather than something in front of the firewall?

KB
[quote]
Quote:

Gerry Filby wrote:
> I was busy climbing out of the pattern this morning when I began to
> smell fuel inside the cabin. First glitch that's caused me to do a
> 180 and get straight back on the ground, nervously fingering the fuel
> shut off.


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gerf(at)gerf.com
Guest
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:20 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
 Absolutely possible (although I have already searched around the fuel selector and high pressure pump). Since I've reached the 10 hour mark on the engine and airframe I'm going to take the opportunity this weekend to repeat my condition inspection and make sure that nothing has rattled loose.

g

[quote]--

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jfogarty(at)tds.net
Guest
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:58 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
Guys, what do we use to seal all the fittings in the RV from the pitot tube, fuel lines, brake line, etc? Thanks.

Jim Fogarty

[quote] ---

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dbris200(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:51 pm    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
Also check the tanks themselves for seepage as that smell will get into
the cockpit too. Take a close look at the bottom of the wings towards
the root for blue stains.

Dave

Gerry Filby wrote:
[quote] 
Absolutely possible (although I have already searched around the fuel
selector and high pressure pump). Since I've reached the 10 hour mark
on the engine and airframe I'm going to take the opportunity this
weekend to repeat my condition inspection and make sure that nothing
has rattled loose.

g

--

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panamared5(at)brier.net
Guest
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
I sometimes have this problem of smelling fuel in the cockpit, but I
concluded it was from expansion of the fuel in the tanks and fuel being
forced out of the fuel vents. My theory is that at high AOA the fuel vapor
flows toward the cockpit air vents and there you have it.

I know during acro maneuvers I lose some fuel through the vents. I use
Lemon Pledge to clean my airframe and aviation fuel removes it. This gives
an interesting pattern on wing and fuselage.

Anyway just my theroy.

Bob

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lhelming(at)sigecom.net
Guest
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:55 pm    Post subject: Fuel collecting in bottom of FAB Reply with quote
I smelled fuel in the cockpit when first getting into the plane. It turned
out to be a very slow leak at the wing root. It was too slow of a leak at
first to be seen on the hangar floor. I kept looking inside the fuselage
for the source but could not find it. I tightened the fitting in the wing
root which was wet to the touch and no more smells. Larry in Indiana

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