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Replacing Fuel Level Senders...

 
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Matt Dralle
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 25781
Location: Livermore CA USA
PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:00 pm    Post subject: Replacing Fuel Level Senders... Reply with quote
Dear Listers,

Well, okay, so I've resigned myself to replacing my Princeton capacitance fuel level probes with the standard S&W float probea from Van's. Has anyone replaced these without removing the wing or the fuel tank from the airplane? Basically just doing it from underneath the airplane through the gap afforded by the fuselage-to-wing fairing? Is this even possible?

I know that it won't be possible to remove the Princeton units without destroying them, but can the S&W probes be installed? If I can do it without pulling the fuel tanks or wings off, then I might just tackle this sooner than later. But if the tanks have to come off, then I might procrastinate more and enjoy the great flying weather. That being said, I'm going in for paint in either August or October and it has to be complete before then either way.

Arg, why couldn't those Princeton probes just work? Geeze, how much do you have to spend to get a product that works. How frustrating.

So, how accurate are the bending dimensions on the Van's plans for the S&W float arms? I've got no way to test or trial fit these units so its a one-shot deal. I've already pulled the probes out once, I definitely don't want to do this again!

Thanks for the insight...
Matt Dralle
RV-8 #82880 N998RV
http://www.mattsrv8.com - Matt's RV-8 Construction Blog
http://www.youtube.com/MattsRV8 - Matt's RV-8 HDTV YouTube Channel
Status: Enjoying The Fruits of 2500 Hours of Labor!

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Vanremog(at)AOL.COM
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:42 pm    Post subject: Replacing Fuel Level Senders... Reply with quote
Matt-

I'm going to go on record as recommending you drain and remove the tanks to do this job. If you can do it thru the wing fairing gap you are a better man than I.

N1GV (RV-6A Flying 944TTAE Silicon Valley, CA)
"I know what you're thinking, punk," hissed Wordy Harry to his new editor, "you're thinking, 'Did he use six superfluous adjectives or only five?' - and to tell the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement; but being as this is English, the most powerful language in the world, whose subtle nuances will blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' - well do you, punk?"


In a message dated 6/8/2010 9:01:32 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, dralle(at)matronics.com writes:
Quote:
Well, okay, so I've resigned myself to replacing my Princeton capacitance fuel level probes with the standard S&W float probea from Van's. Has anyone replaced these without removing the wing or the fuel tank from the airplane? Basically just doing it from underneath the airplane through the gap afforded by the fuselage-to-wing fairing? Is this even possible?

I know that it won't be possible to remove the Princeton units without destroying them, but can the S&W probes be installed?  If I can do it without pulling the fuel tanks or wings off, then I might just tackle this sooner than later. But if the tanks have to come off, then I might procrastinate more and enjoy the great flying weather. That being said, I'm going in for paint in either August or October and it has to be complete before then either way.


[quote][b]

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recapen(at)earthlink.net
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:32 am    Post subject: Replacing Fuel Level Senders... Reply with quote
I've pulled a sender out of the gap without removing the tank. I had a float that seemed to be stuck - ended up being a glob of fuel-lube. Put it back together - works fine.....

Ralph
RV6A N822AR (at) N06 68 hrs....
[quote] ---

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bicyclop(at)pacbell.net
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:27 am    Post subject: Replacing Fuel Level Senders... Reply with quote
It ain't easy, but can be done. If you put the plate on with phillips
head screws, the trick is using an acme bit and some sort of ratcheting
right angle driver. Got to get a lot of pressure onto the screw head or
you're screwed. ;-( I used allen head socket screws and it makes life
easier. That's just to get the plate off. Getting the old sender out and
the new sender in through the small gap in the wing root may well be
beyond difficult. Since you're not yet painted, why not pull the tanks?
You could run one dry at altitude, land on the other one, pull the tank
and do the work and then do the same with the other side. I found that,
when I ran my tanks dry (one per flight, please), I had very little fuel
left in the tank. I ran until the fuel pressure dropped off, turned on
the pump and ran 'til the engine quit. Took about five or six seconds to
restart after switching tanks. This was with a carbureted engine. Not
sure how quick it'd come back with injection, but shouldn't be a problem.

Be careful and good luck,

Ed Holyoke

Matt Dralle wrote:
Quote:


Dear Listers,

Well, okay, so I've resigned myself to replacing my Princeton capacitance fuel level probes with the standard S&W float probea from Van's. Has anyone replaced these without removing the wing or the fuel tank from the airplane? Basically just doing it from underneath the airplane through the gap afforded by the fuselage-to-wing fairing? Is this even possible?

I know that it won't be possible to remove the Princeton units without destroying them, but can the S&W probes be installed? If I can do it without pulling the fuel tanks or wings off, then I might just tackle this sooner than later. But if the tanks have to come off, then I might procrastinate more and enjoy the great flying weather. That being said, I'm going in for paint in either August or October and it has to be complete before then either way.

Arg, why couldn't those Princeton probes just work? Geeze, how much do you have to spend to get a product that works. How frustrating.

So, how accurate are the bending dimensions on the Van's plans for the S&W float arms? I've got no way to test or trial fit these units so its a one-shot deal. I've already pulled the probes out once, I definitely don't want to do this again!

Thanks for the insight...
Matt Dralle
RV-8 #82880 N998RV
http://www.mattsrv8.com - Matt's RV-8 Construction Blog
http://www.youtube.com/MattsRV8 - Matt's RV-8 HDTV YouTube Channel
Status: Enjoying The Fruits of 2500 Hours of Labor!



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recapen(at)earthlink.net
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 11:39 am    Post subject: Replacing Fuel Level Senders... Reply with quote
I installed with bolt-head screws which allowed me to use a ratchet and socket.
--

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