Fuel line can ruin your day

FORANE

FORANE

En-Route
Joined
Mar 7, 2013
Messages
3,536
Location
TN
Display Name
Display name:
FORANE
Before:
05-01049.jpg
After:
20130721_181944.jpg

For those who are not familiar, polyurethane fuel line does not last long before it becomes brittle and fails. This pictured is the same fuel line like sold here:http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/ap/fuel_line/fuelline.php

Short of going metal lines, is any of the clear fuel lines better than the other?
 
Last edited:
For an UL or experimental, the yellow Tygon line seems pretty popular with the 103 guys I fly with. It's easy to work with and seems to hold up well enough. YMMV.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
For an UL or experimental, the yellow Tygon line seems pretty popular with the 103 guys I fly with. It's easy to work with and seems to hold up well enough. YMMV.

-Rich
Click to expand...

I used Tygon in my gasoline RC plane, it is now more than 10years old, likes still look ok, despite using the cheapest gas I could buy.
 
Thanks guys.
I will convert over to the Tygon when I change my fuel lines again.
 
The blue fuel lines is suppose to be replaced every 2-3 years, before it becomes brittle. I would guess the fuel line in the bottom picture is way past TBO.

A proper preflight would have detected the older fuel line needed to be replaced. None of this type of fuel line is to be used in hidden areas, :nono: it should be be inspected every flight.

What kind of fuel are you running in the system? Ethanol?

Don't be in a rush to change to another material based on a couple of posts on the internet! :hairraise:
 
Last edited:
Geico266 said:
The blue fuel lines is suppose to be replaced every 2-3 years, before it becomes brittle. I would guess the fuel line in the bottom picture is way past TBO.

A proper preflight would have detected the older fuel line needed to be replaced. None of this type of fuel line is to be used in hidden areas, :nono: it should be be inspected every flight.

What kind of fuel are you running in the system? Ethanol?

Don't be in a rush to change to another material based on a couple of posts on the internet! :hairraise:
Click to expand...

No kidding! The OP should have specified the TYPE OF FUEL USED to find an acceptable hose material :mad2:
 
Sorry for my omission.
I am a 100% 100LL kind of guy in large part due to the 10:1 compression cylinders in my O-320.

The fuel line pictured was used behind the panel as a vacuum line between the attitude indicator and vacuum gauge. My vacuum went zero and attitude indicator was clearly non-functional.

I do have that blue fuel line used in the plane as actual fuel line though. Some is behind the panel such as from header tank to transfer pump and wing tanks or from header tank to header tank vent. I could remove much of that and go to longer lasting black fuel line but I have some in front of the panel as a sight gauge.
 
FORANE said:
Sorry for my omission.
I am a 100% 100LL kind of guy in large part due to the 10:1 compression cylinders in my O-320.

The fuel line pictured was used behind the panel as a vacuum line between the attitude indicator and vacuum gauge. My vacuum went zero and attitude indicator was clearly non-functional.

I do have that blue fuel line used in the plane as actual fuel line though. Some is behind the panel such as from header tank to transfer pump and wing tanks or from header tank to header tank vent. I could remove much of that and go to longer lasting black fuel line but I have some in front of the panel as a sight gauge.
Click to expand...


So you don't need fuel line after all? You need a vacuum line? :goofy::dunno::mad2:
 

how to take a screenshot on a pc

The vertical blue BAI fuel line just left of the center radio stack is a sight gauge for the header tank which feeds the motor.

Hard to see but just right and left of the 496 below the radio stack is a short section of BAI fuel line which serves as a sight gauge to observe for fuel transferring from each wing to the header.

I would like a longer lasting fuel line but need sight gauges. Is Tygon the best solution for my application? Suggestions to improve my setup?
 
FORANE said:

how to take a screenshot on a pc

The vertical blue BAI fuel line just left of the center radio stack is a sight gauge for the header tank which feeds the motor.

Hard to see but just right and left of the 496 below the radio stack is a short section of BAI fuel line which serves as a sight gauge to observe for fuel transferring from each wing to the header.

I would like a longer lasting fuel line but need sight gauges. Is Tygon the best solution for my application? Suggestions to improve my setup?
Click to expand...

Looks like tygon will work. Or a rigid sight glass connected via black fuel line from NAPA?

http://www.hoseline.net/hose/fgpvc.htm
 
Black NAPA fuel line with one of those clear "plastic" in-line fuel fliters?
 
Last edited:
bnt83 said:
Black NAPA fuel line with one of those clear "plastic" in-line fuel fliters?
Click to expand...

Not that great an idea in my opinion. Standard automotive rubber fuel line has little or no UV resistance. It's not an issue on cars, but it can be on airplanes. Also, it's heavier (weight-wise) than other available options.

That being said, there are plenty of ULs and experimentals out there using it. Personally, I wouldn't.

The black nylon line isn't worth the bother, in my opinion. It's hard to work with unless you have the insertion tool, which costs a bit over a hundred bucks. It basically just forces the line over the fitting using brute force. I also have no idea whether the black nylon is UV-resistant.

-Rich
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top