Replacing Cherokee 160 Pitot line

[brcase]

Having an A&P Assist. We have determined it is leaking somewhere in the wing.
Any tips or tricks on how to do it?
Looks like we have to at least partially remove the fuel tank?
Any tricks for feeding the line from the entry point just in front of the spar to where it enters the fuselage?

Thanks

Brian

 

[JHW]

Take the tank all the way out. Replace ALL screws in the tank with new, it's well worth it the next time it has to come out.

The plastic grommets where the pitot tubing passes through the ribs will be shot, get something from the NationalAirplanePartsAssociation or the HelicOpterMachinEry Depot store to replace them.

If your cherokee has the static port in the pitot mast then replace both tubes through the wing. If it has the static ports at the back of the fuselage, take a hard look at the static line going back there. It is pieces of AL tube joined with bits of rubber hose. The rubber pieces might want replacement as well after all these years.

replacing all this tubing is a PIA but well worth it when you do your 2 year IFR cert and sail through it rather than paying avionics tech rate to troubleshoot leaks.

just a suggestion, since you already have one tank out - if your fuel hoses at the tank are old and/or if you haven't ever signed off the SB for spar corrosion, this might be a good time to pull the other tank and take care of those things.

 

[Graueradler]

If the tanks have never been out, you will probably also find the rubber hose associated with the fuel tank vents totally deteriorated. Valve grinding compound on a fresh screwdriver bit will be helpful in getting the old tank screws out. They don't come out easily. Don't think about replacing the screws with stainless. These screws are structural and stainless is not as strong as the originals. If the fuel gauges are erratic, having the tanks out is also a good time to clean the interface between the wire wound variable resistor and the pick up arm. A pencil eraser can do a pretty good job with that.