On Jan 29, 2:09*pm, Ross wrote:
wrote:
On Jan 28, 6:10 pm, nrp wrote:

My trick in close quarters is to consider wrenches expendable and use
a band saw to cut them down. *Virtually all wrench handles are too
long. *I don't know why the tool manufacturers don't wise up.........

* * * * * Buy a couple of sets of cheap wrenches from Harbor Freight
(US) or Princess Auto (Canada). Chop and heat and bend to suit special
applications like that fuel selector.
* * * * The 172's selector ain't really all that bad to get in and
out. Some are worse. The worst thing about it is the need to
completely defuel the tanks to do it. Some airplanes, before
manufacturers got cheap, had shutoff cocks at the tank outlets,
safety-wired open, and closeable for such maintenance as fuel valve
repairs.

* * * * * *Dan

Yep, I had burned about half the fuel out of them but still a messy
process. I got some 100LL down my sleeve and got a rash from it. We
pulled the drains and let it go into a funnel and gas can. Drained fine
until it started to run out then fluid dynamics took over and there was
not a clean smooth flow.

It was rather difficult given the two small inspection plates you had to
work though. Then the fact that we had to take the handle position side
off the pedestal to get the whole thing out. After this it should be
good for another 40 years.

In the Mooney community there were a few reports of selectors
sticking. That's why I decided to remove mine at annual. $300 later I
got the selector back fully overhauled. Probably the cheapest yellow
tag I ever bought.

-Robert