Gascolator

Jonathan Goodish wrote:
: "Minimalist" is kind... I think it's a rather poor design, especially
: for aircraft.

It's right on-par with everything else designed at that point in time.
Exactly the same gascolator is on my dad's 1939 Oliver 60 Row Crop tractor, except it
has a clear glass bowl. They "ruggedized" it for aircraft useage by using an aluminum
bowl...

: The PMA part is aluminum, so it can't be that much heavier, and I hardly
: think that this is an area where weight should take priority over safety.

It looks like it's machined out of a solid piece, rather than cast. It looks
heavier (and ironically much more expensive to produce).

: I am going to call and talk to the STC owner and see what he tells me.
: You are correct, it looks like there will need to be some plumbing to
: get the drain to exit the cowling properly. If the latter can't be
: accomplished gracefully, then this may not be a good solution after all.

: The problem with the sump valve being left open is operator error and
: not a design flaw. Personally, I scan all sump valves before flight to
: ensure that there are no leaks. There might be a SB, but I am not aware
: of any AD relating to this issue that applies to my aircraft, and we've
: done a pretty comprehensive search of ADs over the years.

It is and isn't operator error. Many of them (like mine) cannot be easily
seen... it's tucked up within the cowling and is only accessed via a 1" hole. Also,
you could scan for leaks all you want... if the gascolator has been drained of all
fuel by sumping to a sample jar, it won't leak even if it's locked open. That's the
substance of the AD/SB or whatever I heard.

I would think you could get the drain with a 90 degree 1/8" NPT elbow and
perhaps a small extension. My plane has a 45 degree on the stock bowl. If it's PMA'd
for the PA-28, it *should* fit right in. If not it should have approved data (i.e.
STC or standard AN part via AC43).

-Cory

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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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