Fuel Drip Containment

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
Don't fill your plane before putting it away?

We turn the fuel valve off or turn it to left or right tank -- this seems
to
mitigate the problem considerably, though I am not sure why it does this.

Because in any position besides the BOTH setting, it prevents fuel from
flowing between the tanks... or more precisely, from the (slightly) upper
tank to the lower tank and out the lower tank's fuel vent.

Eric

"Eric Miller" wrote in message
...
| "C J Campbell" wrote in message
| ...
| Don't fill your plane before putting it away?
|
| We turn the fuel valve off or turn it to left or right tank -- this
seems
| to
| mitigate the problem considerably, though I am not sure why it does
this.
|
| Because in any position besides the BOTH setting, it prevents fuel from
| flowing between the tanks... or more precisely, from the (slightly) upper
| tank to the lower tank and out the lower tank's fuel vent.
|

Okay, that much I knew, but why doesn't the lower tank just empty itself?
Does it need the pressure from the higher tank in order to start siphoning
out the fuel vent?

"C J Campbell" wrote
Okay, that much I knew, but why doesn't the lower tank just empty itself?
Does it need the pressure from the higher tank in order to start siphoning
out the fuel vent?

I think the lower tank does empty itself... but just until it gets to the
level of the fuel vent.
In the BOTH setting, they'll both empty to the level of their respective
vents.
Keep in mind that the right tank is vented to the left tank, and the left
tank is vented overboard, so if possible, it might help to make the right
tank the lower one.

Eric

Eric Miller wrote:


I think the lower tank does empty itself... but just until it gets to the
level of the fuel vent.
In the BOTH setting, they'll both empty to the level of their respective
vents.

There is only one vent, under the left wing. If fuel expands it runs in
a line between the left and right tanks. This line is above the tanks.
Fuel will also go thru this line if the selector is on both, the tanks
are full or near full and the plane is not level. Move the selector to
either right or left and this won't happen. If left on both the tanks
will level themselves thru the selector.

****There is only one vent, under the left wing*****

Not on my high wing Cessna. There are vents behind the struts for both
wings.

Karl
"Curator" N185KG

"Newps" wrote in message
news:KXRmb.34654$Tr4.62408@attbi_s03...


Eric Miller wrote:


I think the lower tank does empty itself... but just until it gets to
the
level of the fuel vent.
In the BOTH setting, they'll both empty to the level of their respective
vents.

There is only one vent, under the left wing. If fuel expands it runs in
a line between the left and right tanks. This line is above the tanks.
Fuel will also go thru this line if the selector is on both, the tanks
are full or near full and the plane is not level. Move the selector to
either right or left and this won't happen. If left on both the tanks
will level themselves thru the selector.

"karl gruber" wrote in message
...
****There is only one vent, under the left wing*****

Not on my high wing Cessna. There are vents behind the struts for both
wings.

Karl
"Curator" N185KG

What model?

The 172S has the left tank vented behind the wing strut and right tank
vented to left tank.
The 172M has the left tank vented behind the wing strut and right tank
vented through the fuel cap.
Both according to the respective POH (and backed up by memory).

Of course, Cessna makes other models too, some of which aren't even 172's!

Eric

Eric Miller wrote:

Of course, Cessna makes other models too, some of which aren't even 172's!

And, in fact, the aircraft in the intital post of this thread is an elderly
182.

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the mud.

"Eric Miller" wrote in message
...
| "karl gruber" wrote in message
| ...
| ****There is only one vent, under the left wing*****
|
| Not on my high wing Cessna. There are vents behind the struts for both
| wings.
|
| Karl
| "Curator" N185KG
|
| What model?
|

My 206 has vents on both sides.

Hm. I guess I could rotate the whole airport so that my hangar faces lefthand
UPHILL instead of downhill, but it is going to take a moby-large bulldozer to do
it.

Jim



-Keep in mind that the right tank is vented to the left tank, and the left
-tank is vented overboard, so if possible, it might help to make the right
-tank the lower one.
-
-Eric
-
-

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

In article ,
Jim Weir wrote:
Hm. I guess I could rotate the whole airport so that my hangar faces lefthand
UPHILL instead of downhill, but it is going to take a moby-large bulldozer to do
it.

How unlevel is it? Just make yourself a really shallow ramp (say by
ripping strips of 1/4" masonite and stacking/gluing them). Put that
on the hangar floor so that you roll onto it as you park.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/