Fuel Drip Containment

Hi Jim,

I have seen people hang an empty plastic oil bottle on the fuel vent to
catch the dripping fuel on Cessnas. Have you tried this? It shouldn't be too
much of a fire hazard and will save your hangar floor. Just make sure that
you drain the bottle regularly because the angle it sits on the vent, it
won't hold a whole quart of fuel. Using a GATT jar or some other filter, you
can reuse the fuel.

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

("Jim Weir" wrote)
Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort
that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem
is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.


Pet store (or a garage sale) buy a lizard heating rock. $10.

Put the flat rock UNDER, maybe a large brownie pan, and insulate around the
rock.

We used a 2" thick piece of rigid pink insulation and cut out the shape of
the rock. Rock fit flush in the hole. Then we also put another piece of
rigid pink UNDER the rock, So now the rock/insulation layer is sandwiched
between a solid piece of 2" insulation on the bottom and the container on
top.

The rock should be upside-down in the insulation hole to mate up with the
bottom of whatever you're using as a drip pan.

Run a couple of bands of duct tape around the pink edges for that "finished"
look and you're all set.

For us it was an aquarium for the lizard (anole) brought home from school at
the end of the year, by the 3rd grade niece. Kept that sucker alive for 2
years.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/w...iles/anole.htm

You know, any small heating pad would work in this setup. I had a waterbed
heater that I kept for years after the bed had been thrown away. Used the
pad all the time. Gave the pad to my sister a while back, haven't seen it
since.

Or ...a can of yellow foam insulation is $2.95 - $3.95 ...and it's fun to
play with. Wear latex gloves because that stuff turns your hands black,
before it hardens.

Whatever you choose, just separate the heating thing from the thermal mass
pan thing.

Good luck.
--
Montblack
"Styled by the laws of nature.............Concorde"

Sorry, no cigar. Putting a source of ignition (110 ac) in proximity to a fuel
source isn't where I wanted to be.

But thanks for trying.

Jim



"Montblack"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-("Jim Weir" wrote)
- Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort
-that
- would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem
-is
- finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.
-
-
-Pet store (or a garage sale) buy a lizard heating rock. $10.
-
-Put the flat rock UNDER, maybe a large brownie pan, and insulate around the
-rock.
-
-We used a 2" thick piece of rigid pink insulation and cut out the shape of
-the rock. Rock fit flush in the hole. Then we also put another piece of
-rigid pink UNDER the rock, So now the rock/insulation layer is sandwiched
-between a solid piece of 2" insulation on the bottom and the container on
-top.
-
-The rock should be upside-down in the insulation hole to mate up with the
-bottom of whatever you're using as a drip pan.
-
-Run a couple of bands of duct tape around the pink edges for that "finished"
-look and you're all set.
-
-For us it was an aquarium for the lizard (anole) brought home from school at
-the end of the year, by the 3rd grade niece. Kept that sucker alive for 2
-years.
-
-http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/w...iles/anole.htm
-
-You know, any small heating pad would work in this setup. I had a waterbed
-heater that I kept for years after the bed had been thrown away. Used the
-pad all the time. Gave the pad to my sister a while back, haven't seen it
-since.
-
-Or ...a can of yellow foam insulation is $2.95 - $3.95 ...and it's fun to
-play with. Wear latex gloves because that stuff turns your hands black,
-before it hardens.
-
-Whatever you choose, just separate the heating thing from the thermal mass
-pan thing.
-
-Good luck.

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

("Jim Weir" wrote)
Sorry, no cigar. Putting a source of ignition (110 ac) in proximity to a
fuel
source isn't where I wanted to be.

One more try:

BTW, in the future, please leave out any references to cigars -
you, you, you ...politician :-)

Take the (fully sealed) lizard rock and make a 1x3 frame around it, with a
bottom board. Box should be about the size of a Cheerios box. Pour cement
around "lizard rock". (Doesn't matter what side of the lizard rock is up,
now that the whole thing is encased in cement)

In the side of the cement Cheerios box (with the "lizard rock cocooned
inside) insert a 6" piece of PVC pipe. The PVC pipe will have the power cord
running through it. Goop up the end of the PVC pipe to seal up the cord.
Might be easier to do this before the cement pour. g

Now you have a re-hearing thermal mass to set your brownie pan on top of.
Those lizard rocks get pretty warm, but not hot-hot. Do the normal (super)
insulation thing for the cement thermal mass. Don't forget the duct tape.

Whole thing should weigh as much as an old IBM Selectric typewriter. Heck,
use an old typewriter cart. High wing right?

This all assumes warming up the gasoline, by spreading it out in an old
turkey roasting pan with a thermal mass under it, will hasten evaporation.
Original brownie pan idea lacked capacity - just in case.

"Is it safe?" - Marathon Man.

--
Montblack
"Styled by the laws of nature.............Concorde"

"Montblack" wrote in message ...

Whatever you choose, just separate the heating thing from the thermal mass
pan thing.

It isn't clear to me that evaporating the fuel is what you want to do. A coffee can
of liquid fuel is a whole lot better than a enclosed space full of fuel vapor.

Plus the EPA is gona get ya for air pollution.


Ron Natalie wrote:

"Montblack" wrote in message ...

Whatever you choose, just separate the heating thing from the thermal mass
pan thing.

It isn't clear to me that evaporating the fuel is what you want to do. A coffee can
of liquid fuel is a whole lot better than a enclosed space full of fuel vapor.

("Ron Natalie" wrote)
It isn't clear to me that evaporating the fuel is what you want to do. A
coffee can
of liquid fuel is a whole lot better than a enclosed space full of fuel
vapor.

You're probably right.

There just aren't many airplane projects that start by mixing up a small bag
of Quick-Crete.

--
Montblack

"Styled by the laws of nature.............Concorde"

On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 18:33:46 GMT, "Sven"
wrote:

Hi Jim,

I have seen people hang an empty plastic oil bottle on the fuel vent to
catch the dripping fuel on Cessnas. Have you tried this? It shouldn't be too
much of a fire hazard and will save your hangar floor. Just make sure that
you drain the bottle regularly because the angle it sits on the vent, it
won't hold a whole quart of fuel. Using a GATT jar or some other filter, you
can reuse the fuel.

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
.. .
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

The RIGHT way to solve the problem is to go flying!!!!

And the WRONG thing is to be dicking around trying to fuel an aircraft at
0-dark-30 in the morning.

But thanks for trying.

Jim



clare @ snyder.on .ca
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:


-The RIGHT way to solve the problem is to go flying!!!!

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

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.