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#1
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Cherokee fuel tank sender unit "float" -- anybody know where to get these???
Hi everyone,
Well, ran into another small problem that is balooning into a major outlay of cash! Somehow, the little plastic float in the right hand tank snapped in two. And no, there haven't been any crash/hard landings lately. Don't know what the cause was. Well, after digging the pieces out -- I started calling around to find a replacement. Of course, no luck. The local Piper dealer wanted to sell me a whole new sending unit -- I didn't even ask the price on that. I just couldn't see replacing the whole sender unit to get a new plastic float (besides, I think my wallet would have a heart attack at the quote!). A couple of used parts dealers offered to sell me a used one for $125 plus shipping. Again, replacing the whole unit to get a new float. Last thing I found -- Airparts of Lock Haven, Pa. They claim that the FAA requires that the sender unit be sent to them. They will replace the float, certify the unit, and ship it back -- all for $65. Well, with no other better choice -- that's the option I took (after verifying the sender unit really was working correctly). But I am kinda irked! The FAA "requires" them to replace the float and certify the unit -- that sound awfully convient !! Here we have a plastic piece that should cost all of 50 cents. But to get a replacement, I have to spend $65 for the repair and enough on shipping to push the repair up to a hundred dollars. This is the kind of stupidity that is killing GA! I was wondering if anyone on the list knows about this FAA "requirement". Or were they just using it as an excuse to get the work (and not sell direct). And secondly, does anyone know a source to get these little pieces of plastic??? You see, what irks me the most was the sticker on the back of the fuel sender unit when it was pulled. A sticker showing Airparts of Lock Haven, 5/30/02. That means that float came from the same company and was only 2.5 years old. And when I called the company back about this little item -- I was told that I'm lucky. The supervisor who talked to me said that some floats only last a year while others last five years. Either way, I don't hold out hope that these floats will last long! Thanks for any information you might share guys.... Chuck N7398W |
#2
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Chuck wrote:
: Hi everyone, snip : You see, what irks me the most was the sticker on the back of the fuel : sender unit when it was pulled. A sticker showing Airparts of Lock : Haven, 5/30/02. That means that float came from the same company and : was only 2.5 years old. And when I called the company back about this : little item -- I was told that I'm lucky. The supervisor who talked : to me said that some floats only last a year while others last five : years. Either way, I don't hold out hope that these floats will last : long! Hmmm, according to the logs the floats on my fuel senders are 37 years old with 6400 hours, and are still working great. -- Aaron C. (N9376J) |
#3
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Gotcha beat! The fuel sender floats on Fat Albert the Apache are 1956
vintage, the stencils clearly visible when we inspected the tanks 2 years ago and replaced all the cork gaskets... And the rubber tanks look like new on the inside with the yellow stencil looking like it was put on five minutes ago... Amazing... The best hypothesis I can make is that the plane was always hangared other than on trips, with the tanks full, or nearly so, much of the time... That the new floats are lasting as little as a year, is criminal, but I don't know what you can do about it given FAA regs, etc. well, I do know, but it means you would attach a non certified float on the end of the sender arm, not put it on the log, not notify the FSDO, etc., and we all know you can't do that, so don't even think about it Denny |
#4
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Last thing I found -- Airparts of Lock Haven, Pa. They claim that the
FAA requires that the sender unit be sent to them. They will replace the float, certify the unit, and ship it back -- all for $65. I was wondering if anyone on the list knows about this FAA "requirement". Yes. The legal theory is that the float is an instrument. It takes a certified instrument shop (not just any A&P) to repair an instrument. Airparts of Lock Haven is a certified instrument shop, your A&P is not. Not saying it's necessarily valid, but that's the theory they're going on. Of course the realistic solution would be to find a plastic float that looks like the broken one, replace it yourself, not tell anyone, and not log it. However, this would not be legal. You see, what irks me the most was the sticker on the back of the fuel sender unit when it was pulled. A sticker showing Airparts of Lock Haven, 5/30/02. That means that float came from the same company and was only 2.5 years old. And when I called the company back about this little item -- I was told that I'm lucky. The supervisor who talked to me said that some floats only last a year while others last five years. The floats in my senders are 40 years old, and doing fine. It makes no sense that a plastic ball should last only a year to five years. I think it's because these guys are using inferior materials or procedures. For an FAA certified repair station, that's the norm rather than the exception. Michael |
#5
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Since most of you have been having long life and Chuck is not, there
could be a difference in his fuel. I remember a fuel cap I had on a chainsaw that would swell with gasoline/alcohol fuel blends. No problems with straight gasoline. Could a similar mechanism be at work here? Bob |
#6
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it is not stupidity. it is liability. Have you pulled the tank yet? That
will make the cost of the float seem a little less painful. New tank hose, new screws. new sender, new gasket, and about four hours labor to get the tank out and back in. Have fun. Michelle Chuck wrote: Hi everyone, Well, ran into another small problem that is balooning into a major outlay of cash! Somehow, the little plastic float in the right hand tank snapped in two. And no, there haven't been any crash/hard landings lately. Don't know what the cause was. Well, after digging the pieces out -- I started calling around to find a replacement. Of course, no luck. The local Piper dealer wanted to sell me a whole new sending unit -- I didn't even ask the price on that. I just couldn't see replacing the whole sender unit to get a new plastic float (besides, I think my wallet would have a heart attack at the quote!). A couple of used parts dealers offered to sell me a used one for $125 plus shipping. Again, replacing the whole unit to get a new float. Last thing I found -- Airparts of Lock Haven, Pa. They claim that the FAA requires that the sender unit be sent to them. They will replace the float, certify the unit, and ship it back -- all for $65. Well, with no other better choice -- that's the option I took (after verifying the sender unit really was working correctly). But I am kinda irked! The FAA "requires" them to replace the float and certify the unit -- that sound awfully convient !! Here we have a plastic piece that should cost all of 50 cents. But to get a replacement, I have to spend $65 for the repair and enough on shipping to push the repair up to a hundred dollars. This is the kind of stupidity that is killing GA! I was wondering if anyone on the list knows about this FAA "requirement". Or were they just using it as an excuse to get the work (and not sell direct). And secondly, does anyone know a source to get these little pieces of plastic??? You see, what irks me the most was the sticker on the back of the fuel sender unit when it was pulled. A sticker showing Airparts of Lock Haven, 5/30/02. That means that float came from the same company and was only 2.5 years old. And when I called the company back about this little item -- I was told that I'm lucky. The supervisor who talked to me said that some floats only last a year while others last five years. Either way, I don't hold out hope that these floats will last long! Thanks for any information you might share guys.... Chuck N7398W |
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