Stupid question: water in fuel

How would water sparators work with an 'enormous' quantity of water in
the fuel?

Try adding alcohol to absorb the water.

john smith wrote:
How would water sparators work with an 'enormous' quantity of water in
the fuel?


Try adding alcohol to absorb the water.

I wouldn't fly with you.

How would water sparators work with an 'enormous' quantity of water in
the fuel?

Try adding alcohol to absorb the water.

I wouldn't fly with you.

Drain it or ground run it.

john smith wrote:
How would water sparators work with an 'enormous' quantity of water in
the fuel?


Try adding alcohol to absorb the water.


I wouldn't fly with you.


Drain it or ground run it.

That would be the prudent way of doing it. What works for water-in-fuel
in a car is fine for cars.. the engine stops, you roll to the side of
the road and call the tow truck. I don't know how the alcohol would
affect the seals and whatnot in the tanks/lines/pumps/carb so I'd be
hesitant to put anything not specifically approved for use in the plane
into the tanks.

Robert Chambers wrote:


john smith wrote:

How would water sparators work with an 'enormous' quantity of water
in the fuel?



Try adding alcohol to absorb the water.



I wouldn't fly with you.



Drain it or ground run it.


That would be the prudent way of doing it. What works for water-in-fuel
in a car is fine for cars.. the engine stops, you roll to the side of
the road and call the tow truck. I don't know how the alcohol would
affect the seals and whatnot in the tanks/lines/pumps/carb so I'd be
hesitant to put anything not specifically approved for use in the plane
into the tanks.

Right. The FAA limits the percent of alcohol in gasohol which can be
used in airplanes. I don't believe any of the auto products are low
enough. Draining it is the only way to go and I remember one cold day
when I had to drain out about a pint of water (?) from one tank. Even
taxiing around isn't good -- how long do you go before you conclude
there's no water in the tanks? Do you really want to walk back in the
cold from your plane?

"Stubby" wrote in message ...

.... Draining it is the only way to go and I remember one cold day
when I had to drain out about a pint of water (?) from one tank. Even
taxiing around isn't good -- how long do you go before you conclude
there's no water in the tanks? Do you really want to walk back in the
cold from your plane?

What I *really* hate is when the quick-drain won't budge,
because there's water frozen above it in the sump.

: Right. The FAA limits the percent of alcohol in gasohol which can be
: used in airplanes.

Yeah.... 0.0%

I don't believe any of the auto products are low
: enough.

Alcohol can eat rubber seals and such in the Lycontosaurus engines in planes.
Also, it can attack the rubber in bladders, or even the aluminum in wet-wing or
structural in-wing tanks. The alcohol avgas like EG85 (IIRC) requires new seals
all around, and has additives to prevent corrosion.

-Cory

--

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

John R. Copeland wrote:
"Stubby" wrote in message ...

.... Draining it is the only way to go and I remember one cold day
when I had to drain out about a pint of water (?) from one tank. Even
taxiing around isn't good -- how long do you go before you conclude
there's no water in the tanks? Do you really want to walk back in the
cold from your plane?


What I *really* hate is when the quick-drain won't budge,
because there's water frozen above it in the sump.


It's worse when a little piece of dirt or ice won't let the quick drain
to close fully.

: It's worse when a little piece of dirt or ice won't let the quick drain
: to close fully.

I've *still* got some tiny plastic flecks in my fuel tank from the previous
owner's peeling of the "100LL" sticker off the fill hole. Every once in awhile, I'll
get a bit in the sump and it'll weep. I've flushed it a half dozen times, but never
gotten it all out.

Oh well, I've never seen any in the gascolator, and unless there were a
horrendous amount, that'll catch it all just fine.

Frozen water NOT in a clump is worse than in a clump at the bottom. That
*can* clog your gascolator and ruin your day. At least if it's clumped you know it's
there. Also, chances are good that it's colder at altitude so it won't thaw an clog
up the works.

-Cory

--

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