Header tank holes and material?
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Header tank holes and material?
I'm curious, with reported header tank leak problems not unusual, why aren't the holes tapped with threads after drilling instead of apparently just using push ins with seals as the manual appears to call for?
Last edited by Dave Krall CFII SEL SES on Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Old manual
Dave,
I just drilled mine out yesterday and the manual is out of date. The new aluminum tanks do require you to drill and tap them. Remember to drill one size under for the hole and use EZ-Turn on the threads. One thing I realized was at the bottom for the curtis valve, you need a male-to-male fitting. My kit was missing one but I'm sure the local hardware will have one. Anyway it goes out the bottom on a barbed hose fitting, onto hose itself, then reverses onto another barb fitting which is connected to a male to male fitting and finally into the curtis valve. Whew, sounds more complicated than it really is.
Paul
I just drilled mine out yesterday and the manual is out of date. The new aluminum tanks do require you to drill and tap them. Remember to drill one size under for the hole and use EZ-Turn on the threads. One thing I realized was at the bottom for the curtis valve, you need a male-to-male fitting. My kit was missing one but I'm sure the local hardware will have one. Anyway it goes out the bottom on a barbed hose fitting, onto hose itself, then reverses onto another barb fitting which is connected to a male to male fitting and finally into the curtis valve. Whew, sounds more complicated than it really is.
Paul
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Thanks bix4nqb,
I wonder why they even give us that manual! The fittings I have are all thread less so I asssume I need a whole set of header tank fittings?
Many Thanks for the heads-up!
DJK
I wonder why they even give us that manual! The fittings I have are all thread less so I asssume I need a whole set of header tank fittings?
Many Thanks for the heads-up!
DJK
Last edited by Dave Krall CFII SEL SES on Wed May 09, 2007 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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fittings
Dave,
You'll need 5 small barbed hose fittings for the header tank and 2 large ones for the wing tank fuel filters. That is assuming you have the aluminum header tank. The header tank has 2 on the top feeding it, 1 to feed out to your engine and 1 out the bottom towards the curtis valve which connects to a hose piece which connects to another (the 5th) then reverses into the curtis valve itself. Hope that helps and is not confusing??
Paul
You'll need 5 small barbed hose fittings for the header tank and 2 large ones for the wing tank fuel filters. That is assuming you have the aluminum header tank. The header tank has 2 on the top feeding it, 1 to feed out to your engine and 1 out the bottom towards the curtis valve which connects to a hose piece which connects to another (the 5th) then reverses into the curtis valve itself. Hope that helps and is not confusing??
Paul
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tap & Die set
Not really being a mechanical guy I went to go buy a tap and die set. Went down looking for the size the manual states and luckily I brought along my fitting to be sure I got the right one. Anyway those guys at the store had no clue and when I opened up all the kits, none of them fit the threads. Again, I'm new at this so in researching the LEAF book, etc. the threads appear to be NPT threads which according to my brother are rather common in the fitting world, just not your everyday car shop supply. Needless to say, I'm going over to Bro's house tomorrow to cut some threads with some of his bazillion tools. Wish I was building in his garage! Anyway I just thought I would pass that along to those learning like myself.
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Dave Krall CFII SEL SES wrote:It would appear mine has the drain hole drilled in the center of the wrong end (nearest the welded square plate on the side of the tank) so local service dept wants to know what kind of metal it is. Anybody know for sure? Thanks in advance.
Dave, You appear to be saying that the hole is at the same end as the welded square. This would be the right end because it allows the drain in the single hole on the bottom with the outlet to the engine just a few inches up on the side. However, if I am misunderstanding, I don't think it is a problem. You just need to make sure you end up with two holes on the top (they don't have to be in any particular location and you could use the existing hole along with one other), one hole on the bottom and the 4th hole on the side in the welded square a few inches from the bottom.
Last edited by pdeinin on Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Prescott
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Dave,
That's the correct end for the single hole.
It goes to the drain valve. The square plate
gets a barb that goes to the engine.
The two holes in the other end (top) accept fittings
coming from each wing tank.
John
That's the correct end for the single hole.
It goes to the drain valve. The square plate
gets a barb that goes to the engine.
The two holes in the other end (top) accept fittings
coming from each wing tank.
John
There are many things that happen really fast when you are
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.
I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.
Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
flying an airplane. There is no sense in rushing any of the others.
I would much rather be looking down at the runway, than up at it.
Duane Sorenson & Rick Norton Gone West 6/8/09. Godspeed
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That would put the barb that goes to the engine about 4" down from the top in my header tank's case. The others I've seen have that square plate about 4' from the bottom with its single drain hole, allowing more useable fuel, and about a cup or so of inflight water trap, the way I see it.Johnny C! wrote:Dave,
That's the correct end for the single hole.
It goes to the drain valve. The square plate
gets a barb that goes to the engine.
The two holes in the other end (top) accept fittings
coming from each wing tank.
John