Section 31 - Fuel System

I separated the Fuel Line Brackets with the bandsaw, and trimmed them with the vertical sander.

I couldn’t use my pneumatic pop riveter for all the LP4-3’s due to the usual access issues, so resorted to the hand riveter.

Andair recommends Loctite 648 to secure the elbow fittings … I gather some have been found loose on inspection in the past. Andair put a little note in the box ensuring you don’t forget to secure the screws properly.

You can also distort a screw edge into a small dimple to prevent turning. I used a spring centre punch which seemed to work well.

I gently supported the valve in the vice whilst squeezing the Nutplates rivets.

You have to resist the temptation to fiddle with the selector, since it’s recommended you minimise movement when it doesn’t have any fuel in it!

I’d recently lashed out and bought an early Christmas present … a Pressmaster Crimp Tool.

This was its first test, to crimp on the connectors to the pump leads.

I used Loctite 567 to seal the NPT thread between the fuel filter and pump.

Page 31-05 fig 1 shows the Firewall Elbow clocked to 25º from the horizontal.

However, page 31-11 Fig 2 stipulates 5º from the vertical for a taildragger. Vans say use this, the previous page is a mistake.

I nipped up the TSFlightlines fuel hose onto the elbow before the Proseal set … I didn’t want the process to disturb the seal.

Having cheated and bought the TSFlightlines fuel pipe kit, it was a pleasure to skip several pages in the manual!

I torqued up the fittings as per advice in manual (75-125 inch pounds).

More chinese puzzles trying to work out how to get access with a crow’s foot …

… see what I mean?

All the pipework fitted perfectly and saved loads of work … I can thoroughly recommend the TSFlightLines kit.