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Canad two gascolators for AFP FI??

RickWoodall

RickWoodall

Well Known Member
I am running my fuel lines and figuring the purge line route and gascolator location. Reading the MDRA regs, the gascolator must be "properly located" and fuel drains must be "located at lowest point in system when at rest"

Now, trying to solve this issues, i wondered about installing a gascolator OUTBOARD at the wing root each side. Somewhere a long time ago i think i saw that on a site and thought it was odd. Maybe not. AFP told me they dont think i should have one past the pump....so is this a viable solution. Anyone installed it and got the ok from MDRA? Further any pics to help me with position and drain set up?

Seems this would get the required gascolator in, also filter anything before the pump so that it was unlikely the afp filter would ever get much debris, and the chance of leaks at the gascolator would be much much lower as there would not be near the pressure going in, and one less potential worry spot the other side of the firewall. I thinking this through properly or not?

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
It works well

In my flying -6, I installed a gascolator in each wing root. I have a hole in the bottom of the wing root fairing so I can drain them.

I had the pre-cover of my -8 last weekend and discussed the fuel system with the MDRA inspector. I plan on doing the same with the -8. He did not have a problem with this.

His only comment was you must have a gascolator.

I am also placing the AFP fuel filter ahead of the boost pump, mounting the filter on the firewall.

Paul
 
Mine is on the firewall

To make the MDRA happy here I installed one on the firewall of my RV7a. No problems with being down stream of high pressure fuel pump.
 
Hi,

Not canada - but we have a similar 'strong recommendation' from the CAA here in NZ. I went with the dual gascolators - one in each wing root - works well. The fuel system will self prime from 15L of gas, through the gascolator, andair value and the AFP High Pressure pump - takes about 20 sec if I remember correctly.....

Photos

Web_Img_9233.jpg


Carl
 
Wing root for me

Mine has not been inspected but at the recommendation of a retired inspector I put one in the right wing root then plumbed the output of the selector switch into it before the fuel pump/filter for my FI system. Hope it passes. Since the wings are the lowest point in the plane it should.
 
andrew phillips said:
Mine has not been inspected but at the recommendation of a retired inspector I put one in the right wing root then plumbed the output of the selector switch into it before the fuel pump/filter for my FI system. Hope it passes. Since the wings are the lowest point in the plane it should.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what I did too.

gascolator1.jpg



gascolator2.jpg


gascolatormount.jpg


Cheers
 
Thanks

Much appreciated. I was trying to figure out what made sense, and since i have not had my wings on yet...nothing made good sense. Some pics help. Still not happy about two gascolators...seems silly, but whatever. Andair will be pleased.
 
Hi Rick

I'm still not clear on why you need two gascolators. My high pressure pump is on the engine side of my single gascolator. Am I missing something ?
 
I dont NEED them

I dont need 2 but, it was suggested that the gascolator be BEFORE the pump...so, since taking samples from the cockpit doesnt make sense...at least i dont think it does?? I had just figured one on each wing before routing in to the selector and pump made sense. I could do one out on one wing, and feed both wings into it.... thats a pile of extra plumbing. Just thought 2 gascolators was the simplest solution. No time tonight but I will look on your site and see if I can see what you did
 
Gascolator location

RickWoodall said:
I am running my fuel lines and figuring the purge line route and gascolator location. Reading the MDRA regs, the gascolator must be "properly located" and fuel drains must be "located at lowest point in system when at rest"

Now, trying to solve this issues, i wondered about installing a gascolator OUTBOARD at the wing root each side. Somewhere a long time ago i think i saw that on a site and thought it was odd. Maybe not. AFP told me they dont think i should have one past the pump....so is this a viable solution. Anyone installed it and got the ok from MDRA? Further any pics to help me with position and drain set up?

Seems this would get the required gascolator in, also filter anything before the pump so that it was unlikely the afp filter would ever get much debris, and the chance of leaks at the gascolator would be much much lower as there would not be near the pressure going in, and one less potential worry spot the other side of the firewall. I thinking this through properly or not?

Thanks for any suggestions.
Click to expand...

I have my gascolator on the bottom of the firewall (RV-4).....It was never questioned by the MDRA inspector and has worked fine....Not sure why you would need to have two, the advantage of putting them in the wing root is that they would stay cool and if you have an injected engine this would be a good thing.......Also remembering that before flight the tank drains are checked for water and these are the lowest part of the system (at least mine are).
 
Hey Mark.
AFP suggested they dont recommend the gascolator on the other side of the firewall and think there is no need for one at all. (there is a pretty good filter in their assembly). Anyway, so, if they dont think i should put it fwf, and i dont want it in the cockpit with me...seems to be two choices, one on each wing or one outboard as a few have done and run a pile of extra fuel lines to and from it so it "gascolates" fuel from both wings. I have nose dragger, so running another set of fuel lines out and back from a wing...just seems like something I dont want to do. Seems goofy, but cooler outside temps, keep potential leaks, failures outboard, and before pressure boost at pump, and just makes sense, at least to me today. Tomorrow maybe not! At that point in the build where its SLOW and confusing. Certainly doing my share of learning lately.
 
It would be nice if the MDRA/ Transport would listen to reason here and just allow quick drain at the low points. Gascolators on FI/EFI installations do not increase safety- in fact with more connections, you could make a case where it is actually less safe.

We along with AFP, also don't recommend the use of gascolators on EFI equipped aircraft.
 
the reason, I think?

The reason that some people put 2 is so they don't have to run more fuel line from the valve back out to the wing then back into the fuse and up to the firewall. 2 Gascolators = less fuel line plumbing. I guess that you could argue that it also gives better capacity for removing water. I only have one and wish I had none!
 
Stick it up your.....

Does the Canadian regulation say that the gascolator has to be actually attached to the fuel system? :rolleyes: Maybe you can just put one in the baggage compartment. OK, just poking a little fun at the bureaucrats who refuse to move along with new technology. But seriously, why couldn't you put a single gascolator forward of the firewall with it's input from the fuel valve and output BACK through the firewall to the AFP pump. This would involve three penetrations of the firewall but it would keep the gascolator on the low pressure side of the system, keep it on the front of the firewall and eliminate the need for two gasolators.
 
ronschreck said:
This would involve three penetrations of the firewall but it would keep the gascolator on the low pressure side of the system, keep it on the front of the firewall and eliminate the need for two gasolators.
Click to expand...

Three F/W penetrations and fuel lines snaking back and forth? No, I don't think so. The wing root location is the low pressure side of the system also the lowest point in the system and as low as the wing fuel drains. In fact both fuel drains are eight inches apart. As posted in these forums previously, there are some concerns about gascolators in fuel injected systems with fire wall locations and vapour lock. I think this is the simplest solution (seeing that we Canadians are forced to install a gascolator. Notice I didn't say it was the cheapest method!
Regards
 
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safety wire?

When the gascolators are mounted in the wing roots, is there room to get your hand in there to service the thing (open it, clean filter, safety wire etc)? I am referreing to when installed on RV7/A. Not sure if the other models have more or less room than the 7.


Bevan
 
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?

Is there a reason (e.g. MDRA) why everyone seems to want the gascolator on the low-pressure side of the pump?

It seems like the most simple installation with the least plumbing would be to mount the gascolator on the firewall, directly after the boost pump.

The FAQ on the Andair website actually has that question, and they say their gascolator is fine on the high pressure side -- can handle > 1,000 psi. A normal boost pump is only around 25 psi. Am I missing something?..

Matt
 
Bevan: By my calculations there is room to service this filter.

LR2001 said:
Is there a reason (e.g. MDRA) why everyone seems to want the gascolator on the low-pressure side of the pump?

It seems like the most simple installation with the least plumbing would be to mount the gascolator on the firewall, directly after the boost pump.

The FAQ on the Andair website actually has that question, and they say their gascolator is fine on the high pressure side -- can handle > 1,000 psi. A normal boost pump is only around 25 psi. Am I missing something?..

Matt
Click to expand...

Matt: I've never built an airplane before so I can only base my building decisions by viewing other builder's sites and speaking to builders about their experiences. The decision not to mount my gascolator on the firewall is
based on the potential of vapor lock with a fuel injected system and gascolators mounted ahead of the F/W in a heated environment. I just wanted to avoid this potential issue.
I would have prefered to have mounted one on the firewall.
I think it'll work out
Regards
 
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