Andair Gascolator

I intend fitting the Andair gascolator as shown in the image below. Has anyone any pictures of a similar installation? As you can see, the Andair bracket, not shown in the picture, will be fitted to the 'double skin', which has a gap between the two skins. I am looking for advice on how to fit the gascolator in this position. Clearly, the gap makes this more problematic. I may also need a backing plate to strengthen the structure.

Try this earlier post for starters. I'll see if I've got some final pictures of my setup I can add.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=138593&page=2
Tom.

Here's how to make the S-bend you will need from the gascolator into the fuselage:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=1149765
Tom.

The best advice I have received so far is to drill out the gear attach web which will allow unrestricted access to the skin and a spacer can then easily be fitted.

mikemalone said:

The best advice I have received so far is to drill out the gear attach web which will allow unrestricted access to the skin and a spacer can then easily be fitted.

Click to expand...

I did it the other way. Drilled the skin out to the external size of a AN3 washer, glued a stack of washers together to sit flush to the skin and bolted though to the stiffner on the other side. That way the skin has no load on it.

A spacer the thickness between the two skins + is required, as you likely know. I used a hole saw to cut through the out board skin and match drilled
a "coin" of suitable thickness. I instaled twin gascolators within the wing root just as you are doing.

So you want to complicate the fuel system by adding two gascolators, one in each wing root. I must ask why?

The tank drains are lower than the fuel pickups on the ground and in level flight. If no water is found during a fuel check then there is no water in the system.

I guess my real question is why do you need a gascolator?

I have flown 2000 hours in my 6A without a gascolator. I have also never found water in the fuel during the preflight check.

The reason I bring this up is that the added two gascolators complicate the fuel system with more fittings and associated plumbing. I do believe in the KISS principle.

I would also suggest using aluminum tube for the fuel lines. They will never wear out, are cheaper and much lighter.

This is how I did mine. It looks a little complicated at first but the picture includes the bulkhead fittings that will be attached to the fuel tank to show relative position. The picture also includes a return line that is unique to my application.



The mounting bolts for the gascolator are drilled centered on existing rivet locations for the structural brace behind the fuselage skin. So there's no additional holes, just two slightly larger holes.

The red shut-off valve is from Summit Racing online. This is saftied OPEN but can be closed when pulling the gascolator bowl at annual to prevent fuel running out the tank when it's is quite full.

If you look closely, you'll also see that to make this work, there's a couple "swivel" 90s. Those also are from Summit Racing.

If this doesn't pan out long term, the "whole gascolator in the wing root thing" can be replaced with a simple piece of tube from the first fitting out of the fuselage to the tank as they line up as per the original plans.

125+ hours so far.

Bevan

I have to agree with Gary. TRY to Keep it Simple and light. The more fittings you use in the fuel system the more chances to develope leaks and less work to deal with came annual time. Aluminum tubing works very well (and cheap) and is easy to rout once u get the "hang of it" to bending it. I also don't use one and have never found any water in preflight inspection. Just my .$02 worth.


Rod Estep
RV8, Barret IO-360, CS
Flying since 2008, still grinning!
Dues payed

Thanks for all you useful replies. Some creative ideas there that hadn't previously occured to me. I take the point about the gascolator position re. the fuel tank drain valve and trying to keep to the KISS principle. In essence, what I've got is a fuel filter/gascolator for each wing tank and no other filter in the system. (for example, between the fuel valve and the Andair fuel pump)

I tried and failed to make airworthy fuel pipes using the aluminium tubing provided by Van's. I was reminded of a previous post by one of our more amusing subscribers who said, after his unsuccessful efforts to fabricate said fuel lines using Van's stock, that he then tried to make a hangman's noose with the leftover tubing and even failed at that.
In the end, I got Tom to make me the entire shebang. Nice job he made of it too.

zilik said:

So you want to complicate the fuel system by adding two gascolators, one in each wing root. I must ask why?

The tank drains are lower than the fuel pickups on the ground and in level flight. If no water is found during a fuel check then there is no water in the system.

I guess my real question is why do you need a gascolator?

I have flown 2000 hours in my 6A without a gascolator. I have also never found water in the fuel during the preflight check.

The reason I bring this up is that the added two gascolators complicate the fuel system with more fittings and associated plumbing. I do believe in the KISS principle.

Click to expand...

We Canadians are obligated to install gascolators in our home builds. Gascolator(s) mounted firewall forward increases the the possibility of fuel line vapour lock (so I've read).
My install incorperates inline gascolators in each wing root at the lowest point in the fuel system, ahead of the high pressure fuel pump. The gascolator sump is 6" from the fuel tank sumps.