How clean fuel filter at gasoline tank?

I am purging of all fuel and want to clean out the filters.
The issue is this: I took over the cover plate on belly of plane beneath fuel tank and I see this. The dark one is BLUE.
1. I disconnect this, using two opposing wrenches
2. I work gingerly as this is a tight spot,
3. I take out fuel filter
4. I remove the introduced substance which the filter has captured.

Any tips if you have done this before?

You are on the right track, and it is NOT an easy job no matter how you do it. The "filter" you are looking for is called a "finger strainer" because it is about the size of your little finger., just a screen "thimble". Be very careful to not disturb the return line, and use some 567 sealant when you go back together, and then carefully look for any leaks after putting fuel back in the tank.

danielabernath said:

I am purging of all fuel and want to clean out the filters.

The issue is this: I took over the cover plate on belly of plane beneath fuel tank and I see this. The dark one is BLUE.
1. I disconnect this, using two opposing wrenches
2. I work gingerly as this is a tight spot,
3. I take out fuel filter
4. I remove the introduced substance which the filter has captured.

Any tips if you have done this before?

Click to expand...

Also, after pumping the fuel out with the electric pump, jack the nose up to get any remaining fuel to the rear of the tank. Not my idea, didn't get a drop down my sleeve.

This would also be a good time to determine your total usable fuel (versus unusable) in the tank. If you use the fuel pump to run all the fuel out, then when you are done checking the filter simply measure the total gallons you put back in to full, and that is your actual usable fuel for that tank.

Since you purchased the airplane instead of building it, it's always good to confirm these things if you have the opportunity. I prefer numbers I measure personally to numbers reported from someone else, given the choice. Sometimes that 1/2 gallon that you think should be there, but may not actually exist, can make the difference between a runway and a pasture for a landing.

airguy said:

This would also be a good time to determine your total usable fuel (versus unusable) in the tank. If you use the fuel pump to run all the fuel out, then when you are done checking the filter simply measure the total gallons you put back in to full, and that is your actual usable fuel for that tank.

Click to expand...

haa haa. The nagging reminder is set to five gallons. That means when I get to five gallons the voice in my headphones keeps telling me repeatedly FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL, FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL.

danielabernath said:

haa haa. The nagging reminder is set to five gallons. That means when I get to five gallons the voice in my headphones keeps telling me repeatedly FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL, FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL.

Click to expand...

That's not what he is referring to. That reminder is only as good as the gauge and how it was calibrated. And it also includes some amount of unusable fuel.

Fuel level senders are not extremely accurate, and they also need to be calibrated by the builder (I'm assuming this is the case for the -12, like the other models, but either way, it's not super-accurate). So, let's say your plane's builder didn't level the plane properly, or made any other small error, and your calibration is off by 1 gallon, so when it reads 5, you only have 4. Then, say you have 1/2 gallon unusable (ie, below the level of the pickup). So now, you think you have 5 gallons in that tank and you only have 3.5 usable. 1 hour of flight time is now 40 minutes. Add a little uncoordinated flight and a headwind and you could be out of fuel well before you expected it.

Proper fuel planning will prevent this from ever being an issue of course, but it is important to understand your system and that you can't just rely on your gauge to tell you how much fuel you have.

Chris

crow's feet wrenches

danielabernath said:

I am purging of all fuel and want to clean out the filters.

The issue is this: I took over the cover plate on belly of plane beneath fuel tank and I see this. The dark one is BLUE.
1. I disconnect this, using two opposing wrenches
2. I work gingerly as this is a tight spot,
3. I take out fuel filter
4. I remove the introduced substance which the filter has captured.

Any tips if you have done this before?

Click to expand...

I've become quite good at removing / reinstalling my tank due to numerous leaks. I found that crow's foot wrenches make removing / installing the fuel feed and fuel return lines much easier.

Crow feet wrenches. Great advice. Which one should I buy?

Just back from Harbor Freight. This tool should be very useful for getting into that tight space. On sale (they say)

SAE 3/8" crow's feet

danielabernath said:

Crow feet wrenches. Great advice. Which one should I buy?

Click to expand...

SAE 3/8" set works great for me. IIRC, I only use the 7/16" (fuel return) and 9/16" (fuel feed). Don't forget you'll need an extension (12"?). I'm sure that I'll discover other places where they come in handy.

The "E" of E-LSA can be seen in the collection of tools that I've accumulated during this process. I have a strong urge to build another -12 just to amortize all my tools! (Wife is thinking about it... )

Harbor Freight sells crowfoot wrenches. The $9 set is open end and the $12 set is flare nut.