Van's Air Force
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Fuel Selector Valve
- Thread starter Av8torTom
- Start date
Tom make sure the handle screw is properly torqued. You've read 2011 Paul's story why he landed Junior on a road, right?
Brantel
Well Known Member
Don't pull on the stock handle or most likely you will break the plastic spool inside the valve where the pin goes thru it. If you hear it pop, you broke it....
The easy way to pop this off is to almost completely remove the screw but leave a few threads engaged. Then take your cleco pliers and put the fork under the selector arm and the screw head in the socket side, squeeze and pop it right off. It does not take much force. El-Cheapo fuel selector arm puller that most metal airplane builders have in their tool box!
The easy way to pop this off is to almost completely remove the screw but leave a few threads engaged. Then take your cleco pliers and put the fork under the selector arm and the screw head in the socket side, squeeze and pop it right off. It does not take much force. El-Cheapo fuel selector arm puller that most metal airplane builders have in their tool box!
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Mike S
Senior Curmudgeon
Now, that is a stroke of genius for sure.
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
N941WR
Legacy Member
The best answer is to buy an Andair valve. However, they are costly.
Barring that, I recommend using 90 degree bulkhead fittings where the lines penetrate the fuselage and straight fitttings where they enter the valve support box.
That makes fabricating the fuel lines much easier and should you decide to install an Andair valve after the stock one fails, you won't have to make the entire fuel line(s) again.
Granted, you are adding multiple fittings to the fuel system but my experience has been that if they are flaired and installed properly, they don't leak.
Barring that, I recommend using 90 degree bulkhead fittings where the lines penetrate the fuselage and straight fitttings where they enter the valve support box.
That makes fabricating the fuel lines much easier and should you decide to install an Andair valve after the stock one fails, you won't have to make the entire fuel line(s) again.
Granted, you are adding multiple fittings to the fuel system but my experience has been that if they are flaired and installed properly, they don't leak.
I couldn't bring myself to buy the Andair valve, but I did upgrade to this fancy fuel selector lever:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/fuelvalveLever.php?clickkey=454645
I think it looks a lot nicer, and may be a bit more secure.
Chris
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/fuelvalveLever.php?clickkey=454645
I think it looks a lot nicer, and may be a bit more secure.
Chris
N941WR
Legacy Member
Have you ever heard the saying, "Lipstick on a pig"? You are spending tens of thousands on your plane and you won't spend a few hundred to upgrade a part that is known to fail and with a failure mode that can be life threatening, why?
Point well taken, however we all do our own research and come to our own conclusions regarding best allocation of our build money. There are thousands of RV's out there flying with the stock valves. No accidents that I can see besides an off-airport landing, when using the old version of the lever I mentioned. The Andair valve also has a reported mechanical failure. I do plan to inspect and replace parts as necessary.
Many of the parts on our planes have life-threatening failure modes. And almost all of them could be upgraded. The issue (for me, on a fireman's salary), is that those "few hundreds" add up. Other people have said it's stupid to run a carb, or stupid to use a 121.5 ELT, or mandatory to install an anti-splat, or autopilot, and so on. Heck, I could have a BRS if I saved up enough "few hundreds"!
There are people, including those that designed your plane, that will tell you that running an O-360 is a safety issue, so my thought is the same as yours,
"Build the plane you want, not the plane others want you to build!"
Sorry for the thread drift
Chris
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
Thanks all
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions with the valve...
I was out in the shop this morning studying the routing of the fuel lines. It looks like 3, 90 degreeish bends in the line to exit the fuselage - easily done, but I imagine you cannot pre-bend the line before setting it in place. What techniques have others used to do this?
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions with the valve...
I was out in the shop this morning studying the routing of the fuel lines. It looks like 3, 90 degreeish bends in the line to exit the fuselage - easily done, but I imagine you cannot pre-bend the line before setting it in place. What techniques have others used to do this?
I found the spring-type tubing benders to be really helpful when doing this. Here's what I did:
Use a coat hangar to simulate the bends needed from the selector valve to the first bulkhead. You can make those bends on the tube before installing (don't forget to flare and add fittings).
Then starting from that bracket start feeding the tube outboard, and use the spring bender to make the bend through the gear mount and then out the fuselage.
Only took about 30 minutes per side, much easier than I had expected.
Chris
cajunwings
Well Known Member
Fuel Valve
Andair makes a great product, but I went with the stock valve. I like the "tractor valve". Simple, light, reliable & proven on lots of planes. One of my requirements for this plane is easy to find replacement parts when repairs are needed. Im thinking a couple of fuel resistant "O" rings from auto zone should get me going again from almost anywhere. Preventative maintenance dictates that if the valve ever gets harder to turn it needs to come apart to investigate. Another plus is when your buddies upgrade their build to the Andair they will often give you the stock valve. I have at least 1 spare on hand with fittings installed.
Don B
RV 9 Rebiuld in Progress
Andair makes a great product, but I went with the stock valve. I like the "tractor valve". Simple, light, reliable & proven on lots of planes. One of my requirements for this plane is easy to find replacement parts when repairs are needed. Im thinking a couple of fuel resistant "O" rings from auto zone should get me going again from almost anywhere. Preventative maintenance dictates that if the valve ever gets harder to turn it needs to come apart to investigate. Another plus is when your buddies upgrade their build to the Andair they will often give you the stock valve. I have at least 1 spare on hand with fittings installed.
Don B
RV 9 Rebiuld in Progress
alpinelakespilot2000
Well Known Member
I'm not aware of the Van's valves from the past decade or so having any issues. I do know some very old ones did, though even then they gave plenty of advance notice by becoming very hard to turn. Am I wrong on either count?
Happy with my stock valve with the handle painted red. If there's truly a safety issue, that's one thing, but it's lots of small decisions like this that can easily turn a $60K RV into an $80K RV.
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
More Fuel Line Questions
Thanks - couple of questions. (i) why a 90 deg fitting through the hull (as opposed to a straight through) (ii) if I decide to run the line through the fuselage, how much length should I leave? I can see that REALLY getting in the way!
Thanks - couple of questions. (i) why a 90 deg fitting through the hull (as opposed to a straight through) (ii) if I decide to run the line through the fuselage, how much length should I leave? I can see that REALLY getting in the way!
N941WR
Legacy Member
Because the fuel line has to make a 90 degree turn to go through the fuselage and the fitting eliminates one more bend and allows you to make a short straight line to go between the tank and the bulkhead fitting.
On the day of my first flight with my SuperCub (Van's style fuel valve) I did a high speed taxy (not very fast in a SuperCub) and it could have very well saved my life. On roll out at the end (where the high voltage line crosses the end of my runway) my engine stopped. After a little searching I discovered that when switching from left to both tanks, I stopped with the handle inverted. With so much going on in anticipation of the first flight I messed up big time and turned the fuel selector off, that's why I now install Andair valves, you have to intentionally act in order to turn them off.
N941WR
Legacy Member
That and people have had them stick in flight, with no warning. Just not worth the risk, IMHO.
If the valve ever sticks or is hard to turn, just lift up on the handle and turn. The valve is a tapered nylon cone set in a brass body. It has 2 O rings.... one in the shaft, and the other to seal the top. Both can be replaced without removing the valve body from the aircraft..... if you think... when you plumb it in.
Instead of crossing the fuel lines, you can take the valve apart, drive out the pin that holds the cone and rotate it 180* and install the pin. This is a very simple valve. Take yours apart and see. Count the parts of the high priced valve and decide what you want in your project. They will both do the job.
RPorter
Active Member
Just a thought, not trying to hijack the thread or criticize, but I have always been told to never install lines, rigid or otherwise, without a bend or some sort of compensation for flex in order to protect the flare?
N941WR
Legacy Member
The hole in the side of the fuselage is larger than the fitting and the fitting is held in place by a large rubber grommet, so everything can move relative to the wing, which should be very little movement.
Danny King
Well Known Member
You will not get any argument from me about the quality of the Andair fuel valve. It is simply wonderful. I would have installed one in the Doll years ago if the plumbing was common. I just can't make myself re-manufacture all those fuel lines when the O.E.M. valve works just fine. No....It's not the equal of Andair but your comment is a little over the top.
I have been flying the Doll for nearly fifteen years and nearly 1500 hours with Van's fuel valve. Not one minute have I felt that I was operating with an unsafe valve or putting my passenger or myself in any danger. Like already stated, Van's valve is very simple and can be disassembled without removing the valve. I have only had to service it one time when I could feel friction building up. A good cleaning and reassemble with some fuel lube and it was as good as new.
JonJay
Well Known Member
No go on the kink....OK, ran the fuel lines.
Left side - perfect. Right side there's a little kink where it exits the fuselage. Thoughts?
There is little to no relative movement between those joints. The bends in the line will take care of any expansion/contraction if any, but you need to lose the kink I am afraid.
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
Darn - I was SOOOOOOO close
JonJay
Well Known Member
Most of us have a pile of "so close" fuel line. It is an acquired skill of which I have yet to master.
Av8torTom
Well Known Member
Thanks!
Thanks Vlad - I think I'll have enough but I need to come for a visit anyway.
Definitely need to redo the line Tom. Need some aluminum? Come to Princeton I have couple rolls of Tony's stock. He knew he would need a lot...
Thanks Vlad - I think I'll have enough but I need to come for a visit anyway.
bruceh
Well Known Member
At least you now have a good template for version 2.0!
Getting around the gear weldments is such a pain. I used some spring tubing benders and some lube to get around them.
Be sure to thread the tubing through the lightening hole in the weldment and use a rubber grommet in there along with the one on the fuselage skin.
Getting around the gear weldments is such a pain. I used some spring tubing benders and some lube to get around them.
Be sure to thread the tubing through the lightening hole in the weldment and use a rubber grommet in there along with the one on the fuselage skin.
