JonJay
Well Known Member
Part of my CI is to check all fuel fittings. Put eyes on each one, fingers, and a wrench. I do not re-torque, just get a general feel that things are tight.
I also wipe on and around each fitting with a white paper towel.
I have found the paper towel will show blue dye better than most fabric towels.
So, doing my thing around the fuel selector in the doghouse and, ruh roh, blue stains on the towel, on and around one of the b nuts. It appears to have been seeping for some time judging by the staining. Checked fitting, all tight. Cleaned the fitting, backed off the b nut slightly, re-torqued. Cleaned again, and a few minutes later, it’s back.
I did this a few times, same result. As I contemplated the cause, cracked flare? Bad fitting? …. Draining the tank, and potentially having to redo the most difficult line to fabricate in the whole airplane, I tried one last thing.
I loosened the fitting significantly until fuel was running out at a pretty decent clip, then tightened and re-retorqued. Cleaned the area again, no longer any blue dye! Waited a while, checked again, all good. Turned the fuel selector to that tank, ran the boost pump to flow some fuel, still ok. Waited a few hours, all good.
I’ll keep the doghouse cover off so I can inspect for a while, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. We’ll see. If it comes back, I might just replace that fitting, send the line back to Tom and have them copy it!
It’s a right of passage to fabricate the main fuel lines from the tank to the selector on a 6. Those that have done it know. But, I don’t need to do it again!
We shall see.
I also wipe on and around each fitting with a white paper towel.
I have found the paper towel will show blue dye better than most fabric towels.
So, doing my thing around the fuel selector in the doghouse and, ruh roh, blue stains on the towel, on and around one of the b nuts. It appears to have been seeping for some time judging by the staining. Checked fitting, all tight. Cleaned the fitting, backed off the b nut slightly, re-torqued. Cleaned again, and a few minutes later, it’s back.
I did this a few times, same result. As I contemplated the cause, cracked flare? Bad fitting? …. Draining the tank, and potentially having to redo the most difficult line to fabricate in the whole airplane, I tried one last thing.
I loosened the fitting significantly until fuel was running out at a pretty decent clip, then tightened and re-retorqued. Cleaned the area again, no longer any blue dye! Waited a while, checked again, all good. Turned the fuel selector to that tank, ran the boost pump to flow some fuel, still ok. Waited a few hours, all good.
I’ll keep the doghouse cover off so I can inspect for a while, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. We’ll see. If it comes back, I might just replace that fitting, send the line back to Tom and have them copy it!
It’s a right of passage to fabricate the main fuel lines from the tank to the selector on a 6. Those that have done it know. But, I don’t need to do it again!
We shall see.
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