Author: "rtboot2s" <rtboot2s@...> Time: Tue Nov 9, 2004 3:15 pm PST Link
Wondering if anyone has calibrated the mechanical float with
Van's gages. I'm trying to gain some accuracy with a given fuel load.
I use actual flying time right now but sure would be nice if I could
look at the gages and know when it indicated 5 gal there was 5 gal in
the tank. I have tried adding resistence to the sender but it's not a
liner method.
Thanks
Rich
RV-6 N721ET 100 hrs.
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Author: "wv4i" <callsign@...> Time: Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:20 am PST Link
--- In RV-6and6A@yahoogroups.com, "rtboot2s" <rtboot2s@y...> wrote:
> Wondering if anyone has calibrated the mechanical float with
> Van's gages. I'm trying to gain some accuracy with a given fuel
load.
> I use actual flying time right now but sure would be nice if I could
> look at the gages and know when it indicated 5 gal there was 5 gal
in
> the tank. I have tried adding resistence to the sender but it's
not a
> liner method.
> Thanks
> Rich
> RV-6 N721ET 100 hrs.
Rich, I have an RV-6 which I recently had to weigh empty and thus
empty the fuel tanks in the level position. It has Van's fuel gauges
and float type qty senders. I can say that below 5 gallons, these
gauges are very accurate, down to zero. If you have not drained the
tanks in the level attitude (or approx in flight attitude), and then
refilled them with known fuel qtys recently, while noting the fuel
gauge indications, then this might be a worthwhile exercise if you
have doubts about accuracy. If you find you have an indicating
problem, I'd probably just replace either the gauge, sender, and/or
all the wiring in between including the connectors (problem area for
me in past). Also, when I get below 10 gals total, I usually burn one
tank down to 1-2 gals indicated while in cruise, if light to nil TB,
and then use the
other tank for descent/approach/landing, boost pump on of course.
Link, RV-6 N42GF @FD38
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Author: Brcue Patton <bpattonsoa@...> Time: Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:44 pm PST Link
Both my mechanical gages were dead on for the last few gallons when doing initial testing. The engine quit when the needle just covered the bar on empty. Less than a thimble of gas in the tank.
Last year when I was coming home from a long flight, the right tank was just below 1/4 and the left was on 1/8 and the source. I was about 40 miles out from home when the engine just quit. Switched to the right and it fired right back up. Left still showed 1/8 tank, which should be good for about 20 minutes. Switched back to left watching fuel pressure, which went to zero, and then back to right.
So, the million dollar question was "How much is in the right tank?". Pulled throttle and landed right then, at Paso Robles. The left was bone dry with the needle one width above empty, the right had about 1/4 tank, about 6 gallons, just like the gage showed.
Later removed the tank, checked the sender and it was Ok. A previous problem had occurred on the other tank where the float had a pinhole leak and it gradually half filled with fuel. The result was the opposite, however, showing empty too early. Nothing found, but when put back it read correctly. I have to assume that the problem was a slightly high resistance in the connector, or something.
I use a slightly different strategy when burning towards the bottom. Keep one tank above the 1/4 mark and burn the other to almost empty. At that point land and fuel.
Bruce Patton
6A 596S
wv4i <callsign@bellsouth.net> wrote:
--- In RV-6and6A@yahoogroups.com, "rtboot2s" <rtboot2s@y...> wrote:
> Wondering if anyone has calibrated the mechanical float with
> Van's gages. I'm trying to gain some accuracy with a given fuel
load.
> I use actual flying time right now but sure would be nice if I could
> look at the gages and know when it indicated 5 gal there was 5 gal
in
> the tank. I have tried adding resistence to the sender but it's
not a
> liner method.
> Thanks
> Rich
> RV-6 N721ET 100 hrs.
Rich, I have an RV-6 which I recently had to weigh empty and thus
empty the fuel tanks in the level position. It has Van's fuel gauges
and float type qty senders. I can say that below 5 gallons, these
gauges are very accurate, down to zero. If you have not drained the
tanks in the level attitude (or approx in flight attitude), and then
refilled them with known fuel qtys recently, while noting the fuel
gauge indications, then this might be a worthwhile exercise if you
have doubts about accuracy. If you find you have an indicating
problem, I'd probably just replace either the gauge, sender, and/or
all the wiring in between including the connectors (problem area for
me in past). Also, when I get below 10 gals total, I usually burn one
tank down to 1-2 gals indicated while in cruise, if light to nil TB,
and then use the
other tank for descent/approach/landing, boost pump on of course.
Link, RV-6 N42GF @FD38
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Author: "rtboot2s" <rtboot2s@...> Time: Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:30 am PST Link
Thanks to all who replyed to my question about fuel gages.
I've been flying my fuel totalizer but I still would like to know that
at 5 gal. on the gage, I indeed have 5 gal in the tank. I leveled the
plane and emptied the tanks than refilled them with a known measure of
2 1/2 and 5 gals. I have Van's gages and senders. The left tank
reads 0 at 2 1/2 gal and less than 5 maybe a needle width less with 5
gal. OK I can live with that. The right tank reads above 2 1/2 with 2
1/2 gal and more than 5, if I had to guess maybe 6 or 7 with only 5
gal in the tank.
Now I want to remove the sender to be sure I bent the sender floot arm
properly. After that maybe I'll sleep better.
NEXT question: How in the world do you remove the Proseal???
This all can about when one of our RV-6 fellows was kill when he ran
out of fuel on talkoff at Joliet airport last month.
Thanks
Rich
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