Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:20:20 -0500
From: Finn Lassen <finn.lassen@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Yet another limp home story
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To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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You of course know more about this than I, but isn't it common to find 
debris in gascolator/filters the first many hours flying a fiberglass tank?

Finn

James Maher wrote:
> So the first thing that I looked at on my Delta was the inside of the 
> gascolator.
> Sure enough there was lots of debris in the bottom and on the screen.
> It looked sort of like little fragments of jello.
> After removing the fuel filter it was found to be severely restricted.
> I believe that the new auto fuel formulated with ethanol is causing my 
> fiberglass fuel tank to slowly disintegrate.
> When this fuel tank was first constructed in 2001 leftover pieces of 
> fiberglass samples were submerged in fuel to test its long-term 
> effects. Those pieces are still in tact, but that was the old fuel 
> with MTBE.
> The fuel tank is being used to test the new formulation and it appears 
> that it is failing.
> Next project … perhaps an aluminum fuel tank.
> Well back to the drawing board.
> Jim Maher
> (Dyke Delta N11XD 13B 4.1 hrs)
>