X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:32:10 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imr-db01.mx.aol.com ([205.188.91.95] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.0.2) with ESMTP id 6136577 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:34:51 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.188.91.95; envelope-from=n5276j@aol.com Received: from mtaomg-db05.r1000.mx.aol.com (mtaomg-db05.r1000.mx.aol.com [172.29.51.203]) by imr-db01.mx.aol.com (Outbound Mail Relay) with ESMTP id BB3FB38000055 for ; Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:34:17 -0400 (EDT) Received: from core-mlc001c.r1000.mail.aol.com (core-mlc001.r1000.mail.aol.com [172.29.188.207]) by mtaomg-db05.r1000.mx.aol.com (OMAG/Core Interface) with ESMTP id 8E358E000081 for ; Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:34:17 -0400 (EDT) X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net Subject: Re: [LML] Re: 360 fuel transfer X-MB-Message-Source: WebUI X-MB-Message-Type: User MIME-Version: 1.0 From: steve Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="--------MB_8CFF58E6E82D369_B1C_110520_Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com" X-Mailer: AOL Webmail 37572-STANDARD Received: from 70.193.197.205 by Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com (205.188.108.140) with HTTP (WebMailUI); Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:34:17 -0400 X-Original-Message-Id: <8CFF58E6E1090D9-B1C-4F237@Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com> X-Originating-IP: [70.193.197.205] X-Original-Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:34:17 -0400 (EDT) x-aol-global-disposition: G X-AOL-SCOLL-SCORE: 0:2:387322848:93952408 X-AOL-SCOLL-URL_COUNT: 0 x-aol-sid: 3039ac1d33cb514d22b91866 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ----------MB_8CFF58E6E82D369_B1C_110520_Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I thought long and hard about automatic pumps for the header and equally ab= out the fuel vent in the header.My final decision in the end was no automat= ic pumps because I figured I would get used to them and quit managing fuel = and sure enough one day they would fail and I would run the header dry. I n= ever did the math but figured it could take some time to fill the header en= ough to lite the fire again and the ground may be there first.=20 After all this I decided my fuel system would be as follows: Left and right pumps to the header from each wing. left wing or right wing or header tank via fuel valve, I run primarily on t= he header but if I were to run it dry I can hit the engine boost pump and = switch to either wing and have fuel. BTW my engine boost pump is in the bac= k of nose gear well, low point in the system I also plumbed my header tank vent on the top just before the gas cap, I ha= ve taken some crap on this but i never forget to turn my header fill pumps = off as it starts spitting in my face long before it fills completely in fli= ght. I never thought the vent under the cowling was a very good location. Steve Alderman N25SA 170 TT =20 -----Original Message----- From: Greenbacks, UnLtd. To: Lancair Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Sent: Fri, Mar 22, 2013 8:16 pm Subject: [LML] Re: 360 fuel transfer About 20min into todays' flight and with the transfer pump switches set to = auto,=20 he system failed. Actually it had failed before takeoff but I was unaware s= ince=20 he header tank was full on takeoff. I observed the sight gauge level drop t= o=20 ts normal pump on level and kept falling. The EI fuel gauge for the header = tank=20 greed and kept falling. Normally the pumps come on automatically at about= =20 .5gal but not today so I continued the flight and operated the transfer pum= ps=20 anually for the 2.5hr flight. About 5 min out from landing I again turned o= n=20 he transfer pumps manually and this time forgot to shut them off. :-( eedless to say fuel was being pumped overboard as I taxied into the hangar.= ... So what went wrong? The auto transfer system is controlled by a solid state= =20 elay from Perhelion Design and it works great. owever, the system failed due to the fact that one of the leads to the rela= y=20 rom the buss had somehow slipped off its terminal on the relay(these termin= als=20 re pointed down in this installation). A female spade connector that was=20 bviously just loose enough to wiggle itself off, did so. In the end, a simp= le=20 ix but it reinforces the point that none of our building work should be tak= en=20 or granted. Now the two power leads to the relay are secured with clear hea= t=20 hrink as well as lacing tape. Angier Ames 4ZQ - or archives and unsub http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/lml/List.html ----------MB_8CFF58E6E82D369_B1C_110520_Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
I thought long and hard about automatic pumps for the header and equal= ly about the fuel vent in the header.My final decision in the end was no au= tomatic pumps because I figured I would get used to them and quit = ;managing fuel and sure enough one day they would fail and I would run the = header dry. I never did the math but figured it could take some time t= o fill the header enough to lite the fire again and the ground may be there= first.
 
After all this I decided my fuel system would be as follows:
 
Left and right pumps to the header from each wing.
left wing or right wing or header tank via fuel valve, I run primarily= on the header but if I were to run it dry I can hit the engine  boost= pump and switch to either wing and have fuel. BTW my engine boost pump is = in the back of nose gear well, low point in the system
 
I also plumbed my header tank vent on the top just before the gas= cap, I have taken some crap on this but i never forget to turn my header f= ill pumps off as it starts spitting in my face long before it fills complet= ely in flight. I never thought the vent under the cowling was a v= ery good location.
 
Steve Alderman  N25SA   170 TT 
 



 
= -----Original Message-----
From: Greenbacks, UnLtd. <N4ZQ@VERIZON.NET>
To: Lancair Mailing List lml@lanca= ironline.net
Sent: Fri, Mar 22, 2013 8:16 pm
Subject: [LML] Re: 360 fuel transfer

About =
20min into todays' flight and with the transfer pump switches set to auto,=
=20
the system failed. Actually it had failed before takeoff but I was unaware =
since=20
the header tank was full on takeoff. I observed the sight gauge level drop =
to=20
its normal pump on level and kept falling. The EI fuel gauge for the header=
 tank=20
agreed and kept falling. Normally the pumps come on automatically at about=
=20
7.5gal but not today so I continued the flight and operated the transfer pu=
mps=20
manually for the 2.5hr flight. About 5 min out from landing I again turned =
on=20
the transfer pumps manually and this time forgot to shut them off. :-(
Needless to say fuel was being pumped overboard as I taxied into the hangar=
....

So what went wrong? The auto transfer system is controlled by a solid state=
=20
relay from Perhelion Design and it works great.
However, the system failed due to the fact that one of the leads to the rel=
ay=20
from the buss had somehow slipped off its terminal on the relay(these termi=
nals=20
are pointed down in this installation). A female spade connector that was=
=20
obviously just loose enough to wiggle itself off, did so. In the end, a sim=
ple=20
fix but it reinforces the point that none of our building work should be ta=
ken=20
for granted. Now the two power leads to the relay are secured with clear he=
at=20
shrink as well as lacing tape.

Angier Ames
N4ZQ
--
For archives and unsub http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/lml/Lis=
t.html
----------MB_8CFF58E6E82D369_B1C_110520_Webmail-d124.sysops.aol.com--