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09-08-2011, 06:33 AM
Jack Ardoyno | Fuel Flow Problem
I want to alert all Seawinders to a potential fuel flow problem encountered recently during a training session.
With about 100 hours on the airplane, the owner was practicing solo touch and gos on the runway. After four landings, he aborted the subsequent takeoff citing the inability of the engine to develop full power. Observing from the right seat during a high speed taxi run on the runway, I noted the fuel flow at 12.5 gallons per hour. During a subsequent run the fuel flow was noted at 10.0 GPH.
Disassembling the in line filter revealed a completely clean filter with no obstruction. Removing the fuel screen at the inlet to the fuel control (downstream of the engine driven pump) revealed it to be completely clogged with what appeared to be (under magnification) small fiberglass fibers.
We concluded that the in line filter (about 100 microns) was passing fiberglass residue from the installation of the long fuel probes which was being caught by the screen at the fuel control (about 10 microns).
Recommendation:
Inspect this screen at the earliest opportunity and at every subsequent annual inspection.
Some have also suggested replacing the inline filter with a finer mesh element similar to the screen at the fuel control.
Jack
09-22-2011, 05:23 PM
Ed Lynch
I just examined my fuel screen at the fuel servo inlet, and it appears clean. I am soaking it in gas (inlet down), and will blow it out before reinstalling it. My primary fuel filter is from Summit, and has a 40 micron element. I have cleaned fiberglass out of it every time I inspect it! At each oil change, and at annual time, I have to clean significant amounts of junk out of it, but it has kept the system clean so far. A 10 micron element is available for this filter, but is a throwaway type, not a cleanable screen. I just backflush it--does anyone have a better way to do it? Ed
Jack Ardoyno | Fuel Flow Problem
I want to alert all Seawinders to a potential fuel flow problem encountered recently during a training session.
With about 100 hours on the airplane, the owner was practicing solo touch and gos on the runway. After four landings, he aborted the subsequent takeoff citing the inability of the engine to develop full power. Observing from the right seat during a high speed taxi run on the runway, I noted the fuel flow at 12.5 gallons per hour. During a subsequent run the fuel flow was noted at 10.0 GPH.
Disassembling the in line filter revealed a completely clean filter with no obstruction. Removing the fuel screen at the inlet to the fuel control (downstream of the engine driven pump) revealed it to be completely clogged with what appeared to be (under magnification) small fiberglass fibers.
We concluded that the in line filter (about 100 microns) was passing fiberglass residue from the installation of the long fuel probes which was being caught by the screen at the fuel control (about 10 microns).
Recommendation:
Inspect this screen at the earliest opportunity and at every subsequent annual inspection.
Some have also suggested replacing the inline filter with a finer mesh element similar to the screen at the fuel control.
Jack
09-22-2011, 05:23 PM
Ed Lynch
I just examined my fuel screen at the fuel servo inlet, and it appears clean. I am soaking it in gas (inlet down), and will blow it out before reinstalling it. My primary fuel filter is from Summit, and has a 40 micron element. I have cleaned fiberglass out of it every time I inspect it! At each oil change, and at annual time, I have to clean significant amounts of junk out of it, but it has kept the system clean so far. A 10 micron element is available for this filter, but is a throwaway type, not a cleanable screen. I just backflush it--does anyone have a better way to do it? Ed