Yes, I have an Andair mini-gascolator and suffered a partial power loss
requiring a forced landing (fortunately overhead the airfield) during
the 2 hr endurance flight which is part of the PFA flight test program.
This was after about 3.5 hrs total flight time. The mesh on the
gascolator did not appear to be totally clogged but had a kind of fine
gunk covering about half the area.
My fuel tank is one of the second design made around 1997. I never found
out what the gunk was, whether it came from the lining of the tank or
was introduced with the fuel.
The hope in replacing the Europa filters with the mini-gascolator was
that the gascolator bowl would be easily removable and so the filter
could be regularly inspected and cleaned, however this has proved not to
be the case due to the fact that the bowl seems to jam on during use,
and with the confined mounting space in the Europa, removing the bowl is
incredibly difficult, and sometimes impossible. On the day of the engine
failure, I was instructed by the test pilot (John Brownlow) to check the
fuel filters. Since I was unable to get the bowl off to check the
filter, I drained the contents of the gascolator into a sight glass and
checked that there was no water or sediment. It was all clear, but I
couldn't see that the filter was already clogged. I don't see the
gascolator as a improvement, although I don't like the Europa filters
either.
Fortunately, I have not had the same problem since, I am more rigorous
about filtering the fuel during refuelling, and cleaning the gascolator
filter at each refuelling despite the incredible hassle in trying to get
the ****ing thing off.
Graeme Smith
No 26
Jos Okhuijsen wrote:
>
>> The Andair mini-gascolator has very little more area than the Promax.
>> The larger gascolator is very difficult to dismantle and re-assemble. I
>
> Simple question then: Has anybody experienced similar fuel problems
> without those automotive filters and a mounted gascolator?
>
> --Kind Regards,
>
> Jos Okhuijsen
>
> workshopcam http://www.okhuijsen.org/plane
> http:www.europaowners.org/kit600
> mono xs, top on, gear in, tail wheel in, wings set, flapdrive in, tail
> closed, tailwheel in, tail top in, blue stuff filled, sanded and
> primed, fuel system in, doors done, windows in, sanding and filling
> the fuse and wings.
>
>
> http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Europa-List
> http://wiki.matronics.com
>
>
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>
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