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/From: Rowland Carson <rowlandcarson@gmail.com>
<mailto:rowlandcarson@gmail.com>/
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/Subject: Europa-List: andair gascolator query/
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/I've got an Andair GAS375-M gascolator that I plan to fit in the same
compartment as the electric fuel pump. Obviously it is desirable to have
it mounted with the bottom near the bottom skin of the fuselage so that
the drain can be easily activated. However, it's necessary also to have
room to remove the bowl. That means cutting an access hole in the bottom
skin. Has anyone already got a LAA mod number that includes that sort of
thing?/
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/I suppose (plan B) it would also be possible to mount the gascolator
sufficiently high that the bowl could be removed from inside the
aircraft, but that would mean the drain would be a long way from the
fuselage floor and so not easy to operate from outside. Maybe it could
also be operated from inside if the sample cup is small enough?/
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/Any thoughts? in friendship Rowland/
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Hi Rowland,
I suggest that you consider going with plan B. I installed an Andair
gascolator from day 1 (it has worked well) and it is located adjacent to
the fuel pump under the baggage shelf. I added a pipe fitting and
adapter to the gascolator bowl drain and this is run with rubber hose
and adapters to a CAV-110 drain valve on the fuselage belly behind the
flap. I placed the two tank drains at the same location. My valves
protrude from the surface and I understand that some builders go to the
trouble of recessing them so that they are flush . When I need to
inspect the gascolator bowl, there is enough flex in the hose to permit
this.
One problem I ran into is that, inevitably, a small amount of dirt
accumulates in the gascolator bowl. When the drain valve is operated to
check for water, this dirt also is drained out and some will get trapped
on the O ring seal of the drain valve. After some time, the O ring will
start to weep and you will get stains on the belly, particularly with
blue AVGAS. My fix for this problem was to install an additional small
glass filter in the gascolator bowl drain line (e.g. ACS #804 or the
original kit filter). I have never had to clean this secondary filter.
Cheers, John
N262WF, mono XS, 912S
Mooresville, North Carolina
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