Quote:
Originally Posted by danielabernath
Saw no oil leaks on engine when de-cowled. I saw brown under hole where I put the gasoline checker tube.
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They said if it lost oil then it would have been a very big mess. I pointed out the fresh oil on the tarmac but they said it would have been a much bigger mess.
How can gasoline be brown? Mystery eh?
So, they are going to fix and then do a test ride in the air. |
Hi all, first I have been a lurker for a while but I decided to reply to this thread. One of my hobbies is restoring old gasoline engines and showing them. I also rebuild all types of carbs for all types of engines. Last in a former life I was an Aviation Machinist Mate in the Navy.
When talking about gasoline one needs to remember that gasoline today consist of hundreds of compounds. Ethanol is only one of them. The newer gas formulations tend to absorb water instead of displace it. that is until the gasoline approaches its maximum saturation, at that point the absorbed water will settle to the bottom of the container or tank and turn a brown color.
the brown layer may or may uniform so several samples may need to be taken , while it will still burn when injected into the cylinder there will be a loss of power, smoke and possibly complete engine shutdown. This is not a huge problem in a car however in an aircraft is a potentially catastrophic issue.
Gasoline has a shelf life of about 90 days in a fuel tank before it begins to degrade. Most fuel systems require venting. Because of venting atmospheric air is introduced into the tanks, in very humid climates this will also be a significant source of moister. Due to temperature changes and the expansion and contraction of the gasoline as the temperature changes a breathing cycle occurs, this allows more moisture to be introduced to the tanks.
In reading this and other post by the OP I saw that his RV-12 has been parked for several months, exposed to the weather in central Florida. In my opinion this is the reason for his fuel problems. I would drain and flush the fuel system with fresh gas. Then clean or replace all filters. There are several high quality fuel stabilizers on the market, all will cause a slight loss of power when used as directed. They will extend storage time to a maximum of a year when used as directed.
Fuel stored in a light proof air tight container is viable for longer periods of time but all stored gasoline will noticeably degrade after a year of storage.
On his oil issue my first thought was a spill when filling that collected in the bottom of the cowling and slowly dripped onto the wheel and tarmac. However I would remove the cowling and look with a strong flashlight for the spill or leak path. Oil will reflect against the other surfaces under light.
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