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  #1  
Old 01-07-2016, 04:39 AM
Ron B. Ron B. is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,408
Default Gascolator

Anyone tackle installing a gascolator in the RV-14 yet? I'm stuck with having to due to Canadian regs.
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  #2  
Old 01-07-2016, 05:33 AM
Tom Martin Tom Martin is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,544
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Ron
Not there yet but it will be firewall mounted, likely low on the the right side. In anticipation of this I omitted the supplied cabin fuel filter. It is an odd little assembly and it is not going to easy to service. Service will require removal from the aircraft. There is no way to inspect this filter for blockage without removal. If it plugs you lose both tanks!
As for gascolators, my preference is the Van's blue unit. I currently have an Andair unit in my rocket and have found it not worth the extra $.
Gascolators are used in almost all certified aircraft. Although they have some limitations in RVs, ie not the lowest spot in the system, they provide a method of sampling which inline filters do not.
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CPL & IFR rated
EVO F1 Rocket 1000 hours,
2010 SARL Rocket 100 race, average speed of 238.6 knots/274.6mph
RV4, RV7, RV10, two HRIIs and five F1 Rockets
RV14 Tail dragger

Fairlea Field
St.Thomas, Ontario Canada, CYQS
fairleafield@gmail.com

Last edited by Tom Martin : 01-07-2016 at 05:35 AM.
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  #3  
Old 01-07-2016, 08:22 AM
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rvbuilder2002 rvbuilder2002 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Hubbard Oregon
Posts: 9,035
Default

The inline filter has more square inches of filter area than any of the gascolators do so any contamination issue that will be a problem for the in-line filter, will likely be an even bigger problem for the gascolator.

There are positives and negatives to both filtering methods...

A gascolator induces more heat exposure on the fuel system, and depending on the installation can induce more risk of system breach in a crash, but it is easier to service.

The inline method reduces heat exposure and provides filtration upstream of all pumps and flow sensors, but it is more challenging to service (though once you learn to shut the engine down by starving with the fuel valve it is no big deal).
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RV-6A (aka "Junkyard Special ")
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  #4  
Old 01-07-2016, 08:35 AM
Tom Martin Tom Martin is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Scott
I totally agree with you regarding the heat exposure of having the gascolator firewall forward. In my current plane and other RVs and rockets I have mounted the unit aft of the firewall and in some cased provided a nice access door in the fuselage bottom. However the RV14 has that really nice stainless steel cooling air exhaust tunnel and it complicates a centreline gascolator installation. Putting it off to either side would just make a nice simple system too complicated.
Thus, for simplicity sake, firewall forward makes sense here and a cooling blast tube could be added if required.
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Tom Martin RV1 pilot 4.6hours!
CPL & IFR rated
EVO F1 Rocket 1000 hours,
2010 SARL Rocket 100 race, average speed of 238.6 knots/274.6mph
RV4, RV7, RV10, two HRIIs and five F1 Rockets
RV14 Tail dragger

Fairlea Field
St.Thomas, Ontario Canada, CYQS
fairleafield@gmail.com
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  #5  
Old 01-07-2016, 11:07 AM
Jake14 Jake14 is offline
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 323
Default gascolator

The gascolator in my present aircraft, being at the low point of the fuel system, seems to be where most of the moisture (water) accumulates and is something I check and drain before every flight. How would this moisture be handled in the no-gascolator case?
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  #6  
Old 01-07-2016, 02:39 PM
Tom Martin Tom Martin is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
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In over 20 years of RV types finding any water is a rare event. When it happens I typically find it in the wing sumps, which are the low point; at least in a tail dragger it is. The amounts I am talking about are a few small drops of water. I have also found a drops of water in the gascolator even though it is not the low point in the system. Finding anything is a bit of a surprise, and I think this demonstrates how good the quality of US and Canadian 100LL is.
The only time I have ever found significant water was in my Citabria 25 years ago when I was burning car gas. That ended the use of car gas in airplanes for me!!
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Tom Martin RV1 pilot 4.6hours!
CPL & IFR rated
EVO F1 Rocket 1000 hours,
2010 SARL Rocket 100 race, average speed of 238.6 knots/274.6mph
RV4, RV7, RV10, two HRIIs and five F1 Rockets
RV14 Tail dragger

Fairlea Field
St.Thomas, Ontario Canada, CYQS
fairleafield@gmail.com

Last edited by Tom Martin : 01-07-2016 at 02:42 PM.
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  #7  
Old 01-07-2016, 03:11 PM
Jake14 Jake14 is offline
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Seattle
Posts: 323
Default gascolator

glad to hear it's so rare.

I do remember, several years ago, gassing up from a fuel truck on a rainy, slushy winter day in Idaho. Later, when I pulled the sump drain on the gascolator in Missoula the water beaded up on the ground, and we must have taken a couple of cups of water from the wing and gascolator. Don't know how the engine stayed running, but for years after that I sumped the drain whenever I gassed up
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  #8  
Old 01-07-2016, 06:50 PM
F1R F1R is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ____
Posts: 829
Default Under the Wing Root Fairings

On some RV's the wing root, allows space for one andair gascolator per side, with the use of flex lines. This provides a cool location, with ease of sampling prior to flight. Also on the plus side is that either unit could block and allow you to feed from the other tank. Somebody more gifted than I with searching can find the threads and photos of some of the wing root gascolator installs.
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  #9  
Old 01-08-2016, 07:43 AM
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czechsix czechsix is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Spring Hill, KS
Posts: 365
Default Gascolator in FWF kit?

Scott, since the -14 comes with the inline filter does that mean there will be no gascolator in the FWF kit? I looked back at my pictures of the RV-14 from Oshkosh and can't see a gascolator drain protruding through the cowl anywhere...

Thanks,
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Spring Hill, KS
RV-8A N2D #80583 - built/flew/sold
RV-14A #140017 - wings complete, empacone in progress...
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  #10  
Old 01-08-2016, 09:03 AM
Ron B. Ron B. is offline
 
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Location: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by czechsix View Post
Scott, since the -14 comes with the inline filter does that mean there will be no gascolator in the FWF kit? I looked back at my pictures of the RV-14 from Oshkosh and can't see a gascolator drain protruding through the cowl anywhere...

Thanks,
I do not think so but I wish they did as it's a requirement here in Canada.
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