Do you sump your gascolator?

[rmarshall234]

Originally Posted by Richard RG

The RV3 I now fly is carbed and maybe more tolerant of contaminates in the fuel?

Have you drained the float bowl of the carb lately? A good thing to do at each annual bc that's where the water and crud accumulate before they present themselves as a problem.

[abuura]

Originally Posted by BoydBirchler

My RV7 originally had a gascolator. It was useless! It would not drain fuel unless I would turn on the boost pump.

When I changed to fuel injection I eliminated it and replaced it with an AFP high pressure boost pump, with a high flow fliter. The filter gets serviced at each condition inspection.

I sump the lowest point in my taildragger's fuel system: which is each tank's rear inboard main tank drains.

There are a lot of us out here that feel the placement of a gascolator ahead of the firewall, in that hot environment, is perfect for boiling fuel and causing vaporlock.

Same for me and my RV7. I remove the bowl and screen at each CI, as well as the carburetor's finger screen but have never found anything. I sump each tank before flight, which is where I occasionally have found debris and water.

[fixnflyguy]

I have one on my -4 per plans and Bingelis book recommendation when built in Jurassic era. I have a small hole in my lower cowl that I can sump through with a standard drain tool. A few years back I witnessed a return to field deadstick Glassair that was just pure luck...He had not owned it for long, and it sat on our ramp around Xmas time while he visited family and it rained a couple times. Had the whole family there for his departure home to Fla. Did a non eventful runup, took off and did high speed zoom climb at steep angle and at 500-800 feet, backfire pop and silent, managed the dreaded turnback but was so fast he had to force on runway , overshoot and destroyed the plane. We pulled the cowl and the hidden, inaccessible gascolator was full of water to the top. Im sure the zoom climb force fed water that was there for a while. Gave me a new respect for sumping mine. My -4 is always hangared,and in 12 years, I have never got a drop of water out of it, and yes, I have do it with the boost pump on.

[pa38112]

I dont sump mine. I clean it every condition inspection and usually find a small amount of fine dirt, but never found any water.
If my plane were stored outside or was in a heavy rain,
I would probably sump it.
The only way water could get to the gascolator would be if it was pumped there by the fuel pump. Sumping the tanks should get any water before it gets picked up and pumped to the gascolator.

[Roadjunkie1]

Originally Posted by fixnflyguy

I have one on my -4 per plans and Bingelis book recommendation when built in Jurassic era. I have a small hole in my lower cowl that I can sump through with a standard drain tool. My -4 is always hangared, and in 12 years, I have never got a drop of water out of it, and yes, I have do it with the boost pump on.

It is part of my preflight to drain both wings and gascolator, both in the Cub (placarded to do so; lowest point in the fuel system is the gascolator) and in SuzieQ (fuel pump thumping). I have rarely found water in the tanks and more rarely found water in the gascolator. Usually debris/dirt. Water rarely found in tanks after a good Rain at OSH but I also usually cover the caps during a Rainstorm.

I tap the quick drains after EVERY fuel up as part of my miniature walk-around after fueling. Never know what you are pumping into your tanks. I have found water after refueling but usually crud. And have never left a tank cap off....

SO: tapping two tanks and a gascolator is part of my standard routine. I've done that since 1972 and don't see me changing after this many years..... If I couldn't tap the gascolator, there would be a little part of me that would be uneasy... What if...... If I had one that was not accessible, I would find a way to make it so. IMHO

[Avanza]

You need to be sure the engine will not quit during flight.
If you never had gunk in the filters during 50 hr inspections and it´s parked in a heated locked hangar and regularly flown, there will be no water in the fuel.
If parked outdoors there is a real risk that rainwater enters the tanks regardles
what fuel caps you have. If left outdoors over night with other than full tanks, there is a real risk of condensation especially when close to a lake or coast.
If parked at an unattended airport, you don´t know what happens.
If flown by someone else, you don´t know.
So I would say it depends.

[9GT]

I personally would never get in someone’s plane who did not do a thorough pre-flight,,,,,,and that includes sumping all points.

[Scott Hersha]

Originally Posted by fixnflyguy

I have one on my -4 per plans and Bingelis book recommendation when built in Jurassic era. I have a small hole in my lower cowl that I can sump through with a standard drain tool. A few years back I witnessed a return to field deadstick Glassair that was just pure luck...He had not owned it for long, and it sat on our ramp around Xmas time while he visited family and it rained a couple times. Had the whole family there for his departure home to Fla. Did a non eventful runup, took off and did high speed zoom climb at steep angle and at 500-800 feet, backfire pop and silent, managed the dreaded turnback but was so fast he had to force on runway , overshoot and destroyed the plane. We pulled the cowl and the hidden, inaccessible gascolator was full of water to the top. Im sure the zoom climb force fed water that was there for a while. Gave me a new respect for sumping mine. My -4 is always hangared,and in 12 years, I have never got a drop of water out of it, and yes, I have do it with the boost pump on.

I haven’t found anything in my fuel samples either - tanks or gascolator, but I still do it. On my firewall mounted gascolator, located per my build plans, I made an extension out of a brass nipple from Home Depot with an adapter and the quick drain that ends up flush with a hole in the bottom of my cowl for sumping. I can turn on my boost pump for a squirt, or turn on my boost pump and close the fuel selector valve to capture some pressure. Then run around to the front and get a descent squirt of fuel for the test. Don’t forget to open your fuel selector valve after if you do it this way……. You won’t get very far if you don’t. I just cleaned my Andair gascolator today doing my CI. I found a small ball of what looks like lint about half the size of a pencil eraser, so the gascolator did it’s job. That kind of stuff won’t show up in your samples because it gets stuck in the filter, but water and heavier dirt particles will.

[Roadjunkie1]

Originally Posted by BoydBirchler

There are a lot of us out here that feel the placement of a gascolator ahead of the firewall, in that hot environment, is perfect for boiling fuel and causing vaporlock.

....which is why I have mine enclosed with a cooling air duct blasting cool air on it....

[edstepec]

I check gascolator every first flight of day and after fueling. Found enough water in my gascolator to wake me up. Well worth it to continue this practice