To gascolate or not to gascolate. That is....

[Kato's 8]

Hello all! I hate to stir a hornets nest or anything but this topic tends to get me flustered. Let me just say first that I had previously decided to NOT install a gascolator on my rv8 qb With Carburated engine. Yes, I said Carburated. I know Vans says it can be omitted on injected engines.
Primary question: if you we're a DAR and came across this set up with out the gascolator installed but had the airflow fuel filter installed for contaminate filtration, would that be something that would stop the inspection until the gascolator were installed? I'm not looking for what someone feels they want but more on reason or logic..
My reasons:
1) using a fuel filter
2) low wing tail drager makes tank lower than firewall
3) vans plans (-1 kit) seems to imply its not needed because the Carburated fuel line dwg has the line exiting pre punched hole in fire wall in same spot as the injected engine plans do and there is no room or indication of a gascolator there on either plan.

I could still cover the fuel hole and move it up higher for gascolator and then cover heat box pre punched hole and move it to other side but I'm comfortable with slumping my tanks for water rather than installing the gascolator. Unless it stops my airworthiness inspection.
Thanks for reading and be assured I can take constructive criticism here.
Thanks!

[bird]

I have been kicking this around quite a bit on my 8. I finally decided on this, fuel filter per dwg's, fuel pickups in tank per dwgs. Gascolator installed on firewall. I thought about leaving it out and discussed it with some on here. I decided to install it because it was brought to my attention that it is more than a filter, it is also a water separator. I plan on sumping mains also but i think the gascolator would catch any water that may get through. I also thought about not installing the filter per dwg's, but the note in my aux fuel pump box says it needs a filter upstream. Like you I did not see the plans call for a gascolator, however it is included in their firewall forward kit for a carburated 0-360, on a rv8. So I am going to end up with a fuel delivery system just as Van's says to do it. They know more than I do about it. The more I thought about it the more I became concerned about changing something as important as my fuel system. Hope this helps you make a good decision for your system.

bird

[bird]

I have been kicking this around quite a bit on my 8. I finally decided on this, fuel filter per dwg's, fuel pickups in tank per dwgs. Gascolator installed on firewall. I thought about leaving it out and discussed it with some on here. I decided to install it because it was brought to my attention that it is more than a filter, it is also a water separator. I plan on sumping mains also but i think the gascolator would catch any water that may get through. I also thought about not installing the filter per dwg's, but the note in my aux fuel pump box says it needs a filter upstream. So I am going to end up with a fuel delivery system just as Van's says to do it. Like you I did not see the plans call for a gascolator, however it is included in their firewall forward kit for a carburated 0-360, on a rv8. They know more than I do about it. The more I thought about it the more I became concerned about changing something as important as my fuel system. Hope this helps you make a good decision for your system.
Sorry about the double post!
bird

[n82rb]

I do not have one on my O-360 RV-4. I have a summit racing billet filter and thats it. I think that they are worthless unless they are at the low point of the system. they also make a great heat sink sitting on the fire wall, just waiting to vapor lock.

bob burns
RV-4 n82RB

[C-FAH Q]

Mount it on the firewall at the lowest point. It will not vapor lock. What can an extra filter before your injectors hurt......nothing. I clean 3 a week, it's worth the investment.

[Scott Hersha]

My FAA inspector had no problem with using an inline fuel filter instead of a gaskolator on my RV8 with a carburetor. A gaskolator won't be at the low spot anyway. Sump your fuel tanks regularly and you should be fine. I had an Andair gaskolator in my wing root on my RV6 years ago and it filtered fuel OK, but I never got a drop of water out of it. The fuel filter is easy (in fact it's a FlowEasy) and it works well.

[vlittle]

Resale Value.
All E-AB aircraft built or sold into Canada must have one and a lot of aircraft are exported to Canada these days. This includes fuel-injected engines.

It's not really that it needs to be at the absolute lowest point in the fuel system. That helps, but the design of a gascolator is that the water will find its way to the bottom of the gascolator bowl as the fuel+water flows through the system. This water is then drained out later.

Water and carburetors don't mix. Fuel filters don't work in this application, only gascolators. Messing with the design of the fuel system is not a good idea, and used to be a significant cause of accidents in newly-built aircraft.

[hawker]

It saved my bacon a few years back on my RV6 with an O-360. WATER! Drained the tanks and nothing, flew some trips ok but on the next fillup i decided to drain the gascolator and found water. Then raised the tail up and found water in tanks

[deek]

I'd first find out if all certified piston engine aircraft have gascolators. If they do, I'd have my answer

[Ironflight]

My old Grumman Yankee never had a gascolator - and it was certified. (It also had a lawn mower choke cable repurposed as a carb heat cable, so you can judge for yourself....)