Gascolator questions

[andrew phillips]

I am in Canada and my inspector requires me to have a gascolator even though I have a fuel injected 360 w/ the internal AFP pump/filter set up. AFP suggested that the gascolator be in a box w/ blast air cooling. I have some general questions. I plan on using Van's gascolator. RV-7A

1. Should the drain valve stick out of the cowling (like certified A/C) so I can test at each walk around
2. If drain is to be accessible then the gascolator will have to be mounted out from the firewall on a bracket to allow the drain to clear engine mount tube...right?
3. Fuel line currently enters engine compartment near center of firewall x 3" above floor. Gascolator can not go here so should I run fuel line in the engine compartment to the gascolator or abandon this fitting and run the line inside the cabin to the passenger side and then pass through the firewall directly into the gascolator? I am worried about heating the fuel with any unnecessary extra line on the engine side.

Thanks

[Tom Martin]

If the gascolator is after the boost pump then it must be able to withstand up to 60psi. The older style units will not take this pressure. Van's sells a nice unit as does Andair. Consider mounting the gascolator in the cockpit before the boost pump. It can be drained through a hole in the floor. This keeps the unit in the cool cabin away from heat and vibration. I have done this style of installation on seven airplanes and I know of a few others as well. If you can mount the unit in front of the boost pump I would still reccomend the newer style gascolator. Gascolators seem to be frowned on due, I believe, to the older Briggs and Stratten style units. One real advantage of a gascolator over the supplied AFP filter is that you can check your fuel before each and every flight. Thus if there are any contaminates you will get a heads up for potential problems. In my installations I do not use the AFP filter, just the gascolator and I have had well over 1500 hjours of trouble free operations with all the aircraft.
Call me if you wish, I live in St.Thomas Ontario, 519-631-1369