What's the trick - weatherhead fuel selector/valve

Fearless · #1 09-03-2008, 05:00 AM

Ok gang,

What is the trick/method/procedure for getting the handle off the weatherhead fuel selector that Van's furnishes in the kit? I took out the screw but the handle does not want to come off easily. I thought it would slip right off but that isn't the case. Just post what worked for you if you used this selector please. Don't need to be converted over to an Andair selector, I know they exist.

Jamie · #2 09-03-2008, 05:22 AM

Two words....brute force. :-)

Yeah, this thing is hard to remove. Keep at it...it'll come off.

szicree · #3 09-03-2008, 06:55 AM

You can easily cobble together a tiny little gear puller from some aluminum and bolts. Or find a way to support the lever from the back, loosen the screw a few turns and give the screw head a light tap with a small hammer.

noelf · #4 09-03-2008, 07:01 AM

I implemented the Andair valve, but I still have Van's valve in the hanger. There is a relatively easy way to remove these "water" valve handles.
1. Mark the position of the handel as it is before you remove anything. It is easy to reassemble these items backwards.

2. remove the obvious screw that holde the handel in place.

3. install a much longer screw in the threaded shaft. thread the screw as far into the shaft as it will go. You want to have an inch or two of screw threads exposed above the valve.

4. if the valve is not installed in your a/c, turn it over, and gently tap the exposed screw head on the workbench while applying hand-pressure force to the valve handel. This should knock the handel free of the shaft.

5. if the valve is still installed in the a/c, instead of step 4 above, use the concept of a cam gear / harmonic balancer / steering wheel puller and pop off the valve handel. You still get to use the long screw as described in (4), and the screw is now the push point, and the valve handel becomes the "pulled" part.

thallock · #5 09-03-2008, 11:46 AM

Mike,

Yep, that little handle is a bugger to get off, until you figure it out. Here's a picture from my website:

This will pop it right off.

Cheers,
Tracy.

Fearless · #6 09-06-2008, 08:46 AM

I went down to the hardware this morning and bought a 8-32 x 1 screw to use to hit on. I blocked the handle and one wack with the hammer and it was off. Its time like this when I couldn't think of things to try that make me question building an airplane but onward I go. Tracy I did exactly what your post shows.

Thanks for the replies.

rvbuilder2002 · #7 09-06-2008, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noelf

I implemented the Andair valve, but I still have Van's valve in the hanger. There is a relatively easy way to remove these "water" valve handles.
1. Mark the position of the handel as it is before you remove anything. It is easy to reassemble these items backwards.

The handles is indexed and will only go on one way...I hope that's not the only reason you spent all the extra money for the andair valve.