SafeAir 1 Pitot / Static System Leaks

[UnPossible]

Hey - last Friday as part of my Phase 1 testing I went to a local avionics shop to get my Pitot / Static system, along with my Transponder, checked out.

My transponder worked fine, but I had fairly significnat leaks in both my Pitot and Static systems. All of the connectors I used were SafeAir connectors.

Is there any trick to get these to seal properly? I used the fancy cut-off tool to ensure a 90 cut.. Is there anything else I was supposed to do (I thought these were supposed to be stupid easy to install)?

Any suggestions as how to install these leak-free?

Thanks,
Jason

[AltonD]

Cut straight. I have them and zero drop in 60 minutes. My leaks were in the gretz pitot tube. And around the static port to fuse wall ( fixed with rtv on the inside.

[rwarre]

Would like to know a good method for detecting leaks in the static system. Also have had the same issues with safe air connectors.

[SmilingJack]

I had the same issue Alton did.

Put a "T" in the static line before the static ports, then take off the line at the base of your pitot tube.

Now do your leak test, it's the best way to really know if it's your safeair connectors or your static ports or pitot tube.

Otherwise you'll have to remove and replace one at a time each connector and it may not be them.

Good Luck

[Brantel]

Mine were and are leak free. The guy who does my static test always comments on how tight it is.

A common source of leaks is around the static port and the fuse skin itself if you did not seal the port to the skin.

Most pitot tubes have a drain hole in them to allow moisture to escape. This hole will leak during a pitot test.

You should be able to get a good seal on the fittings without jumping thru many hoops.

[AltonD]

I already had the Tee and just hooked up a turkey injector syringe to a short peice of static tubng with surgical tubing and bypassed the static ports.

The turkey syringe can be found in the aviation Isle at Winn Dixie. The surgical tubing was at my local Ace hardware, but it is hit or miss on this one.

The first time I went for the cert, the guy laughed at me it leaked so bad. After I replaced the gretz and isolated the static ports, it passed with flying colors. Not a single safe-air fitting ever leaked.

[Flying Scotsman]

Originally Posted by Brantel

A common source of leaks is around the static port and the fuse skin itself if you did not seal the port to the skin.

Although I did this when I installed them, I'm a tad confused by this (assuming this applies to the after-market static ports, rather than the Van's pop-rivet method, which I didn't use).

The static port is machined from a single piece of aluminum...there's a hole on the outside, and a hole on the inside. Outside hole goes to, well, the outside, and the inside barbed fitting with a hole gets a tube over it, sealed w/ silicone or RTV or something else and clamped in place.

How would sealing the static ports to the skin have anything to do with creating a leak in the system?

Just curious, because I've heard this before but it never made sense to me...

Steve

[Brantel]

The leak will only matter if the guy doing the test uses a suction cup. The air has a path from inside the fuse, past the large area of the port and the skin and then out past the boss of the port and the hole in the skin and right into the guys suction cup.

This can also happen if someone tapes up the port for the test and they are not careful how they tape it.

[Flying Scotsman]

Originally Posted by Brantel

The leak will only matter if the guy doing the test uses a suction cup. The air has a path from inside the fuse, past the large area of the port and the skin and then out past the boss of the port and the hole in the skin and right into the guys suction cup.

This can also happen if someone tapes up the port for the test and they are not careful how they tape it.

AHA! Thanks...something to watch out for, I guess, to make sure it's the *system* that has a leak and not the test equipment .

[larrynew]

Here's a cheap and easy tip for cutting the plastic pitot and static tubing perfectly flush. This tool can be found at Radio Shack or Home Depot for just a few bucks. It's used on coax and telephone lines. Just lower one of the cutters and a few spins gives a perfect flush cut with no deformation.