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Fuel pickup

wirejock

wirejock

Well Known Member
Oh bother!
I recently decided to swap the flop tube in the port tank for a standard pick-up. Basically the slow build took so long the flop tube reached replacement TBO. It was pretty stiff.
Since I used the cork seals on the access plates, I figured it would be wise to remove both tank access panels and reinstall correctly with proseal. Today I used the starboard side as a template to build the port side. After hours of work it's finished but looking back at plans, both access panels and pickups are installed incorrectly. They're backwards! Apparently I was a bloody expert and didn't read the plans. Oh bother! Yes, they probably would work installed backwards, but they're wrong. Wrong is wrong.
Parts ordered to build two new access panel mounted fuel pick ups.
Moral...read and follow the plans and manual. Vans provided them for a reason. So idiots like me wouldn't mess things up.
So frustrated. I'm never gonna get this girl flying.

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I feel ya. Not on fuel pickups, but I'm embarrassed to think of the number of times I've built multiple parts as called out in the plans, only to realize I've made 2 lefts or 2 rights because I wasn't paying attention (since I KNEW I had things figured out and didn't need to bother walking around the bench to take another look at the drawings). By the time you make a part the 3rd time, it looks pretty great though! :D
 
"Stuff" happens! Sometimes it feels like every 2 steps forward is 1 step back.

Can you rescue the parts you have? It would involve removing the sealant, not so easy without the right chemicals.

Where is the fuel level sender located? Mine (floats) are in the access cover.
 
Locked and sealed

PaulvS said:
"Stuff" happens! Sometimes it feels like every 2 steps forward is 1 step back.

Can you rescue the parts you have? It would involve removing the sealant, not so easy without the right chemicals.

Where is the fuel level sender located? Mine (floats) are in the access cover.
Click to expand...

Capacitive plates. Nothing in the access panels except the pickups. Thank goodness.

I could probably break it all down with a solvent but they wouldn't sit in the bottom of the corner of the tank because of how they are clocked. The anti-rotation bracket would end up in a different position. More holes. I just don't want to fight it. New parts are ordered. I've got plenty to keep me busy. Maybe the proseal will come off my fingers by then!

PaulvS said:
The B nuts are locked by the anti-rotation brackets that are riveted and sealed.
Click to expand...

Yep. Basically $100 of scrap.
 
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Just for grins I performed some surgery to save the pickup tubes. Basically destroyed the rest of the access panel. I cut the anti-rotation bracket then drilled the rivets and coaxed the proseal into letting me remove the bracket. After that the tubes were removed. They are probably fine but two new ones are on order.
 
Fuel pickups

Well. They are done. I still managed to fabricate them backwards but I didn't think the error would be a problem.
They fit.
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