How do you drain tanks?

[Brandontwalker]

I need to completely drain my fuel tanks to calibrate a newly installed JPI 900. I realize this will entail removing the sump valves. However, the last time I removed a valve, the fuel flowed all over the underside of the wing. Last time was a quick swap of a leaking valve. This time I will need to collect the fuel being drained due to the quantity involved. 

Does anyone know how to do this in a manner in which the fuel can be recovered and without drenching the plane in fuel?

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Brandontwalker said:

I need to completely drain my fuel tanks to calibrate a newly installed JPI 900. I realize this will entail removing the sump valves. However, the last time I removed a valve, the fuel flowed all over the underside of the wing. Last time was a quick swap of a leaking valve. This time I will need to collect the fuel being drained due to the quantity involved. 

Does anyone know how to do this in a manner in which the fuel can be recovered and without drenching the plane in fuel?

Brandon,

Remove the engine cowls, remove the fuel line from the firewall fitting on the lower left side.  Install a suitable hose to the fitting and use the boost pump to quickly empty the tank into a barrel etc.

Do this out doors and be sure to ground everything.

Clarence

Edited April 22, 2016 by M20Doc

[Brandontwalker]

39 minutes ago, Brandontwalker said: I need to completely drain my fuel tanks to calibrate a newly installed JPI 900. I realize this will entail removing the sump valves. However, the last time I removed a valve, the fuel flowed all over the underside of the wing. Last time was a quick swap of a leaking valve. This time I will need to collect the fuel being drained due to the quantity involved. 

Does anyone know how to do this in a manner in which the fuel can be recovered and without drenching the plane in fuel?

Brandon,

Remove the engine cowls, remove the fuel line from the firewall fitting on the lower left side.  Install a suitable hose to the fitting and use the boost pump to quickly empty the tank into a barrel etc.

Do this out doors and be sure to ground everything.

Clarence

Thanks Clarence. Will this also allow me to drain the unusable fuel?

[carusoam]

Somebody recently posted pictures of their C's fuel tank internals while doing a reseal project.  It may be of interest to see the pick-up and the drain locations and why there is unusable fuel.

Best regards,

-a-

[Piloto]

In place of the drain valve I screw in an AN832-4D or AN815-4D fitting. The fitting alone will give you a very narrow stream. But you can connect a hose to it with an AN818-4D/AN819-4D fittings and drain the hose to a fuel container. 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/an832.php

José

 

[ArtVandelay]

In place of the drain valve I screw in an AN832-4D or AN815-4D fitting. The fitting alone will give you a very narrow stream. But you can connect a hose to it with an AN818-4D/AN819-4D fittings and drain the hose to a fuel container. 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/an832.php

José

 

I assume that can get messy depending on how quick you swap the fittings.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Brandontwalker said:

Thanks Clarence. Will this also allow me to drain the unusable fuel?

Brandon,

Once you've pumped the fuel out, you'll have to drain the last of the fuel from the 2 wing drain and the gascolator drain.  Be careful not to allow the pump to run dry for long.  As the tank gets lower you should be in the cockpit to turn it off while switching tanks.

I've changed wing drain valves with fuel in the tank, but it is messy and has a risk of fire.

Clarence

[Bob - S50]

Last time we did it we just drained it out the gascolator.  We put a container under the drain point, then put a screwdriver through the pull ring to hold it up.  Actually used a second screwdriver to help hold the first one a little higher by slipping it under the tip of the first one.  Wasn't quick but got the job done.

After we got all we could, we sumped the tank to get the last of it out.

[markejackson02]

13 hours ago, Brandontwalker said:

I need to completely drain my fuel tanks to calibrate a newly installed JPI 900. I realize this will entail removing the sump valves. However, the last time I removed a valve, the fuel flowed all over the underside of the wing. Last time was a quick swap of a leaking valve. This time I will need to collect the fuel being drained due to the quantity involved. 

Does anyone know how to do this in a manner in which the fuel can be recovered and without drenching the plane in fuel?

I personally would just go flying :-)

 

[N201MKTurbo]

A steel drum is the best thing to put the fuel in, but it is hard to get it back in the plane unless you have a drum pump. I usually use 5 gallon home depot buckets. You will need a big funnel when putting it back in.

Make sure you fly most of the fuel out before you start, A full plane will need two barrels or 13 buckets!

They get kind of heavy after a while pouring them back in.

There used to be a crop duster on the field with an under ground tank. He used to let me drain my tanks into his underground tank of 100LL and then just put it back in using the pump later. That was the best!

[Shadrach]

using the Fuel pump works well. I have drained fuel directly from the sump port into large Rubbermaid storage containers. When doing this you must fabricate a fuel dam of sorts out of aluminum tape to divert the fuel away from the bottom of the wing. Be careful! Not only is avgas highly flammable, but it will reek havoc on your skin with continued exposure.

[Brandontwalker]

The fuel pump worked great.  It was a little slow, but was very straight forward and I just had to reach in the vent window and flip the master when it was time to change fuel cans.

[NotarPilot]

On April 23, 2016 at 9:10 PM, Shadrach said:

using the Fuel pump works well. I have drained fuel directly from the sump port into large Rubbermaid storage containers. When doing this you must fabricate a fuel dam of sorts out of aluminum tape to divert the fuel away from the bottom of the wing. Be careful! Not only is avgas highly flammable, but it will reek havoc on your skin with continued exposure.

Don't forget about the lead!

[1964-M20E]

using the fuel boost pump should get all usable fuel from the tank.  I'd calibrate from there so you have usable fuel.  not worried about fuel I can't use in the tank.

 

 

[Mooneymite]

On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 6:13 AM, M20Doc said:

  Be careful not to allow the pump to run dry for long. 

This is an important piece of advice!

[PTK]

On April 22, 2016 at 8:42 PM, Brandontwalker said:

...Does anyone know how to do this in a manner in which the fuel can be recovered and without drenching the plane in fuel?

I fly the fuel out of my tanks! I find that to be the most fun way to drain them! 

[Bob - S50]

18 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

using the fuel boost pump should get all usable fuel from the tank.  I'd calibrate from there so you have usable fuel.  not worried about fuel I can't use in the tank.

Rather than assume that unusable fuel remains when the boost pump runs dry, I would then drain the tank through the sump valve until it really is dry.  I think you'll find that when the pump stops pumping, there is actually much less than unusable remaining.  We did that when we installed our FL202.  Once the tank was dry, we put the 1.25 gallons of unusable back in the tank and started the calibration process.

[Steve Dietrich]

As others have noted     consult POH

If you drain using the fuel pump or the gascolator   or wing drains  you need to add fuel back to the tanks on a 231/252  to set the 0 level for usable fuel . 

The later 231/252 have less unusable fuel.  Not sure if there was a physical change on the pickup or just remeasured.

 

The reason for the need to add fuel is that usable is "usable in all normal flight attitudes" 

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by Steve Dietrich
add

[Steve Dietrich]

On 4/22/2016 at 3:24 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

A steel drum is the best thing to put the fuel in, but it is hard to get it back in the plane unless you have a drum pump. I usually use 5 gallon home depot buckets. You will need a big funnel when putting it back in.

Make sure you fly most of the fuel out before you start, A full plane will need two barrels or 13 buckets!

They get kind of heavy after a while pouring them back in.

There used to be a crop duster on the field with an under ground tank. He used to let me drain my tanks into his underground tank of 100LL and then just put it back in using the pump later. That was the best!

Using plastic buckets is a concern due to the potential for sparks from static

 

Better solution is the racing dump cans (plastic) which are pretty tall   and can be purchased with a threaded top which will accept a 1/2" fitting and hose

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Steve Dietrich said:

Using plastic buckets is a concern due to the potential for sparks from static

 

Better solution is the racing dump cans (plastic) which are pretty tall   and can be purchased with a threaded top which will accept a 1/2" fitting and hose

How is using a plastic race dump can safer than a plastic bucket? Both are still plastic.  Only a metal can can be grounded.

Clarence

[N201MKTurbo]

http://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/AboutTheCodes/77/ROPA2000-77.pdf

it looks like it is allowed if the container is less then 5 gallons. 

It seems like the best mitigation Is to keep the vapor mixture above the liquid to rich or to lean to support combustion. In a closed plastic container like a plastic gas can the vapor is to rich to burn. In an open container you need to keep it to lean with forced air ventilation like a fan.