Catching fuel from gascolator drain

[ilovecornfields]

Sorry if this has been covered already but my airport doesn’t like fuel spilled on the asphalt so I’m trying to figure out if there’s any easy way to catch the fuel from the gascolator into a GATS jar so I can pour it back in (on an Ovation). Anyone have success with this? Some have recommended just not draining the gascolator and that seems like a bad idea to me.

[Awful_Charlie]

I prefer to catch what comes out so I can see it there was anything other than fuel that came out! Carefully placed washing up bowl works for me (and then it goes in the tug if it is free of contaminants).

That solution isn't the most portable though (chucking the washing up bowl in the baggage bay is going to elicit lots of comments about kitchen sinks I'm sure!) so away from home base it ends up on the ground where I'm parked and I stay ignorant of whatever got filtered out

[1964-M20E]

Older models had the ring on the floor board that you pulled and if you forgot you had to go around pull it and then examine the puddle on the ground.  Not very much fuel an ounce or 2.  I Never liked that arrangement.

I thought the J models and later including the Ovation had a normal sample valve under the plane?

My plane was modified to have a normal drain on the collator so I can now take sample with my cup inspect it and pour it back into the tank.

[Marauder]

I use a cleaned coffee can to catch it. Does your sump have a drain valve? Until recently I was using it with my GATS type jar.


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[ArtVandelay]

Put the sample jar on a box and set it underneath... it comes out in a stream so it’s easy to catch.

[Yetti]

I have a quart mason jar and clear tubing they strong kind with the fiber in it.   The tubing is long enough that it is held in place by the jar on the floor.  

[Bob - S50]

I understand your situation but I prefer to not put it back into the plane.  The gascolator is there to catch water and debris.  The only reason we run it as part of the preflight is to get that stuff out of the fuel system.  If you trust a GATS bottle to filter that stuff out then you could try running it through one of those before you put it back in.  Lucky for us our open T hangar floor is concrete so it just sits there for a few minutes until it evaporates.

[M016576]

  On 12/5/2018 at 9:35 AM, ilovecornfields said:

Sorry if this has been covered already but my airport doesn’t like fuel spilled on the asphalt so I’m trying to figure out if there’s any easy way to catch the fuel from the gascolator into a GATS jar so I can pour it back in (on an Ovation). Anyone have success with this? Some have recommended just not draining the gascolator and that seems like a bad idea to me.

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You must live in California...do they like asphalt spilled on the ground?

 

the post on a gats jar is long enough to push the plunger up on the gascolator from the outside- just like your other fuel sumps.

I have been sumping the gascolator this way for about 5 years.  Someone in the board mentioned to me (wish I could remember who) that I could scratch, or nik the o-ring- but after replacing the screen, and taking the gascolator apart- I noticed that the O-ring is far enough up the shaft of the plunger that you physically couldn’t hit it... unless it had swollen due to age, in which case it needs to be replaced anyway.

long story short- carefully and gently try using your GATS jar up the gascolator- that’s worked for me as a technique.

this is for the gascolator on my J, which I think is the same, if not very similar to an ovation gascolator

Edited December 5, 2018 by M016576

[Marauder]

  On 12/5/2018 at 3:41 PM, M016576 said:

You must live in California...do they like asphalt spilled on the ground?

 

the post on a gats jar is long enough to push the plunger up on the gascolator from the outside- just like your other fuel sumps.

I have been sumping the gascolator this way for about 5 years.  Someone in the board mentioned to me (wish I could remember who) that I could scratch, or nik the o-ring- but after replacing the screen, and taking the gascolator apart- I noticed that the O-ring is far enough up the shaft of the plunger that you physically couldn’t hit it... unless it had swollen due to age, in which case it needs to be replaced anyway.

long story short- carefully and gently try using your GATS jar up the gascolator- that’s worked for me as a technique.

this is for the gascolator on my J, which I think is the same, if not very similar to an ovation gascolator

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I am not sure all of the vintage Mooneys have gascolators with the sump capability. I only thing I was cautioned on was that using this sump could scratch the ball bearing in it. We just rebuilt mine and the O ring is up the shaft a bit.

 

[ilovecornfields]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I do live in California. I’ll try the coffee can and see if that works. Always wanted to try leaded coffee!

[skydvrboy]

The checklist that came with my plane (made by a previous owner) stated to pull the ring with the selector valve in both the left and right position.  Is there any reason to do this or would just a single pull regardless of the valve position be sufficient?  My POH doesn't mention anything about draining it on both tanks.

[jaylw314]

  On 12/5/2018 at 9:35 AM, ilovecornfields said:

Sorry if this has been covered already but my airport doesn’t like fuel spilled on the asphalt so I’m trying to figure out if there’s any easy way to catch the fuel from the gascolator into a GATS jar so I can pour it back in (on an Ovation). Anyone have success with this? Some have recommended just not draining the gascolator and that seems like a bad idea to me.

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I just use a 1 liter plastic paint pail I got at the hardware store.  it's about 4" wide at the mouth.  once I drain fuel into it, I then take the lid off my GATS jar, pour it in, then I can view it and pour it back into the fuel tank through the filter on the GATS jar...

[kortopates]

  On 12/5/2018 at 4:30 PM, skydvrboy said:

The checklist that came with my plane (made by a previous owner) stated to pull the ring with the selector valve in both the left and right position.  Is there any reason to do this or would just a single pull regardless of the valve position be sufficient?  My POH doesn't mention anything about draining it on both tanks.

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Modern POH's say to drain each tank for 5 sec each! That's a few seconds more than I actually do but I imagine enough time to ensure you'd find water if it was up to the fuel pick up level in the tank.

Someone previously posted it would be a better idea to sump the tanks individually first just in case you did find water to prevent it from entering the line past the fuel selector  to make it easier to get rid of.

[jaylw314]

  On 12/5/2018 at 4:40 PM, kortopates said:

Modern POH's say to drain each tank for 5 sec each! That's a few seconds more than I actually do but I imagine enough time to ensure you'd find water if it was up to the fuel pick up level in the tank.

Someone previously posted it would be a better idea to sump the tanks individually first just in case you did find water to prevent it from entering the line past the fuel selector  to make it easier to get rid of.

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My POH does say to drain the fuel valve AFTER sumping the tanks, but I have to sheepishly admit, I do it beforehand just out of convenience.  I suppose if I ever do find water, I'll be sitting there for a while draining the fuel valve again...

[kortopates]

  On 12/5/2018 at 5:07 PM, jaylw314 said:

My POH does say to drain the fuel valve AFTER sumping the tanks, but I have to sheepishly admit, I do it beforehand just out of convenience.  I suppose if I ever do find water, I'll be sitting there for a while draining the fuel valve again...

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Indeed - here is the exact wording - it appears in the cockpit section but notice the first line.  I don't do it that way either, but I've never found a drip of water in my sumping in my 15+ yrs of ownership.

1. Cockpit

Fuel Selector
-- It is recommended that wing tank sumps be drained prior to draining gascolator.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rt. Tank: Pull Gascolator ring (5 seconds)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lt. Tank: Pull Gascolator ring (5 seconds)

[jaylw314]

  On 12/5/2018 at 5:12 PM, kortopates said:

Indeed - here is the exact wording - it appears in the cockpit section but notice the first line.  I don't do it that way either, but I've never found a drip of water in my sumping in my 15+ yrs of ownership.

1. Cockpit

Fuel Selector
-- It is recommended that wing tank sumps be drained prior to draining gascolator.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rt. Tank: Pull Gascolator ring (5 seconds)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lt. Tank: Pull Gascolator ring (5 seconds)

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Actually, I stand corrected, it's my printed checklist that says drain the fuel valve afterwards.  My POH for my 1986 J actually has the fuel valve drained BEFORE sumping the tanks (and doesn't have the specific recommendation callout that your's does)

[gsxrpilot]

Personally I've quit draining the gascolator. I've only got five years of Mooney ownership but I've never once sumped water out of either tank. I still sump the tanks but not the gascolator.

[M016576]

  On 12/5/2018 at 4:02 PM, Marauder said:

I am not sure all of the vintage Mooneys have gascolators with the sump capability. I only thing I was cautioned on was that using this sump could scratch the ball bearing in it. We just rebuilt mine and the O ring is up the shaft a bit.

 

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Strange... when I rebuilt mine- it didn’t have a ball bearing in it.... is it supposed to on a J?  All I’ve got is an O-ring to keep the thing sealed....

makes me wonder if I’m missing a piece!

 

edit- went to the Lasar website- they have an engineering schematic of my gascolator (the gerdes gascolator) displayed with their seal kits.  Looks like I’m ok- no ball bearing in the Gerdes gascolator! Man, that had my mind racing for a few....

Edited December 5, 2018 by M016576

[Marauder]

  On 12/5/2018 at 11:16 PM, M016576 said:

Strange... when I rebuilt mine- it didn’t have a ball bearing in it.... is it supposed to on a J?  All I’ve got is an O-ring to keep the thing sealed....
makes me wonder if I’m missing a piece!
 
edit- went to the Lasar website- they have an engineering schematic of my gascolator (the gerdes gascolator) displayed with their seal kits.  Looks like I’m ok- no ball bearing in the Gerdes gascolator! Man, that had my mind racing for a few....

I’ll snap a picture of mine.


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[StevenL757]

  On 12/5/2018 at 11:01 PM, gsxrpilot said:

Personally I've quit draining the gascolator. I've only got five years of Mooney ownership but I've never once sumped water out of either tank. I still sump the tanks but not the gascolator.

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Good to know.  I still drain mine, and after 8+ years of Ovation ownership here, I've never had a drop or water come out of either of the wing fuel drains or the gascolator.

[jonhop]

  On 12/5/2018 at 10:21 AM, Awful_Charlie said:

Carefully placed washing up bowl works for me (and then it goes in the tug if it is free of contaminants).

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+1... The tug gets it after my pail that is placed under the gascolator... after that, the avgas goes into my dirt-bike tank for desert season storage. 

[DonMuncy]

  On 12/5/2018 at 11:01 PM, gsxrpilot said:

Personally I've quit draining the gascolator. I've only got five years of Mooney ownership but I've never once sumped water out of either tank. I still sump the tanks but not the gascolator.

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Egad, I bet you also sometimes fly without filing a flight plan.  

[gsxrpilot]

  On 12/6/2018 at 3:46 AM, rogerl said:

Never had a drop of water during 5 years of J ownership and 3 years of O ownership ... then out comes over a cup of skanky looking water.  Have fluorosilicone o rings in and caps in good condition.  Always hangared, but gentle washing and minor hangar roof leak plus had slightly reduced cap tension at last recondition.

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Did the water come out of the tank sumps or the gascolator? 

I do sump my tanks... but pulling the ring and dumping fuel on the ground just because, doesn't make any sense to me. Especially when the sumped fuel is always clean. If I ever sump water out of either tank, I'll flush the gascolator.

[KB4]

I did find water in my tank once. Took 7 cups until I saw blue.  Tanks every preflight, gascolator 1 per month per manual. Nice piece of mind. 

[jaylw314]

  On 12/7/2018 at 12:29 AM, MooneyMartian9 said:

I did find water in my tank once. Took 7 cups until I saw blue.  Tanks every preflight, gascolator 1 per month per manual. Nice piece of mind. 

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Your POH actually says gascolator once per month??  What year J do you have??