Jim Peace Posted December 9, 2018 Report Posted December 9, 2018 I will be calling my MSC on this tomorrow but I wanted to share to see if anyone else has had this. I put the plane away after a couple of hours of flying yesterday and saw a small dark blue avgas drop on the hangar floor. Opened the cowling to find the attached pictures. I cleaned off the fuel line and turned the electric pump on and there is no leak. Not even evidence of a pin hole. Other than the blue stain on the fuel line and also on top of the lower cowling piece I cannot duplicate. Probably needs the engine running to supply more pressure or volume. Just thought I would ask. I am AOG for the time being...... Quote
Andy95W Posted December 10, 2018 Report Posted December 10, 2018 Open up your left cowling cheek. Probably coming from your electric fuel pump, or somewhere between there and the carburetor. Please post pictures. Quote
Yetti Posted December 10, 2018 Report Posted December 10, 2018 I vote electric fuel pump or whatever is to the left of the first picture. Fuel runs downhill Quote
KSMooniac Posted December 10, 2018 Report Posted December 10, 2018 I vote electric fuel pump or whatever is to the left of the first picture. Fuel runs downhill My guess as well. Check out the fitting that passes thru the firewall for loose connections or damage too.Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk Quote
Jim Peace Posted December 10, 2018 Author Report Posted December 10, 2018 It is not the fuel pump. It only has about 350 hours on it and dry as a bone with it running. Daytona MSC will take the plane in tomorrow. Lucky they have a satellite office/hangar on my field. Don't have to fly it. Quote
Jim Peace Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Posted December 13, 2018 Leak found. It was a ferrule and nut on the electric fuel pump that connects it to the fuel selector. To my knowledge this was last touched about 4 years ago when the pump was replaced. My last few flights the fuel flow has been much higher than normal Not sure if this is the reason but it’s a start. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted December 13, 2018 Report Posted December 13, 2018 Great follow-up Jim! Expect the loose ferrule leak to be two directional... When the engine is not running, fuel leaks out... When the engine is running, air runs in... With air running in, the FF will appear to be higher... it’s not really, the extra air is being counted as fuel, but is being separated out by the carb bowl... If the fuel was leaking while flying, you would be smelling it pretty readily, the blue stains would be lighter and spread everywhere... yours were nicely deposited and allowed to run and drip slowly while evaporating, getting nice and dark... clean up the stains, and tighten the ferrule... if the FF returns to normal, you probably won’t see that stain again... Check the torque spec on the ferrule.... Wait a minute... Check the plumbing bits on that... there may be a one time use type ferrule in there... re-using it may have caused the leak... it may require cutting off a piece of tube, get a new ferrule, torque the nut properly kind of thing... Check in with your mechanic for additional details... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a- Quote
Jim Peace Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Posted December 13, 2018 8 hours ago, carusoam said: Great follow-up Jim! Expect the loose ferrule leak to be two directional... When the engine is not running, fuel leaks out... When the engine is running, air runs in... With air running in, the FF will appear to be higher... it’s not really, the extra air is being counted as fuel, but is being separated out by the carb bowl... If the fuel was leaking while flying, you would be smelling it pretty readily, the blue stains would be lighter and spread everywhere... yours were nicely deposited and allowed to run and drip slowly while evaporating, getting nice and dark... clean up the stains, and tighten the ferrule... if the FF returns to normal, you probably won’t see that stain again... Check the torque spec on the ferrule.... Wait a minute... Check the plumbing bits on that... there may be a one time use type ferrule in there... re-using it may have caused the leak... it may require cutting off a piece of tube, get a new ferrule, torque the nut properly kind of thing... Check in with your mechanic for additional details... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a- I am on the road earning mooney Mx $$. I have not seen the repair but was told they used all new parts and may have even installed a new fuel line. It is only about 2 feet and totally accessible. Your reasoningg for the higher FF makes sense. I was getting FF at times around 12 GPH when it should have been under 10. So glad to have the JPI 900. So glad to have a CO monitor. Next step is to earn enough money to have these in a plane where I can open the cowling prior to every leg. 2 Quote
Jim Peace Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Posted December 14, 2018 I have still not seen my plane since the repair but a friend took a picture of the fuel line that was replaced. Cant wait to fly it to see the difference on fuel flow..... Quote
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