Fuel Selector for Vintage Mooney's

[M20F-1968]

Here is a picture of the fuel selector I have come up with with DER approval to install.  Makes changing tanks easier and reliably reachable.  Also holds the carpet in place.

John Breda

[carusoam]

John,

You are amazing!

The high level of the completion of your ideas is thoroughly impressive.

The M20F keeps getting nicer...

Thanks for sharing the details.

Best regards,

-a-

[cliffy]

OK does it reside as a knob off the floor all the time or is it removable after tank selection? Trying to visualize how it works. Looks good though.

[M20F-1968]

The four bolts hold it to the fuel selector.  There is an extended shaft that attaches to the fuel selector in the same way as the original handle attached to the fuel selector, and the handle attaches to the top of the shaft in the same way the original handle attached to the fuel selector (specifically a roll pin engaging in a slot and a set screw).  Additionally, the lower end of the shaft is larger than the rest of the shaft and fits against a recess inside the aluminum part which holds the shaft on the fuel selector and keeps the fuel selector roll pin engaged in the lower end of the shaft via the four screws.  

John Breda

[GDGR]

And here I thought I was being all techie, and put on a stainless steel cover plate, with a cylinder guide. Then had an offset handle welded on to a slotted coupling (so the handle faced the side the fuel was on, and the slot could only go on the selector the one way).

[M20F-1968]

2 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

So that sticks up like that all of the time and only the “off” position is marked?   Very interesting design.

Jim

It is there all the time, the handle is protected, and is does not interfere with flying as it is below my rgt knee.  The best thing is it is reachable, without any tools that can become unavailable when they slide under the pilot's seat or elsewhere.  I wanted something that i knew I could reach and be reliable.

 

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

You are missing your required placard. 

[M20F-1968]

38 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

You are missing your required placard. 

 

Fuel Selector, OFF, Right and Left are all indicated.

John Breda

[M20F-1968]

I could and will make a new placard with the words Right and Left more forwardly indicated with arrows to their respective positions.

John Breda

[carusoam]

Fuel quantity might get labeled there as well?

The POH limitations section has the graphics that are original to the airframe... 

More recent Mooneys have the fuel volume listed in several places.

If your plane got a fuel tank capacity increase, now would be a good time to add the new volumes to the labels... 

Best regards,

-a-

[jamesm]

someone  needs to put a magnetic  prox sensor in the fuel selector.  So when you switch tanks  back a forth It could keep tack of elaps time spent on each tank  and separate total time . So this  would help minimize the  human input error  when calculating fuel on board.  And not be statistic on the  NTSB's  most wanted list or accident reports in magazines of running out of gas the cause of the accidents Assuming that they have following  the POH's  procedures of switching tanks ( I heard of some airplanes being quite elaborate of switching tanks) . 

 

Just a wild thought,

James '67C

 

[Hank]

@jamesm, its easy with our Cs. Assuming full tanks, fly one hour, switch to other tank; fly second hour, switch back to 1st tank. You're now good for ~1:20-1:30 til exhaustion, then 1:30-1:45 more on the tank you didn't do the initial climb to altitude on.

I've taken my C 4:45 twice, and filled up with 41-42 gal both times. But I was ready to stand up and walk around before I began the descent both times!

NOTE:  I use the red hands on my wind-up yoke clock to time fuel changes.

P.S.--learn your plane. After 12 years, I still guess what it will take for me to fill up every time, and am always close. Don't let the engine cough or stop without warning your passengers first, they get unhappy when the nose pitches down rather quickly by itself!

[jetdriven]

Or easier, fly an hour on one side run the other empty, then switch back to the first. The running time on the second tank is your endurance, minus the one hour of start, taxi, takeoff, and climb of course. 

[jamesm]

I suppose  you are right it not too big of deal.

I was trying to take the pilot out of loop on resetting the timer / hands on the clock  because you are  too busy or forget at the fuel change over point.

I wouldn't  have to trust if my math is correct when the engine starts to sputter.

[N201MKTurbo]

11 hours ago, M20F-1968 said:

 

Fuel Selector, OFF, Right and Left are all indicated.

John Breda

Not you, the other guy.

[GDGR]

1 minute ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Not you, the other guy.

It’s laser etched on the placard. Just can’t see it due to the flash. 

[N201MKTurbo]

I have an A13A1 clock, which has a stopwatch. I start it when I take off. If the minute hand is on the right side of the clock, I’m on the right tank, if it is on the left side I’m on the left tank.

[jamesm]

for me it that one time or the more than one I forget to start or reset  the timer 

[N201MKTurbo]

It’s OK,

If you just use any analog clock and use that method, you will never be off by much. 

0 to 30 = right tank, 30 to 60 = left tank. 

If you look at the clock and the selector is in the wrong position, switch it.

[RogueOne]

I am personally NOT a fan of these tools.  I like to reach down and feel (with my fingers) the valve turning to the correct tank.  Not in between that is “OFF”.  I unbuckle the belt for the two seconds it takes to lean down and switch tanks.  I agree that the later move to center for tanks is better, but I do not mind the selector as is/where is...

[RogueOne]

On 8/11/2019 at 10:30 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

I have an A13A1 clock, which has a stopwatch. I start it when I take off. If the minute hand is on the right side of the clock, I’m on the right tank, if it is on the left side I’m on the left tank.

+1. Mine has a resettable minute timer.  I use it to record time on the tank in use.

[Hank]

8 hours ago, jamesm said:

for me it that one time or the more than one I forget to start or reset  the timer 

Just another benefit to the wind up clock. The red hands don't move, there's nothing to reset or record. Change once an hour, burn the last 30 minutes in each tank when needed for a long trip (not often for me).

[Yetti]

On 8/10/2019 at 10:41 PM, M20F-1968 said:

Here is a picture of the fuel selector I have come up with with DER approval to install.  Makes changing tanks easier and reliably reachable.  Also holds the carpet in place.

John Breda

Would be interested to know what happens and how much support is there for wacking that thing with a size 16 shoe.   Is that steel or PVC?

[Raptor05121]

That looks cool but that's exactly where I rest my feet on flights when the seat is slid back. Noo thanks

[M20F-1968]

5 hours ago, Yetti said:

Would be interested to know what happens and how much support is there for wacking that thing with a size 16 shoe.   Is that steel or PVC?

It is solidly mounted to the fuel selector with the same thread size bolts used to mount the fuel selector to the floor.  The fuel selector is machined as one piece from 1 solid aluminum rod and the shaft is steel.  All, with DER approval.

John Breda