Can I polish my Shaw Fuel caps?

[NicoN]

We have Shaw 431 fuel caps.

And they are painted. Over the years and especially as my co-owner were using pliers to open and close them, they now look awful.

Is it possible to strip off the paint and polish them? Just an idea. I like those  polished fuel caps

[carusoam]

A great question for @OSUAV8TER strip, clean, polish... fuel caps.

-a-

[RLCarter]

6 hours ago, NicoN said:

my co-owner were using pliers to open and close them, they now look awful.

I can see maybe once, hard to imagine using pliers when it’s an easy fix

[bradp]

I have seen some appear to have been polished.  Just have the set screws adjusted to that Goldilocks happy place or no water let in but still able to be opened 

[xcrmckenna]

@KSMooniac has stripped and polished caps. They look great!!

[KSMooniac]

[mention=6924]KSMooniac[/mention] has stripped and polished caps. They look great!!

I wish I did! You're close...I took the caps from my salvage plane and had them professionally polished, then I carefully masked and painted the wells for the tabs to finish the makeover... and then went to my plane and discovered they didn't fit!

Someday I'll do it again with my current caps.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

[LANCECASPER]

On 2/24/2020 at 6:26 AM, NicoN said:

We have Shaw 431 fuel caps.

And they are painted. Over the years and especially as my co-owner were using pliers to open and close them, they now look awful.

Is it possible to strip off the paint and polish them? Just an idea. I like those  polished fuel caps

Yes it is. I polished them and then sent to these guys: https://www.engravers.net/fuel-caps.html

[ArtVandelay]

Yes it is. I polished them and then sent to these guys: https://www.engravers.net/fuel-caps.html

How hard is it to maintain it, how often do you have to re-polish it?

[xcrmckenna]

I wish I did! You're close...I took the caps from my salvage plane and had them professionally polished, then I carefully masked and painted the wells for the tabs to finish the makeover... and then went to my plane and discovered they didn't fit!

Someday I'll do it again with my current caps.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

That’s right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LANCECASPER]

I haven’t done anything and they still look the same

[carusoam]

Aluminum will stay polished pretty well for a decade...

Some of the mirror finish gets oxidized...

Helps to keep it indoors.

Clean and repolish as needed...

Best regards,

-a-

[RobertGary1]

 

On 2/28/2020 at 5:44 AM, LANCECASPER said:

Yes it is. I polished them and then sent to these guys: https://www.engravers.net/fuel-caps.html

Why do you have to fill both wings evenly?

-Robert 

[OR75]

The fuel caps should not need pliers to be removed

tHe castle nut need to be adjusted properly

the cap need to be aligned properly before looking ... I tell refuelers that I will remove and reinstall the caps myself 

 

[thinwing]

I saw a set that were anadized (aluminum parts)steel tab powder coated on a friends Beech duke

[RobertGary1]

5 hours ago, OR75 said:

The fuel caps should not need pliers to be removed

tHe castle nut need to be adjusted properly

the cap need to be aligned properly before looking ... I tell refuelers that I will remove and reinstall the caps myself 

 

Can be a variety of reasons. I have one where the lever on the plunger itself is very very stiff. Only thing I can think is to drill the pin out that holds it and find another pin to replace it. 
-Robert 

[carusoam]

7 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

 

Why do you have to fill both wings evenly?

-Robert 

when you follow all the procedures... all the stall characteristics will match book values...

 

Or... it is a best practice to follow...

The note will advise the lineman to not put all 50 gallons on one side...

 

An un-even fuel load will lead to using additional rudder input to level the wings...

 

Small reasons to help get closer to an ideal T/O situation... or avoid surprises..

Check the POH... a similar guidance is probably found under refueling...

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... or cfi...

Best regards,

-a-

[cliffy]

Mooney factory has said there is a negligible roll factor felt with one tank full and the other empty

 

The same ain't true in a 727. You don't want to know how I know. 

[carusoam]

In an M20C...

The plane can be kept on the magenta line by balancing fuel...

Combined with the pilot shifting weight...

Weight shifts to the left are more challenging... somebody put a window there that doesn’t open... 

 

In an M20R... the AP will keep the plane flying on the magenta line with a very large imbalance of fuel...

 

So...

The Mooney factory is right...

And there is a best practice for those that want to follow along...

 

The factory also promotes very conservative operation so small differences in WnB² don’t cause big problems... (balance in two directions)

PPs don’t usually take the cross direction balance into account... usually by keeping the wings equally loaded... 

 

Like initial conditions in a mathematical equation... 0 imbalance, ignore the math... 

The worst case is an empty tank and a full tank on a Long Body... 65gs on one side, 390LBs, out past the fuel cap... (to add some visualization to where I’m going)

One of us is going to get the new line man... right after a really long flight...

Best regards,

-a-

[RobertGary1]

1 hour ago, carusoam said:

when you follow all the procedures... all the stall characteristics will match book values...

 

Or... it is a best practice to follow...

The note will advise the lineman to not put all 50 gallons on one side...

 

 

I’ve never heard of an fbo accepting a total fuel order. I’ve always given the fuel order per tank. 
 

-Robert 

[GeeBee]

Never allow unattended fueling of your airplane.

 

 

[carusoam]

Hang out wherever new line men are hired...

+1 on being there for the entire process... when able...

As somebody has figured out how to put Jet A in some Mooneys... (old threads around here)

Best regards,

-a-

[RobertGary1]

20 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

Never allow unattended fueling of your airplane.

 

 

That’s not realistic for most people.  
-Robert 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

I’ve never heard of an fbo accepting a total fuel order. I’ve always given the fuel order per tank. 
 

-Robert 

They always remember "fill both tanks." When I've tried to specify hiw many gallons in which tank, confusion frequently reigns.

[redcatcher27]

Boy! Those polished caps sure do look great!

But I heard somewhere that in the middle of the summer, in full sun, that they were "hotter than a June bride".

[Hank]

5 hours ago, redcatcher27 said:

But I heard somewhere that in the middle of the summer, in full sun, that they were "hotter than a June bride".

I can believe that. I used to keep a pair of gloves in the back when I lived in WV; now it's down to a few tools and a pair of mechanics gloves. That would be a good time to wear them. Would also keep your hands clean when handling the nasty black fuel hose . . . .