OVATION 100 GALLON FUEL INCREASE

[M20R]

What's involved with increasing Ovation fuel from 86 to 100?

[GeeBee]

Change filler necks......or take your time filling an 89 to 100 by shaking the wing and burping the tank until it is at the level of the cap.

[LANCECASPER]

3 hours ago, M20R said:

What's involved with increasing Ovation fuel from 86 to 100?

Patience

[M20R]

What I want to know is there an STC or factory kit? I have been told that all that is require is a hole drilled into the fuel tab and remarking the fuel selector. 

[LANCECASPER]

8 hours ago, M20R said:

What I want to know is there an STC or factory kit? I have been told that all that is require is a hole drilled into the fuel tab and remarking the fuel selector. 

I don’t believe there is any STC or Retrofit kit (https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Retrofit-Kits.pdf) for what Mooney calls "Extended Fuel", which is the increase from 89 to 102 gallons. (There is an STC for "Long Range Tanks", which were developed by Jose Monroy and bring the total fuel to 130 gallons on an Ovation. https://www.monroyaero.com/lrupgad.pdf  This STC is now sold through Don Maxwell Aviation.)

I would e-mail support@mooney.com and see if there is a service instruction.

[carusoam]

When looking at the fuel necks of various long bodies….

you can see different lengths of the neck…

and how air can get trapped above the bottom of the neck….

Mooney did this intentionally to the M20S eagles… to additionally limit their volume.

Strategically installing a vent hole in the neck can restore the full volume of the existing tanks…

 

There are three or so placards that indicate the ‘legal’ fuel volume… on the panel, at the tank selector, near the fuel caps…?

Filling the tanks above 100g takes time for air to pass through small holes drilled in the wing ribs…

of course, the plane has to be parked on level ground….

The POH has the placards and locations in the limitations section…(?)

 

Over filling the volume doesn’t become apparent… the tank vents are so far up hill the fuel doesn’t reach them….

If you strategically use a hill to put even more fuel in each tank…. When back on the level, fuel will try to escape out the fuel cap if its seals aren’t up to the task…

The Cg of the fuel tanks doesn’t change from fully full, to fully empty… at least the POH on gives one Cg location for the tanks… regardless of their status…

 

Sooooo…. With proper venting, about 103 gallons usable can be found without modifying the tanks….

Adding the next bay outboard… brings usable fuel up to about 130g…

 

PP thoughts only… @Cris and I discussed this back in 2011 for his Screamin’ Eagle.

Proper drilling technique is required to avoid dropping aluminum bits into the tank… and avoid lighting a gasoline fire…

The O has a slotted vent to avoid the usual air trapping issue… consider buying that part from Mooney in place of modifying the existing one…

note: the fuel nozzle with auto shut off, will keep from filling the tank unless you hold the nozzle while filling the last few gallons…

Best regards,

-a-

[rickseeman]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:40 AM, M20R said:

What I want to know is there an STC or factory kit? I have been told that all that is require is a hole drilled into the fuel tab and remarking the fuel selector. 

No. From Mooneys mouth itself. I spent a week on that last year. It can be done, but if you want it to be legal/proper, it takes a long time + chasing parts + DER etc. I'm the kinda wacko that would chase a project like that, but it overwhelmed even me. Bottom line is now, once you get it full you can slowly get another 5 gallons per side in it. Call it 99 gallons. Or (I didn't say this) you can drill the top of the filler neck (to replicate the Mooney factory optional fuel) and have 102. I decided I was too old to go anywhere anyway, so I did nothing.

[Mark89114]

I am wondering if we could just make an additional tube type vent that we put in just during fueling to get the extra gallons easier.....hypothetically of course.

[rickseeman]

Sounds possible..

[GeeBee]

I don't have a bladder big enough to support 102 gallons of range.

[A64Pilot]

My biological bladder may not even support the range of my 54 gl fuel bladders.

I’ve been flying with this for the last 20 years or so, this one is called a “Little John” When I was ferrying aircraft I used Gatoraid bottles. 12 hour legs were common, so I ate beef jerky and drank Gatoraid and refilled the empties.

 

[LANCECASPER]

I don't have a bladder big enough to support 102 gallons of range.

After the fuel tank upgrade, you already have a gift picked out for this year’s anniversary




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mike_elliott]

Seems like I remember a shop that caught a plane in fire using an electric drill around the fuel tanks, perhaps during a sealant patch project ...People come up with all kinds of ways to get altitude unfortunately

[GeeBee]

37 minutes ago, mike_elliott said:

Seems like I remember a shop that caught a plane in fire using an electric drill around the fuel tanks, perhaps during a sealant patch project ...People come up with all kinds of ways to get altitude unfortunately

Personally to me the time to do the job is during a tank re-seal

[PMcClure]

On 1/31/2024 at 10:33 PM, 1980Mooney said:

Here is the AFM Supplement for 51 gallons on each side (102 total)

https://www.mooney.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/SUPP0006.pdf

As Clarence pointed out in 2022 "The changes involve adding new fuel placards to the fuel selector valve and the two wing filler ports. The addition volume already exists in the wing as do the NACA style fuel vents."

@Cruiser noted "Some feel that filling the volume above the (filler/standpipe) tubes is too slow because the venting holes at the top of the filler ring are small. They have been known to be enlarged ..."

There used to be some pictures showing the holes/drilling the standpipes in earlier topics/threads but the pics are gone.

The tanks are already 102 gallons useable straight from the factory - this is just really a W&B exercise that should be up to the discretion of the owner/pilot.  I have no idea what games Mooney Co. was playing when they marketed it as "89" gallons.

 

 

Where can I buy these placards? 

[rickseeman]

I have found them on ebay before.

[Pinecone]

7 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I don't have a bladder big enough to support 102 gallons of range.

Amazon.com : TravelJohn Disposable Urinal for Men, Women & Children 3 units (Pack of 1) : Traveljohn : Sports & Outdoors

 

[GeeBee]

46 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

Amazon.com : TravelJohn Disposable Urinal for Men, Women & Children 3 units (Pack of 1) : Traveljohn : Sports & Outdoors

 

I'm not going to take a pee in my airplane! If I have to do that, I'm done with GA.

[Pinecone]

58 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

I'm not going to take a pee in my airplane! If I have to do that, I'm done with GA.

Since I fly as high as possible, I prefer to not come down to land often.  So I pee in the plane.  CAREFULLY, but the Travel Johns work quite well.

Of course, things ARE different if you have other passengers.
 

[GeeBee]

 

[RoundTwo]

3 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I'm not going to take a pee in my airplane! If I have to do that, I'm done with GA.

You’re just too used to being able to get up and go to the loo.

[GeeBee]

19 minutes ago, RoundTwo said:

You’re just too used to being able to get up and go to the loo.

Hey,  I got a new Aerocomfort interior!

[Pinecone]

Well, I could make a comment about equipment, but I won't.

But a towel to put on the carpet to catch any drips should be enough.

[GeeBee]

31 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

Well, I could make a comment about equipment, but I won't.

But a towel to put on the carpet to catch any drips should be enough.

Even the big guns get off target. Ask the Navy.

[A64Pilot]

I used to cave dive every weekend, dove in a dry suit because believe it or not but after a couple of hours 68 degree water is COLD, freezing shivering cold in any wet suit.

As we dove dry we wore Condom catheters attached to a tube that led out side of the suit, Condom cath’s  have an adhesive that after a couple of hours sometimes was really tough to remove. The few Women that dove wore “She-Pee’s” basically a funnel that required close shaving and was glued to them. 

https://scubadelphia.com/products/she-pee

Compared to that peeing in a bottle is nothing, I’ve even successfully peed in a coke bottle, it’s tough and you really have to pay attention, but it can be done.