Fuel restrictor

Well, haven't commented much more on this because here in South Dakota the weather has been really terrible for almost 3 solid months and I haven't flown her for that period of time.

The new pump installed with the proper restrictor and signed off by my mechanic works great. The header tank fills right away and there is no overflow. Unfortunately, fuel still bleeds back into the wings very slowly and I've not had time (or inclination in severe cold and with a bad, stiff neck) to crawl under the panel and identify exactly what plumbing config I have on the header. Fortunately, my #4 son will be home this weekend and do it for me and get some pics too. He's in A&P school and will have his airframe cert by June so if there are more expensive repairs in my future, maybe at least the labor costs will go down!

So, Chris... update please! Everything working correctly now. Hopefully, your header is no longer emptying into your wings. Shouldn't do that.

OK........New pump in. Looks good on ground runup. Have never seen header fill that fast. Should get mechanic's approval and logbook entry tomorrow and then a few trips around the pattern will tell the tail but very happy with ultimate outcome so far.

Chris

Chris - There is some good info on header tanks here: www.ercoupe.info/?n=Main.HeaderTank

I'd also recommend taking a look at Service Memo 43. Do you have the standpipe style older tank with three fittings on the bottom or the newer style tank with one fitting (supply) on the bottom and the drain and pump outlet on the rear of the tank? If you have the older style tank there is a possibility that the standpipe that drains back to the main tanks is corroded or cracked and allows the header to slowly drain back to the mains.

Good luck with it!

Randy Hirsch

The plumbing is correct in mine. I wonder if the header slowly bleeds back into the wings retrograde through the pump if it has worn out reed valves that leak. Again, that would make sense if it's as old as it seems since it is undocumented in the logs, has no part # stamped on it, and as noted below, kind of questionably maintained.

So, when I disassembled the old pump and took the fittings off it, this is what I found (see pics). The output NPT fitting's throat was blocked with some kind of presumably fuel proof filler that was hard as a rock and had a hole drilled through it, presumably for "compliance" with the AD. Pretty risky if not outright stupid I'd have to say. What if it broke loose and went down further in a crooked fashion so as to block the fitting altogether? Oh well. This is part and parcel with the way the previous owners treated this poor plane and she is certainly full of surprises. I hope I'm getting near the end of the list though.

Chris

In my SN1069 415C, the line from the header to the wing tank is near the top of the header tank. Fuel only drains back to the wing tanks if the header is full, it is an overflow. The only line attached to the bottom of the header tank is the supply to the engine. If your header actually drains it's entire contents back to the wing tanks, I would wonder if someone has modified it so the wing tank return line is somehow attached to the bottom of the header tank, maybe a T in the engine supply line.