Bob H
Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 43
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:04 am Post subject: Pulsar-List Digest: 8 Msgs - 03/08/11 |
 |
|
Brian;
I had similar issues and finally decided to pull the capacitance system and
install JC Whitney auto type float senders and one readout gage with
selector switch. Works great! Gage is damped so readings are smooth and
gradual. I don't care if tank reads full for some time as long as it does
read accurately as it reaches empty.
I think total cost for 2 senders and gage was around $70 USD.
Bob H
| Quote: | From: Pulsar-List Digest Server <pulsar-list(at)matronics.com>
Reply-To: <pulsar-list(at)matronics.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2011 23:57:27 -0800
To: Pulsar-List Digest List <pulsar-list-digest(at)matronics.com>
Subject: Pulsar-List Digest: 8 Msgs - 03/08/11
*
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Pulsar-List Digest Archive
---
Total Messages Posted Tue 03/08/11: 8
----------------------------------------------------------
Today's Message Index:
----------------------
1. 03:04 AM - Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Brian Anderson)
2. 05:13 AM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Rick
Thomason)
3. 07:48 AM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Ray Wilhelm)
4. 09:22 AM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Larry
Eubanks)
5. 12:40 PM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Brian
Anderson)
6. 12:54 PM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (William
Kulpa)
7. 01:50 PM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (Skip
LaPolice)
8. 04:52 PM - Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls (William
Kulpa)
________________________________ Message 1
_____________________________________
Time: 03:04:34 AM PST US
Subject: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
From: Brian Anderson <briana(at)xtra.co.nz>
Went flying today. First time in about 4 weeks. Little bit rusty so did a few
circuits
to get my brain into gear, then a trip around the local area, down the
beach, climbed up to 4000ft to practice a few steep turns and stalls etc.
I knew before heading out that one fuel gauge was stuck on full, so I dipped
the
tanks to check on the fuel load 18L in one tank and 28 in the other. On
startup
I noticed that actually both gauges were reading full. I've had this problem
intermittently for a long time, but frequently the gauges seem to clear
themselves
after the taxi out or after flying for a bit.
After flying for about 40 minutes the gauges were still on full so I decided
to
do a few unbalanced turns, a few slide-slips and a deal of yawing with rudder
only to slosh the fuel about in an effort to clear the pickups. Nothing
worked.
I resigned myself to having to pull the wings and take out the capacitance
pickups to investigate.
I carried on up to 4000ft for some stalls. I just do some for fun
occasionally,
to make sure my feet push the rudder in the right direction mainly, and to see
if I can minimise any height loss. Got a bit carried away experimenting and
managed to drop the left wing for the first time ever. Normally, without fail,
it is the right wing that drops. Recoveries were all fine. Tried some
accelerated
stalls in each direction - - hold a steady bank angle, power back, stick
back as speed decays rapidly to maintain altitude, very tight turns - - and
see
what happens. I've done these before holding 30 deg bank, and every time the
right wing drops, so while turning left the plane rolls out level. While
turning
right the right wing drops further, suddenly to 60deg. This time while turning
left I had perhaps 40 deg of bank, and a small amount of power. Speed decaying
rapidly, ASI passing through 40 knots, and suddenly the left wing dropped
further. Surprised me, but thankfully my feet reacted correctly and the rudder
instantly stopped the yaw.
An aside - - - last time I went flying I experimented with the "impossible
turn"
that has been written about recently in the EAA magazine. Interesting result.
The Pulsar has an amazing glide ratio, something like 13 or 14 to 1. I found
that I could simulate an engine failure on takeoff, allow a few seconds to
recognise
it and stabilise the speed at 70 knots, then execute a 180 deg turn and
do it with less than 300ft loss of height. Having tried a few times I am
confident
that provided I was at or above 500ft I could make the "impossible turn"
in my Pulsar and get back on the airfield. I hope I never have to try.
So, while contemplating pulling the wings I flew back to the local airfield.
Glanced
at the fuel gauge and Eureka ! they were both reading normally.
I wonder what causes the problem. The capacitance pickups have a very small
hole
in the outer tube at the bottom bend just inside the tank end plates to allow
the fuel level in the tube to follow the tank level. I wonder if this gets
blocked.
I think it doesn't help having fuel sitting there motionless for 4 weeks
or more. I've never found any contaminants in the fuel or the tanks or filter,
and never any water. Maybe it is the additives in the Mogas. Who knows.
Anyhow,
the solution, for the moment, seems to be to give the plane a good workout,
and get that fuel really sloshing around, by doing some fully developed
stalls.
Helps get the pilot up to speed too.
Brian
________________________________ Message 2
_____________________________________
Time: 05:13:52 AM PST US
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
From: Rick Thomason <rickyd54(at)gmail.com>
Brian,
Have you checked for loose ground connection? I think the gauges read full
when
there is a broken/faulty ground.
On Mar 8, 2011, at 4:58 AM, Brian Anderson <briana(at)xtra.co.nz> wrote:
>
> Went flying today. First time in about 4 weeks. Little bit rusty so did a few
circuits to get my brain into gear, then a trip around the local area, down
the
beach, climbed up to 4000ft to practice a few steep turns and stalls etc.
>
> I knew before heading out that one fuel gauge was stuck on full, so I dipped
the tanks to check on the fuel load 18L in one tank and 28 in the other. On
startup
I noticed that actually both gauges were reading full. I've had this problem
intermittently for a long time, but frequently the gauges seem to clear
themselves
after the taxi out or after flying for a bit.
>
> After flying for about 40 minutes the gauges were still on full so I decided
to do a few unbalanced turns, a few slide-slips and a deal of yawing with
rudder
only to slosh the fuel about in an effort to clear the pickups. Nothing
worked.
I resigned myself to having to pull the wings and take out the capacitance
pickups to investigate.
>
> I carried on up to 4000ft for some stalls. I just do some for fun
> occasionally,
to make sure my feet push the rudder in the right direction mainly, and to
see if I can minimise any height loss. Got a bit carried away experimenting
and
managed to drop the left wing for the first time ever. Normally, without fail,
it is the right wing that drops. Recoveries were all fine. Tried some
accelerated
stalls in each direction - - hold a steady bank angle, power back, stick
back as speed decays rapidly to maintain altitude, very tight turns - - and
see what happens. I've done these before holding 30 deg bank, and every time
the
right wing drops, so while turning left the plane rolls out level. While
turning
right the right wing drops further, suddenly to 60deg. This time while turning
left I had perhaps 40 deg of bank, and a small amount of power. Speed decaying
rapidly, ASI passing through 40 knots, and suddenly the left wing dropped
further. Surprised me, but thankfully my feet reac!
> ted correctly and the rudder instantly stopped the yaw.
>
> An aside - - - last time I went flying I experimented with the "impossible
> turn"
that has been written about recently in the EAA magazine. Interesting result.
The Pulsar has an amazing glide ratio, something like 13 or 14 to 1. I found
that I could simulate an engine failure on takeoff, allow a few seconds to
recognise it and stabilise the speed at 70 knots, then execute a 180 deg turn
and do it with less than 300ft loss of height. Having tried a few times I am
confident
that provided I was at or above 500ft I could make the "impossible turn"
in my Pulsar and get back on the airfield. I hope I never have to try.
>
> So, while contemplating pulling the wings I flew back to the local airfield.
Glanced at the fuel gauge and Eureka ! they were both reading normally.
>
> I wonder what causes the problem. The capacitance pickups have a very small
> hole
in the outer tube at the bottom bend just inside the tank end plates to allow
the fuel level in the tube to follow the tank level. I wonder if this gets
blocked. I think it doesn't help having fuel sitting there motionless for 4
weeks
or more. I've never found any contaminants in the fuel or the tanks or filter,
and never any water. Maybe it is the additives in the Mogas. Who knows.
Anyhow, the solution, for the moment, seems to be to give the plane a good
workout,
and get that fuel really sloshing around, by doing some fully developed
stalls. Helps get the pilot up to speed too.
>
> Brian
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
________________________________ Message 3
_____________________________________
Time: 07:48:50 AM PST US
From: "Ray Wilhelm" <rwilhelm(at)dc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
Brian,
I found the problem with mine was that the connection at the receptacle/
plug was not good after 10 years.
Ray Pulsar III/3300
________________________________ Message 4
_____________________________________
Time: 09:22:08 AM PST US
From: "Larry Eubanks" <leubanks(at)sunflower.com>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
Brian
My Princeton sender says that the presence of water or alcohol will act like
a short between the brass inside tube and the aluminum outside tube. That
will cause the guage to show full or in my case it also could not be
calibrated.
Larry
________________________________ Message 5
_____________________________________
Time: 12:40:34 PM PST US
From: Brian Anderson <briana(at)xtra.co.nz>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
Mmmm. Could be that the connectors at the wing roots need a bit of a
clean. They haven't been touched in years. The problem is intermittent,
although worse than it has been in a while. I think I can get at the
connectors from inside the fuselage without having to pull the wings.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Brian
On 9/03/2011, at 2:11 AM, Rick Thomason wrote:
>
> Brian,
> Have you checked for loose ground connection? I think the gauges read
full when there is a broken/faulty ground.
>
________________________________ Message 6
_____________________________________
Time: 12:54:57 PM PST US
From: William Kulpa <kulpa(at)att.net>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
If you're using standard Molex or similar connectors, try switching the con
tacts out with gold plating.- You end up paying a small amount more for t
he gold plating but they will also not corrode.
Best Regards, Bill
=0A
=0ACell: 512-415-2991
=0A
=0AHome: 512-261-6375
--- On Tue, 3/8/11, Brian Anderson <briana(at)xtra.co.nz> wrote:
From: Brian Anderson <briana(at)xtra.co.nz>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
Mmmm. Could be that the connectors at the wing roots need a bit of a clean.
They haven't been touched in years. The problem is intermittent, although
worse than it has been in a while. I think I can get at the connectors from
inside the fuselage without having to pull the wings.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Brian
On 9/03/2011, at 2:11 AM, Rick Thomason wrote:
Brian,
Have you checked for loose ground connection? I think the gauges read full
when there is a broken/faulty ground.
-========================
====================0A=0A
________________________________ Message 7
_____________________________________
Time: 01:50:33 PM PST US
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
From: Skip LaPolice <skipper144(at)juno.com>
Bill
Do you have names and distributors
for connectors with gold contacts?
Thanks much,
Skip La Police
Pulsar III
________________________________ Message 8
_____________________________________
Time: 04:52:01 PM PST US
From: William Kulpa <kulpa(at)att.net>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
I use Mouser, www.mouser.com as they are close and I can get parts overnigh
t by ground.- You can also find them at Digi-Key, Newark and Allied.- T
ry Mouser first as they have the better search capability, find the part yo
u want then order from your favorite supplier.
Best Regards, Bill
=0A
=0ACell: 512-415-2991
=0A
=0AHome: 512-261-6375
--- On Tue, 3/8/11, Skip LaPolice <skipper144(at)juno.com> wrote:
From: Skip LaPolice <skipper144(at)juno.com>
Subject: Re: Capacitance fuel gauges - - - and stalls
Bill
Do you have names and distributors
for connectors with gold contacts?
Thanks much,
Skip La Police
Pulsar III
le, List Admin.
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