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Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

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clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:16 am Post subject: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Hi,

Does anyone use brass gauze filter elements in their PRO805 glass-bodied line filters? If so, could they post their supply source on the board please?

regards,

Clive

davidjoyce(at)doctors.org
Guest

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:43 am Post subject: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Clive, I don't use the glass filters - prefer to rely on an Andair gascolator. But I do have a brass finger filter in the fuel tank. They are relatively easy to make to size/shape with the brass mesh and solder. Regards, David Joyce, GXSDJ 

   

 

On 2018-03-07 08:16, clivesutton wrote:  	  Quote: 	
		    	  Quote: 	
		  --> Europa-List message posted by: "clivesutton" <clive.maf(at)googlemail.com (clive.maf(at)googlemail.com)>



Hi,

Does anyone use brass gauze filter elements in their PRO805 glass-bodied line filters? If so, could they post their supply source on the board please?

regards,

Clive





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ptag.dev(at)talktalk.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:22 am Post subject: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Hi! Clive,

After my experience with accumulation of wipe out fibres and dog hairs in my

original tank gauze finger filter leading to the late Nev's joke about

"shaving the dog"! I replaced my finger filters by a homemade brass

cylindrical finger filters ( I also corrected a faulty drilling on the tank

fitting ). I also use a mini gascolator fitted to EACH of both tank outlets.



I have no confidence in the glass filters you mention.

Regards

Bob Harrison  G-PTAG. 



--

clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:54 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Thanks both.  



David - i think you refer to the coarse strainers in the tank outlets - parts F09B and C (which every Europa should have, to ensure e.g. small goats etc do not get into the fuel lines), whereas i refer to the inline fuel filter units inserted between tank outlets and the selection tap normally installed under the seat squabs for ease of inspection.  



Along with the appropriate approvals, replacing the current plastic woven mesh removable filter elements with something made from fine brass gauze would seem to offer a considerable safety and environmental improvement.  



Interesting that you both use Gascolators.  Are you able to see the state of contamination in these without disassembling them (i.e. are they glass-bodied?), and could you point me at the MOD that goes with installing them, and a supplier of the mini-gascolators (Bob), please?



Thanks in anticipation of your replies . . .

Ivor

Joined: 23 Jul 2015
Posts: 51

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:39 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

clive

likewise i have no faith in the glass cylindrical in-line filters recommended

by Europa,

i also use a gascolator, the manufacturer of choice for most of the fleets 

is Andair,

Not the cheapest but certainly the best, you can drain the contents of the gascolator bowl to check for contamination and removing the bowl completely 

isn’t that difficult,,

clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:36 pm Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Hi Ivor,



Thanks/Yes and agree - Andair is a great solution (if a little pricey compared to the factory solution).  



But i do really like the glass 'easy-to-inspect' approach.  Make it fast and easy (to inspect), and the chances of a mishap will probably reduce . . .



Without getting too hung up on technical solutions, remembering to check the cleanliness of whatever filters you have, before flight - and switching tanks if the engine coughs, are probably more important



clive.

clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:26 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

PS: i'm investigating a UK low-volume manufacturing source and subsequent sale of replacement elements using 316 Stainless in the hope that they will a) be less prone to blockage than the nylon Sytec elements, b) will be re-useable after cleaning and c) would be less susceptible to ethanol degradation.  



All constructive comments and interest, welcome.

John Wighton

Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 239

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 12:46 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

The problem with the (crappy) glass/plastic filters is that 22 micron screen is way too small - a stainless screen will catch the same gunk and non-detrimental particles as the original.  



I proposed a MOD for Andair filters - he has now created a part for 1/4" fuel lines. Andy Draper was taking this up at the LAA, l believe.



see www.andair.co.uk/product/cleanable-fuel-filter-fx250-e/



Cleanable Fuel Filter for 1/4" Fuel lines 

FX250-E

£47.25



They have a 62 micron filter which is within the 100 micron specified by Rotax.  



I had a stoppage due to the pesky glass/plastic filters and will NEVER use them again.  They are for lawn mowers (etc).

_________________
John Wighton
Europa XS trigear G-IPOD

clivesutton

Joined: 23 Jan 2013
Posts: 187
Location: KENILWORTH

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 1:09 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Hi John,



Thanks for your informative post and for filling in some detail on the Rotax fuel filtration requirement.



I understand (from Andy) that part of the problem with the Sytec elements is the warp and weft nature of the filter - that the 22 micron 'holes' can vary in size and that once a small goat gets between the fibres a contaminant can actually enlarge the apeture as well as trap it.



I have actually not had any problems with mine though (being a bit anal in my approach) i do visually check for contaminant buildup before most flights, have the second filter option installed, and have the Rotax fuel pressure gauge and a separate fuel flow meter fitted in my panel - to enable real-time monitoring of any flow deterioration.  I believe the glass/easy to inspect feature is a really useful aspect of the Sytec solution that i'm not seeing in the Gascolator or the cleanable Andair £48 filter solution.



So i am going to plough on a bit further to see what's possible with an improved element, and at what cost.  LAA approval would eventually be needed of course . . .



Perhaps i should survey and see how many people use the factory Sytec solution.  I think it's most of us - but maybe not . . .?

Clive

John Wighton

Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 239

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:53 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

Clive,



I understand what you are saying - but we don't have transparent, inspectable oil filters.  The reason - because we know the design of the filter is good and we don't have to worry about it (too much).



Same strategy with the fuel filters.  Following the stoppage (recovered in the air by switching quickly to the reserve line, l had actually read the AAIB report of the fatal Europa accident the night before), l literally flew from field to field for 12 months waiting for it to stop.  I not only looked at but unscrewed and checked for green slime every flight. A necessary precaution due to the bad design.



Now l pull the Andair filters apart annually.  Most importantly l no longer worry about fuel starvation due to blocked filters.  Giving me capacity to worry about all the other stuff!!



If you get to the same state with (fragile) glass filter bodies and super-duper stainless gauze then the jobs a good'un.

_________________
John Wighton
Europa XS trigear G-IPOD

h&jeuropa

Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 634

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:23 am Post subject: Re: Brass gauze fuel filter elements?

We had one of the Europa supplied Purulator filters come apart on its own!  It was fitted with the spring per the factory but the metal of the threaded rod was of such poor quality that the threads were not strong enough to hold the ends on.



Today we use a simple automotive in line fuel filter.



Jim & Heather

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