Fuel pumps

[Lyndon]

Maybe I will run the USA made pump directly off the battery terminals. Via a circuit breaker. This will be my back up. At a guess it will have to run 100 hrs in 2000 hrs hrs of the engine which I will never do. And I but a genuine new Mazda 1970 pump as my main pump. If it's fitted correctly and clean fuel it will never fail.

 

Lyndon

 

 

[Lyndon]

I'm not sure as what is required. But the pump at 1740 hrs in and aircraft has done it's job. It's 2016. Mechanical pumps are a thing of the past. I can put a plate on it for a dollar. I can run a pump on the firewall with hoses away from the engine for 25 percent of the mechanical pump. In my experience it's just as reliable. I can even run a lithium auxiliary battery set up with this pump for half the cost of the mechanical pump. I just don't like be fucked over. Its a 12 dollar pump.

 

 

[Lyndon]

My motor is a 2010 or 2011. Its five years old. I'm also not of the opinion of paying 29 bucks plus gst for an o ring that I can get of the shelf for 2.90 is just plain wrong. . Keep in mind this Austrian aircraft manufacturer uses Indian parts in its engines and charges a premium for them

 

 

[Lyndon]

I have thought about this again. The weak point is the charging system. As there is no back up. It that fails you are forced to look for somewhere to land. Not immediately but it will change your plans. with a mechanical pump I could have it fail. The electric pump fail or the charging system fail. Obviously not all at once. If this happens the plane will happily fly to where you were going. So I will just pay the extra and get a nice new mechanical pump. Thanks for the input.

 

Lyndon

 

 

[Geoff13]

I'm not sure as what is required. But the pump at 1740 hrs in and aircraft has done it's job. It's 2016. Mechanical pumps are a thing of the past. I can put a plate on it for a dollar. I can run a pump on the firewall with hoses away from the engine for 25 percent of the mechanical pump. In my experience it's just as reliable. I can even run a lithium auxiliary battery set up with this pump for half the cost of the mechanical pump. I just don't like be fucked over. Its a 12 dollar pump.

It appears that you are as concerned about cost rather than safety, have you considered buying a Jabiru motor.

 

 

[Lyndon]

I did actually.

 

 

[Ultralights]

yes Rotax parts are expensive, but they are reliable, if recent reports are to go by, more reliable then their GA counterparts. I just finished rebuilding my fuel system from the firewall forward on my 912, and the mechanical fuel pump is not that expensive when i consider what i spent on the fuel system in total up front. (teflon, fuel line, stainless steel braided wrapped in kevlar) no more 5 yearly rubber replacement for my fuel system any more.

 

 

[Downunder]

My 912 (high wing tanks) will flow fuel through the mech pump when not running.

 

When working on the carbs, I have to shut the taps off or it just keeps pi**ing out.

 

Not sure if it is enough to keep it running but suspect it will at a lower power setting.

 

From what I've been told, the old style pump with pressed housing is much better quality than the new one with screws aroung the ouside.

 

Mine is the newer style.

 

 

[Ultralights]

if i remember correctly, the new style pump upgrade is a mandatory AD for certain serial numbered engines. (just going on a memory here, so it might not be mandatory but recomended)

 

 

[planesmaker]

I have had 2 new pumps fail on the same aeroplane. Longest lasting went 17hrs next one only did 13 hrs on an aircraft with no elec back up. On the one of the pumps it failed to gravity feed and stopped, the other one had the engine surging slightly. I don't think much of the new pumps. Give me an old pierburg any day.

 

 

[rankamateur]

(teflon, fuel line, stainless steel braided wrapped in kevlar) no more 5 yearly rubber replacement for my fuel system any more.

Did all that stainless steel braid change the W&B?

 

 

[Ultralights]

not sure yet, a re weight and balance will be done before it flies again, i am confident the fuel lines would not have changed much, if not saved some weight. we reduced the length of the fuel lines, and removed a heap of heavy fire sleeve as well, the lines we chose were the lightest made, they are made for motor and drag racing application, so weight was a factor in their design, all fittings are anodized aluminium

 

 

[rankamateur]

It will look fast even if it isn't.