Quick disconnect fuel fittings in 3/8"

[Marty_d]

I've been flipping through ads on the internet until my eyes bleed.  I actually have 4x 1/4" quick disconnect fuel fittings, with integral shut-off when disconnected (from Aircraft Spruce) but following the "fuel flow" discussion I think I'm going to stick with 3/8" from tanks to engine.

 

From everything I've seen there are a lot of 3/8" quick disconnect fittings but none of them have integral shut-off.  This is probably fine in a car where the fuel tank is lower than the engine but doesn't work very well with wing tanks.  Aircraft Spruce only stock the 1/4" ones.

 

Does anyone know of a supplier who has the 3/8" ones with shut off?  Preferably panel mount but at this stage I'll take what I can get.

 

Thanks!

[skippydiesel]

Hmmm! - I can see having a "quick" connect for a ferry tank/range extender, type situation but why would you have them for a permanently plumbed fuel tank???

 

One further Q - Your location, is that Tas, United States of America?  the only country to still favour the imperial measurement system.

Edited September 20, 2021 by skippydiesel

[rgmwa]

Bit of a long shot but you could try contacting these guys (Steve or Tom). http://www.aircraftspecialty.com/

They are aircraft hose specialists so if they can't help they can probably tell you where to look. They are pretty helpful in my experience. 

MacFarlane may also be worth a look. https://www.mcfarlaneaviation.com

[Marty_d]

53 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

Hmmm! - I can see having a "quick" connect for a ferry tank/range extender, type situation but why would you have them for a permanently plumbed fuel tank???

 

One further Q - Your location, is that Tas, United States of America?  the only country to still favour the imperial measurement system.

Well, I still don't have a home airfield for this plane.  I may have to end up trailering it, and if that happens, I need some way to take the wings off - hence I think having the ability to disconnect the wing tanks would be a good idea.

 

While I do support the metric system, I don't mind referring to 3/8" hose when that's what's written on it.

[kgwilson]

I installed quick disconnect Yamaha Outboard motor fuel fittings for the wing tanks for easy wing removal. You can buy them in various sizes from any marine supplies shop. They are well made, small, light and relatively inexpensive & have never leaked.  Each has a male & female part sold separately. Total cost for the 4 parts was $90.00

[skippydiesel]

9 hours ago, Marty_d said:

Well, I still don't have a home airfield for this plane.  I may have to end up trailering it, and if that happens, I need some way to take the wings off - hence I think having the ability to disconnect the wing tanks would be a good idea.

 

While I do support the metric system, I don't mind referring to 3/8" hose when that's what's written on it.

Fair comment - didn't realise you had removable wings/tanks.

 

No offence intended - As an enthusiastic adopter of the metric system, I see all references/uses of the obsolete imperial measurements, to be backsliding "Luddites"

[Marty_d]

No offence taken!

 

As for removable - it would be a reasonably big job to take the wings on and off, but it's doable.  There's only 2 bolts at the wing root, but another 6 to get the struts off on each side.  Plus of course an inspection panel to access the fuel connectors. 

[skippydiesel]

43 minutes ago, Marty_d said:

No offence taken!

 

As for removable - it would be a reasonably big job to take the wings on and off, but it's doable.  There's only 2 bolts at the wing root, but another 6 to get the struts off on each side.  Plus of course an inspection panel to access the fuel connectors. 

My sympathies, I may be in a similar situation in the near future. I figure its not just the time & potential for damage in removing/attaching the wings/stabiliser but also the transporting system needs carefully thought if the risk of damage is to be minimised.

[spenaroo]

motorcycle fittings, most bikes with a fuel pump run quick connect fittings.
I know Triumph and Ducati do, and of course with the fuel tank over the hot engines it has the shut-off.
with aftermarket metal fittings widely available (the stock ones are plastic and break on removal)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/333178511422

Edited September 21, 2021 by spenaroo

[skippydiesel]

2 minutes ago, spenaroo said:

motorcycle fittings, most bikes with a fuel pump run quick connect fittings.
I know Triumph and Ducati do, and of course with the fuel tank over the hot engines it has the shut-off.
with aftermarket metal fittings widely available (the stock ones are plastic and break on removal)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/333178511422

Isn't this so that you can access the top of the engine?

[spenaroo]

yeah, to do anything other than an oil change you have to remove the tank.
which is a bummer when customers have just fueled up on the way in to service

old days you would jut turn off the fuel tap and disconnect the lines.
new bike with fuel pumps that bolt in from below will run a quick disconnect because of the pressure in the fuel system. few different styles, some have the ends threaded into the pump (Ducati and triumph style), others have one side cast in the pump plate or tank. (the Harleys from memory had a quick connect on the fuel line, but was just a tube coming off the tank - so needed to be drained every time you took the tank off)
most bikes after about 5 years have issues with the plastic connections breaking with removal or refitting due to the plastic turning brittle.

I keep about 3 sets in stock for this reason. the 916-998, 1098-1198 are all at the age where they break during services

Edited September 21, 2021 by spenaroo

[Bernie]

20 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

Fair comment - didn't realise you had removable wings/tanks.

 

No offence intended - As an enthusiastic adopter of the metric system, I see all references/uses of the obsolete imperial measurements, to be backsliding "Luddites"

Guess I'm a "Luddite" I've never embraced the metric system.

ALL my tapes have inches on them.

Bernie.

[skippydiesel]

3 hours ago, Bernie said:

Guess I'm a "Luddite" I've never embraced the metric system.

ALL my tapes have inches on them.

Bernie.

Sad!

[kgwilson]

I measure everything in mm and have done since the 70s.  I just can't work anything out using inches feet and fractions

[skippydiesel]

56 minutes ago, kgwilson said:

I measure everything in mm and have done since the 70s.  I just can't work anything out using inches feet and fractions

In an evolutionary sense , imperial is a dead end, way too complicated, freak of a system, that I hope will be consigned for ever, to the strange/inexplicable curiosity section of history.

Edited September 21, 2021 by skippydiesel

[onetrack]

It's not going to happen when you have 330 million Americans who believe the inch/lb measurement system is superior to anything the French dreamed up!! 

[skippydiesel]

2 hours ago, onetrack said:

It's not going to happen when you have 330 million Americans who believe the inch/lb measurement system is superior to anything the French dreamed up!! 

Not all Yanks - a lot of their export stuff eg JD tractors is now up to date. I put it down to the nationalistic brain washing they are swamped with from school age onwards.

[spenaroo]

NASA uses metric.
From memory the Apollo missions were all done in metric, with it converted to imperial for the read-outs

[Marty_d]

The plans for my 701 are American.  All length measurements are in millimetres, but thicknesses are in 1000ths of an inch and rivet/bolt sizes are in fractions of an inch.

[spenaroo]

better question is why they still call it Imperial?
doesn't that go against there whole culture of freedumbs and independence

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, spenaroo said:

NASA uses metric.
From memory the Apollo missions were all done in metric, with it converted to imperial for the read-outs

I think you will find most if not all of their scientific community works in metric - publishing reserch papers is international.

[spenaroo]

not Lockheed. lets not forget the mars rover that crashed because NASA assumed the inputs were in metric, as per the standard practices for space flight

[kgwilson]

The US passed a law to change to metric in 1975 & The US Metrication board was set up but reversed in 1982 by President Reagan as being unamerican. Since then they have been arguing the merits and otherwise and it is used in engineering but vehemently opposed by some States. Laws keep getting passed and rescinded. It is a complete shemozzle but that is normal for anything in the US.

I wouldn't surprise me if it was a Republican v Democrat issue.

[Thruster88]

I see that Celsius is used in ATIS broadcasts in the USA. 

[Geoff_H]

16 hours ago, spenaroo said:

better question is why they still call it Imperial?
doesn't that go against there whole culture of freedumbs and independence

The Americans call it the English system.

When I worked in Texas we had an engineer that would always convert English/imperial system to metric system, do all calculations in metric then convert results to English/ imperial system.  Claimed it was easier.