composite material in fuel

[compsci]

My new J230 (USA) has composite/fiberglass material in the fuel. We found much material in the carburetor needle valve and the fuel filter which was then removed and the fuel filter replaced. Now when I sump the fuel tanks I can see many very small particles in the sample. Is this a dangerous situation and what can be done about?

 

 

[facthunter]

Contaminated fuel.

 

I reckon it is dangerous. Are you using fuel containing ethanol? Nev.

 

 

[Tracktop]

Might be worth doing a complete fuel dump and start fresh and check results. I was getting foreign matter out of my plastic tank when new ( only ever used premium and always filled through a Mr Funnel). Cleared completely after a complete fuel dump. The factory ( different to yours) tell me they flush and clean the tanks before install and that's probably correct as it didn't start seeing foreign matter for about a month. I suspect in my case that the fuel may have loosened small bits of the the tank inner that weren't fully bonded.

 

 

[compsci]

I use only 100LL fuel

 

 

[facthunter]

Then...

 

You have to drain till you are happy with the situation. I would filter and re-use the fuel. Bit of a bummer but necessary. You could block your line filter or cause the carb. to flood, (if the needle doesn't seat) otherwise. Nev..

 

 

[Ross]

One of the forum members claimed something like that fibre glass tanks that are not completely lined with pure epoxy and possibly an appropriate tank sloshing agent will break down their fibre glass.

 

This makes it fairly difficult if the tanks have internal baffles which would probably be the case.

 

I am not sure if somebody said a similar message at the recent L1 meeting at Temora.

 

Regards

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Compsci, Don't think it would be the 100 LL, have you ever had any Ethonol fuel in that tank ?. Did have a friend with an Xair that had a similiar problem, which actually forced him down after an engine failure. When he complained to the importer the reply unbelievably was " remove the tank, and put a bit of chain in it and rattle it around !!" He went and got some very nice welded alum tanks made instead, and has not had a problem since. I can remember this problem raising it's ugly head every now and then, right throughout the 25 years I have been around ULs................

 

 

[compsci]

I had the fuel tanks drained and did not reuse the same fuel.

 

Also changed the fuel filter and cleaned the spark plugs.

 

Found lots of fiber glass at the drain sight on the wing tanks,

 

but no much elsewhere.

 

Fill the empty tanks with thirty four gallons of fresh fuel.

 

I still see many small dust size particles when I sump the fuel tanks.

 

 

[compsci]

An update on having the fuel tanks drained.

 

There is now very few particles at the bottom

 

of the glass when I sump the fuel.