Bert.
I'd suggest your header has a pin hole at the back of the header tank. My brother had exactly that problem. Always fuel smell when flying. The pin hole was at the upper fuel level. In-flight there was seeping fuel, but not on the ground. The fuel level on the ground sinks a bit. The problem is that the area of the header tank can only be checked after you remove the header tank from the airframe. I would not think that a fuel spill from the header tank cap can make it down to your feet. I had fuel streaming out of the header tank cap and that was wet was the wind shield and I had some smell in the cabin, but no gasoline inside. Hartmut http://www.ercoupe.info/?n=Main.HeaderTank To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:48:31 +0000 Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Fuel in cockpit I have presented this problem before. Several suggestions were put forth. However, the problem presists. In a nut shell: - every flight leads to an eventual high volume leak of fuel into the cockpit generally over the left seat occupants feet. - turning off the fuel pump will stop the leak. - the system has been pressure tested twice, no leaks found. - the aircraft has had a fuel 'smell' for sometime now. - installtion of a new fuel filler cap (with glass covered fuel level indicator) solved the odor problem. - the new cap has a NEW gasket. - the caps airvent seems the only place fuel can exit the header tank. - the gasket at the at exit of the filler tube through the cowling is probably as old as the plane (1946) - best idea is, the system builds up pressure and forces fuel out the air vent, which then is forced by the in flight airstream down and under the cowling where it eventually flows over the header tank and onto the left seat occupants feet. - the overflow plumbing seems to be in working order. You can hear the fuel flowing back down to the wing tank when you over fill the header tank. - fuel exiting the airvent is not visually apparent during flight. - simply replacing the gasket at the filler tube/cowling would stop the fuel from entering the cockpit --- but not the actual lose of fuel in flight - anyone want to suggest a fix? Turning off the fuel pump and never allowing the header to fill itself works, but is obviously not a fix, just a work around. Help --- anyone, Please. Bert Hampton _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_skydrive_042009
