I would vote for putting it back to where it was originally. You can get a header tank from Vernon Gregory for a few hundred dollars. Biggest expense is putting it in, of course. The original design was pretty clever - even if the pump failed you had more than an hour of flying available. I fly 3-hour legs in my Ercoupe and never touch the header, but I know I'm pushing it if the header fuel gauge starts going down!
It made more sense with the 15 gallon tanks, since you had even more fuel available, but with just the 9 gallon tanks that really reduces your range, since the header always serves as your reserve. If you put it back to original you don't have to worry about a field approval for the removal of the header... Anyway, just my $0.02. Best of luck! Larry N99340 On Aug 15, 2010, at 1:58 PM, Tom & Susan Crocco wrote: > > Ed, > > Thanks for your response. There is another mechanic who is very familiar > with this airplane, in fact he replaced all the fuel lines three months ago. > I'm going to contact him. The only thing is, I had to leave the plane quite > aways from where he is located in another state. But it sounds like getting > the plane to him and/or him to the plane is the least of my worries. Again, > thanks for your thoughtful reply. > > Regards, > > Tom > > From: Ed Burkhead > Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2010 10:42 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Re: Fuel System Problems > > > Tom wrote: > > Is it possible to prepare and submit 337's for work past > > completed, AND is there an STC that covers the work > > that was done to my plane? > > Tom, > > I'm not an A&P or AI and just have a pilot's level knowledge of this subject. > Nevertheless, let me take a swing at answering your question. > > A standard STC is researched, engineered and approved by the FAA. It's a > market commodity the use of which can be sold. There is no STC for removing > the header tank on an Ercoupe that I know of. > > Not to worry too much. > > Yes, you can document and get approval for a previously performed > modification - subject to the information below. > > The form 337 is often called a one-time-STC. It is a supplement covering > changes to the type certificate for one plane - approved by the FAA. It is > possible to use another pilot's form 337 as justification for a change to > your airplane. Form 337s signed off before a certain date are considered > "approved data" because all the FAA people back then who did such sign-offs > were engineers. Form 337s signed off since that time may be accepted as > "approved data" or maybe not. It'll depend on how much the current FAA > wienie feels that approving your change might threaten his/her career. > > In the last few years, the FAA has been reluctant to approve major changes to > aircraft without some "approved data." "Approved data" lets the blame fall > on the person who created the "approved data" rather than on the FAA wienie > who signs off on your form 337. > > In the absence of "approved data" in the form of an old form 337, an approved > STC, the FAA staffer may require an engineering analysis from a Designated > Engineering Representative (DER) who is a non-FAA person authorized to make > such analysis and charge money for the service. With a favorable analysis > from a DER, some pretty major changes can be made. > > Many people have bought planes and found changes for which there is no > documentation on file with the FAA. (See that document CD.) If it is a > "major" change, then the plane is not legally airworthy until a form 337 is > submitted and approved. You may be required to include an engineering > analysis from a DER. > > For your fuel tank removal and fuel system restructuring, you may well need > to have "approved data" to use as a reference. Perhaps one of the members > here can fax or scan/e-mail you a copy of prior approval for removal of the > header tank. > > Your fuel system restructuring is similar to that needed for the 30 gallon > wing tank installation and the STC for that modification may constitute > adequate approved data for your plane's change. I'd urge you to talk to > Skyport ( http://ercoupeparts.com ) and/or watch for a response from John > Cooper here on the forum. > > If your current mechanic is unwilling to do the paperwork and get approval > for the mods to your plane, you need to find a mechanic who will. I can't > blame this guy too much. He's presented with a plane that has a strangely > modified fuel system AND which is having fuel problems sever enough to cause > a forced landing. A mechanic with plenty of other work to do may well > decline to dive into this. But in doing so to me, he would forfeit any > further business from me if I could possibly help it. > > Unfortunately, I think you have some work to do and will need to pay for some > professional paperwork. In addition, some physical work will probably need > to be done to solve your current fuel delivery problems. > > Me, I liked to do cross country trips and like having the extra fuel reserve > in the header tank as well as the excellent hard-to-mismanage fuel system. > If it were mine, I'd seriously consider buying a refurbished fuel tank and > modifying the instruments as needed, putting the plane back to the original > design. > > Sorry, > > Ed > > Ed Burkhead > http://edburkhead.com/Ercoupe/index.htm > ed -at- edburk???head. com change -at- to @ and remove > question marks and extra space > > >
