Mandatory Service Bulletin for Fuel Pick-ups

bmurrish · Post by **bmurrish** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 7:10 pm

Van's has issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin for safetying of standard and flop-type fuel pickup tubes. The service bulletin can be found here:

http://www.vansaircraft.com/pdf/sb06-2-23.pdf

svanarts · Post by **svanarts** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:51 pm

Great catch. Thanks for letting us know. One more item for my condition inspection.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:36 pm

Yah... Thanks Bill!

I think that I would prefer a nice sharp stick in the eye!

Dammit, I just made the damn things! Now I gotta take them apart!?!

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:07 pm

it's a service bulliten...make sure yours are tight and don't worry about 'em CJ. manufacturers must issue these to cover themselves from a liability standpoint. somebody didn't tighten theirs, and vans has to issue something like this.

I'M NOT SAYING IGNORE SAFETY ITEMS, however, some service bullitens are just ridiculous. trust me, take a cessna 421 for example. any private operator does not do them all. it would cost more than the airplane is worth to comply with all the SB's on a 421. i know, we have one.

if you know yours are torqued properly, they will never come loose.

bmurrish · Post by **bmurrish** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:01 am

My left tank is finished and I gooped proseal all over that flop tube connection. I am a little hesitant to rip it apart. I will comply with the SB for the right tank which will have a standard pick-up. If I can't get fuel from the left side, I will simply switch to the right.

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:38 am

Just playing the devil's advocate, Bill, but what if your right tank is empty (or nearly so) ?

Thomas
-8 wings

bmurrish · Post by **bmurrish** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:36 am

LAND

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:41 pm

Good answer!!!

OK, I am gonna put one question out there for general replies with regard to this "Mandatory Service Bulletin"...

How well do you think a fitting all dooped up with proseal like this will stay in position?

I am thinkin'... wheres it gonna go?

CJ

papakeith · Post by **papakeith** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:46 pm

If It's torqued properly, and then gooped, I don't see how it could move john.

hngrflyr · Post by **hngrflyr** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:35 pm

I've been maintaining mechanical things since I was about 12 years old. I'm 64 now. One thing I've learned over the years is, " don't kick the crust off old dog turds. They always stink." My RV-6 has been flying for 11years. It was the builder's 5th homebuilt airplane. If somethng like this was going to fall off, it would have by now. AN plumbing fittings are designed to stay tight. Not everyone who builds an airplane has extensive mechanical experience before they start. Errors of omission (like not properly tightening something) will occasionaly happen. There are more than 4500 RV airplanes flying, all built by people from all kinds of backgrounds. Think about it. How many things do you suppose are not properly tightened on 4500 factory built airplanes? Every nut and bolt in the airplane is installed by someone with a wrench in their hand. Some of these errors have potentially serious consequences. Others do not. The builder's best defense is to double check his work before closing something up that won't be seeing daylight again during the service life of the airplane.

This Service Bulletin sounds just like it was authored by lawyers. I may look at it during my next condition inspection, but I'm not going to be jumping through hoops to get it complied with before flying the plane again. I'll take responsibility for that decision.

Bob S

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:46 pm

CJ,
I don't think you have a problem. It looks like the goop will never let the nuts loosen up. I'd say Don't worry about it!
Dan

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 8:53 pm

The aircraft in question that brought this about was stationed about 60 miles south of here. My RV8 friend who was with him on takeoff , watched him go down, and then later checked out the wreckage, said the flop tube in the left tank came off inside the tank. He said that the owner had taken it loose to work on it and apparently forgot to tighten it back up. A fatal mistake. Don't do this!!
Dan

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:09 pm

WOW! So that's the inside scoop!

Dan, I am so sorry about your friend.

CJ