Would the engine ever have quit as long as there was fuel in any tank?
Could I have just duct-taped over the offending fuel neck to get home if I hadn't had a spare cap?
Where can you buy a Citabria fuel cap?
What do you lube the gaskets with so you can spin the cap onto the neck without worrying about twisting the necks out of the tank?

robw56 wrote:.... What was making the noise? I walked around to the copilot door and found my dogs leash hanging about 3 feet out of the closed door.

hotrod180 wrote:

robw56 wrote:.... What was making the noise? I walked around to the copilot door and found my dogs leash hanging about 3 feet out of the closed door.

Was the dog still attached to the end of the leash?

A1Skinner wrote:I did the same thing once. Landed with about 3 gallons in one tank and the other dry. Started full 45 minutes earlier. Major wake up call. Don't get distracted during the walk around... engine never quit though. Yes you can just put some duct tape over the neck and carry on. Worked for me at least. Yes in the act 50 for lubing for the fuel gaskets.
David

contactflying wrote:The Cessna fuel cap chain will keep the cap with the airplane but you will not get far. It sounds like the airplane is beating itself to death.

I didn't check the cap myself after fuel at 7 Bar in ABQ but I came back fast.

aussie bob wrote:The ACF 50 will only last so long as a fuel cap lubricant. I got sick of applying it to my Scout caps and resorted to very carefully changing the tension on the retaining lugs. Perfect caps now and no lube required.

http://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/frequently-asked-questions.html wrote:Fuel burns unevenly from the wing tanks, what is wrong?
An imbalance of up to 1/4 tank is normal; a difference of more than 1/4 tank indicates a problem with the fuel system or rigging.

1. Verify the condition of fuel cap gaskets; a cracked or leaking gasket will cause a pressure difference between the fuel tanks. Troubleshoot by swapping the left and right fuel caps. The imbalance will follow the leaking cap. Replace the cap gaskets if necessary. Use a small amount of fuel lube on both faces of the gasket to improve the seal and ease of installation. EZ-Turn Lubricant (Aircraft Spruce, P/N 09-00306) or equivalent fuel lube is recommended.

2. Verify check valve function with fuel quantities of 1/2 tank or less. Remove one fuel cap and apply lung pressure to the under wing vent. The check valve should release and vent into the tank (some chattering is normal). Apply suction to the under-wing vent, the valve should allow for expansion in reverse. There should be a substantial decrease in the flow out of the tank. Repeat function test for the opposite check valve. If there is a noticeable difference in flow or pressure between the tanks, replace the check valves with a matched set.

3. Parking on a slope, sustained uncoordinated flight, etc., will cause fuel imbalance. In normal cruise the wings should be an equal distance above the horizon with no yaw present. If the airplane flies wing low or aileron/rudder pressure is necessary to maintain straight and level flight, rig in accordance with the following question.

hpux735 wrote:

A1Skinner wrote:I did the same thing once. Landed with about 3 gallons in one tank and the other dry. Started full 45 minutes earlier. Major wake up call. Don't get distracted during the walk around... engine never quit though. Yes you can just put some duct tape over the neck and carry on. Worked for me at least. Yes in the act 50 for lubing for the fuel gaskets.
David

Did you notice that the fuel had dissolved the adhesive? I may (or may not!) have done this at some point, and all the adhesive on the tape was (or might have been) gone. Flying a low-wing, I would have noticed within a few minutes that something was a miss and switched tanks. But, my dilemma afterward would certainly be that I wouldn't know what to do with 40 gallons of 100LL that may have adhesive in it. I did the math, and I think it's in the neighborhood of 6-12 PPM. I would be considering leaving it in there and hoping for the best, but I'd probably look online and ask around about other people's opinions... ahem...

A1Skinner wrote:

hpux735 wrote:

A1Skinner wrote:I did the same thing once. Landed with about 3 gallons in one tank and the other dry. Started full 45 minutes earlier. Major wake up call. Don't get distracted during the walk around... engine never quit though. Yes you can just put some duct tape over the neck and carry on. Worked for me at least. Yes in the act 50 for lubing for the fuel gaskets.
David

Did you notice that the fuel had dissolved the adhesive? I may (or may not!) have done this at some point, and all the adhesive on the tape was (or might have been) gone. Flying a low-wing, I would have noticed within a few minutes that something was a miss and switched tanks. But, my dilemma afterward would certainly be that I wouldn't know what to do with 40 gallons of 100LL that may have adhesive in it. I did the math, and I think it's in the neighborhood of 6-12 PPM. I would be considering leaving it in there and hoping for the best, but I'd probably look online and ask around about other people's opinions... ahem...

Ya 100LL definitely takes the adhesive off grey tape. I'm dealing with it all over a C180 right now. Tank bay had been taped with grey tape and once it started leaking, it took the adhesive off and left a hell of a mess all over the side of the plane.
Never use grey tape to tape tank bays!!!

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Code: Select all

Adhesive:
    Area: D=73mm; R=36.6mm; A=pi*(R^2)=3848mm^2
    Thickness: .15mm
    Volume: 3848mm^2*0.15mm=577mm^3 or 0.577mL
Fuel:
    Volume: 40 gallons or 151,400mL
Ratio:
    (0.577*1000000)/151400 = 3.8 PPM


Hammer wrote:I left both caps off my rag-wing Cessna 140 and flew about 90 minutes. The caps were attached by chains and never made a sound while I flew along. I lost some fuel, but really not that much...maybe three gallons per side if I recall correctly.

Scared me though. I fuel while standing on the tire, and my routine now is to NEVER step off the tire without putting the gas cap back on. Doesn't matter how trivial the trip off the tire is, I always re-cap.

One of the things I really love about aviation is that super trivial details can have catastrophic consequences. I guess I just like having a good reason to pay attention, which is something sorely lacking in much of day to day life.

I hope you don't loosen other parts on the aircraft to preclude lubrication? The tanks are pressurized from ram air. I wouldn't loosen them.

Issues with fuel caps (from ACA) ...