GumpAir wrote:Guess I missed this thread. I was Googling the N number of my old '56 C180, and found her here. I think I bought it about 1987. A bit rough in the looks department, but a sweet flyer...

Gump

Stickman wrote:This airplane had been running Arco regular unleaded for a year o[vimeo][/vimeo]r so. Arco had begun oxygenating fuel around the same time.

NTSB Identification: SEA85LA209 . oo
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 29194.
Accident occurred Monday, September 09, 1985 in ISSAQUAH, WA
Aircraf[vimeo][/vimeo]t: CESSNA 180, registration: N7694A
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
THE ACFT LANDED NOSE DOWN SHORT OF THE RWY DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING FUEL STARVATION. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE MAIN FUEL LINE WAS BLOCKED BY PIECES OF THE PRIMER VALVE PISTON 'O' RING WHICH HAD DETERIORATED DUE TO THE CONTINUOUUSE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

FUEL SYSTEM,LINE..BLOCKED(TOTAL)
Index for Sep1985 | Index of months

The finger strainers were both clogged with deteriorated rubber and the fuel bladders had to be replaced before return to service.

Am I the only one that finds it totally amazing that the primer o-rings flowed upstream to clog the fuel lines?

Shizzz in the finger strainers surely wouldn't just be contaminated fuel not caught or checked in a pre flight due to to laziness, cause that would be too simple blaming it on auto fuel that makes rubber move against the flow of fuel sounds much more likely to me

Rob wrote:

GumpAir wrote:Guess I missed this thread. I was Googling the N number of my old '56 C180, and found her here. I think I bought it about 1987. A bit rough in the looks department, but a sweet flyer...

Gump

Stickman wrote:This airplane had been running Arco regular unleaded for a year o[vimeo][/vimeo]r so. Arco had begun oxygenating fuel around the same time.

NTSB Identification: SEA85LA209 . oo
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 29194.
Accident occurred Monday, September 09, 1985 in ISSAQUAH, WA
Aircraf[vimeo][/vimeo]t: CESSNA 180, registration: N7694A
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
THE ACFT LANDED NOSE DOWN SHORT OF THE RWY DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING FUEL STARVATION. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE MAIN FUEL LINE WAS BLOCKED BY PIECES OF THE PRIMER VALVE PISTON 'O' RING WHICH HAD DETERIORATED DUE TO THE CONTINUOUUSE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

FUEL SYSTEM,LINE..BLOCKED(TOTAL)
Index for Sep1985 | Index of months

The finger strainers were both clogged with deteriorated rubber and the fuel bladders had to be replaced before return to service.

Am I the only one that finds it totally amazing that the primer o-rings flowed upstream to clog the fuel lines?

Shizzz in the finger strainers surely wouldn't just be contaminated fuel not caught or checked in a pre flight due to to laziness, cause that would be too simple blaming it on auto fuel that makes rubber move against the flow of fuel sounds much more likely to me

Rob are the primers easy to maintain? Mine is real hard to pull out until I shoot some lube on it. Can the orings be replaced?

Rob wrote:
Am I the only one that finds it totally amazing that the primer o-rings flowed upstream to clog the fuel lines?

Shizzz in the finger strainers surely wouldn't just be contaminated fuel not caught or checked in a pre flight due to to laziness, cause that would be too simple blaming it on auto fuel that makes rubber move against the flow of fuel sounds much more likely to me

Would not the finger strainers be plugged from rubber of the fuel bladder disintegrating???

Hi Russ,
Fuel lube has always worked the best for me. Quick, easy, and as messy as could be.

Bart,

Sorry, I did muddy the waters on that one... But the docket says "the main fuel line was clogged by pieces of the primer o- ring" I didn't write it, and I can't see how that can be possible, you?

Beyond that, its been my experience that most cheap azz owners and lazy mechanic's complain about changing fuel bladders.
Consequently, 20-30 year old bladders is becoming very 'normal'. In my feeble way of thinking, a 25 year old bladder is not airworthy, and just as likely to start shedding rubber holding water as it is gasoline... After all, rubber is in a perpetual state of deterioration as soon as it is made... Also most bladders have seams and 'nipples' which are just rubber tubing vulcanized in...all things already in place to begin the clogging process...
FWIW, my mechanic did my last bladder in 45 minutes, and we opted for a new one. Pretty cheap insurance in my mind...
I dunno, car gas could have been the deal...

Take care, Rob