I read the fuel sticky, and it seems like this might be the right place to post this, if not, maybe someone could move it on over for me.


I just purchased my first plane, a 206 with some nice mods—sportsman, flint tips, vg’s, and big tires.

The bigger fork and nose wheel seems to really make the tail squat on the ramp. And after some recent problems with my fuel cap gaskets and subsequent attempts to sump the 12 wing sumps but still getting droplets in the belly sumps after run-up, I’m worried about false results going forward. I’m considering if the change in attitude at rest is allowing water to avoid the sump locations, and wondering if any of you had solutions to the sump issue as you changed gear configurations.

In the POH, the procedure for W/B specifies deflating the tire and or strut to level on the screws. I’m thinking I’ll do that as I chase any remaining water, but if I find any, then what?

I've flown late Cessnas with the million sump drains. You SHOULD be able to get the water out by sumping the drains. Certainly, changing the attitude of the plane while you drain the sumps might help.

I will tell you from experience, however, that it can be very difficult to remove ALL water from these wings if you have a fair amount of water in them to start. I had a similar experience with an early 185 in Kodiak (early ones had bladders, not wet wings like you have), with a LOT of water getting into the fuel system. Every time I thought I'd got all the water out of the tanks, I'd find some more in the gascolator.

Eventually, we drained the tanks entirely, opened the access ports and used cloths to sop up residual fuel and water. All in all, a huge pain in the butt.

Keep on sumping, shake the plane's wings, let it settle, drain, repeat, again and again.

MTV