Alum. header tank question. KF IV

[beeryboats]

Thanks for all the photos Paul. My IV is plumbed WAY different than your aircraft. A retrofit of that magnitude is out of the question. I saw no signs of leaks but the outlet was plugged solid. My IV has been setting for 10 years! So I opted for the aluminum tank upgrade based on stories like yours. Little did I know that it was designed for the four stroke engine and mounted lower in the airframe. I think I can make it work mounted where the old poly tank was hanging. I'm still toying around with the idea of installing the sump drain in the tank even though access would be tough. It might be useful in the future.

I'm still thinking about how to put a real low point drain where it should be. Right next to the pilot's seat. Not the easiest place, but it is the low point configured as a tail dragger.
Jay

[Wheels]

Here is a pic of my mod IV aluminum header tank install. the drain is way easy. I use the tank at the low point to drain fuel if doing a wing fold or major work like I am today on the engine mount replacement. John Mcbean was the lead agent on info here and I do what he says. The tank is flawless and the routing simple. It's a plane not a toy so the plastic fuel tank had to go.

[DanB]

Jay,
If the production header tank does not have fittings where you need them or is not the right size, contact me and I will work with you to make one to your specs. I'm a welding instructor at a high school and I specialize in TIG welding aluminum parts as a side gig. I'm sure I can come in quite close to the price of the stock units.
Dan

[beeryboats]

Jay,
If the production header tank does not have fittings where you need them or is not the right size, contact me and I will work with you to make one to your specs. I'm a welding instructor at a high school and I specialize in TIG welding aluminum parts as a side gig. I'm sure I can come in quite close to the price of the stock units.
Dan

Thanks for the offer Dan, but I think it's going to work out ok.

[beeryboats]

Thanks Wheels! Wow, does a photo say a thousand words! The tank is in a totally different place on your a/c. Mine is mounted behind the rear baggage compartment of all places. I'm handicapped by not having the original build info. I have no idea of what he's done is correct per the plans or not. But where your tank is located, and the shape of the tank make sense. Obviously the seat fits in front of the tank. Has everyone else placed their tank in the same place? I guess it wouldn't be that tough a job to bend a new fuel line from the outlet to the fuel valve.

[PapuaPilot]

Jay,

That is where I put the header tank on my model 5. It shouldn't be hard to put in some new fuel lines. You want to put the tank as far down as possible so that you can use the aluminum flange and hose to seal the drain to the fabric. You will obviously need to make a hole in your fabric at the new location too. Like others have mentioned, this will become your low point in the fuel system which is a great plan.

Mine plane came with a plastic header tank and I decided to replace it during the build.

[Wheels]

Hey Beeryboats,
Wheels here, My first name is Jay too so I think I'll stick to the handle to avoid confusion. That aluminum header tank works great and I really like the location in my plane. (right behind the passenger seat.) I did have to shave a little fiberglass from a high point on the seat pan to keep it from chafing on the tank. I don't have any contact with the seat and tank now. My normal passenger weights less than 110 lbs but if I put a hog over there it could distort the seat enough to make contact with the header tank. My original build manual shows the tank mounted here. The CD is available and I got mine from John Mcbean. Do you have that yet? You can read up on various processes and save a lot of headache. I'm not the builder and I don't have that much experience with A/C building so I needed the build manual and CD which I have.
When you take out your interior during inspection, the tank and connections for lights and ELT are all very accessible. the tank is robust so even if there is a hog in the right seat, I am not worried about cracking a line fitting or anything. Hope that helps.
Jay White
Kitfox IV classic
912 Rotax

[Paul Z]

You might consider posting some photos of what you have so we can better discuss your problem.

[beeryboats]

Sorry Paul, I've removed it all. It was hanging off the top rear of the baggage compartment, facing rearwards. And it was reversed front to back. So if you took your tank from behind the passenger seat, then leaned wayyy back behind the baggage compartment, flipped it front to back, and installed it, that's what I had. I'm beginning to wonder if he did it for weight and balance. No worries. If everyone is in agreement that it belongs behind the passenger seat, that's where its new home is going to be! It sure makes it easier to get to.
Jay

[beeryboats]

Great strides were made in aviation today. I mounted the new header tank today and installed all the fittings in both the wing tanks and header tank. I marked the fabric for the flange fitting and removed the tank again. I need to mount the flange now. The old fuel line was cut out of the wire bundle on the pilot side and disposed of. It was plugged solid like the fitting in the header tank was. The new fuel valve and rebuilt gascolator were installed. Now I wait for more parts to arrive....