Fuel Pressure Sensor

[jiott]

Just wondering how useful a Skyview panel readout of fuel pressure is? The Dynon EMS kit for Rotax 912 comes with a fuel pressure sensor. The reason I am asking is its kind of a pain to mount the sensor. It should be mounted on the firewall, which means I must run a small fuel hose to it from the fuel pressure port (M10) on the Rotax fuel manifold. Then to be consistent with my other fuel hoses it should be firesleeved. A lot of fuss and extra hoses for what benefit? Just looking for opinions. I realize a gauge for ground maintenance is essential, but in-flight monitoring?

Jim

[Geowitz]

Why does it have to be mounted on the firewall? I've got mine inline and so far so good. Like this...

http://www.jegs.com/p/B-B/B-B-Fuel-Pressure-Gauges-In-Line-Fittings/1678771/10002/-1

[kmach]

The dynon fuel flow sensor I have is mounted inline as well. fuel line comes from firewall to fuel flow sensor then fuel filter then to the rotax mechanical fuel pump, my setup does not involve an over pressure line, i just adjust the flow reading with the K factor in the dynon itself. I will add I have fuel filters before the header tank so fuel is filtered before going thru the sensor. everything is firesleeved.

[Dorsal]

I am not sure of the value and I have had two sender units fail as I did not have them mounted back on the firewall. I moved the sender to the FW and have not had any problems since. Other than just one more number in the green it may give me early warning of a restriction in the fuel lines or pump failure. When the second unit failed I though about just leaving it out and would have been happy with that also.

[jiott]

Dynon strongly recommends NOT mounting it on the engine, as verified by Dorsal.
Has anyone gotten any useful early warning from it in flight?

Jim

[Geowitz]

Dynon strongly recommends NOT mounting it on the engine, as verified by Dorsal.
Has anyone gotten any useful early warning from it in flight?

Jim

I would certainly agree about not mounting it ON the engine, however, I wouldn't call an inline fitting on a flexible fuel hose several feet before the engine as being mounted"on the engine". Perhaps they are more concerned with manifold blocks attached to hard fuel lines that are then attached to the carbs.

[kmach]

Dynon strongly recommends NOT mounting it on the engine, as verified by Dorsal.
Has anyone gotten any useful early warning from it in flight?

Jim

If I didn't have one, I would not rush out and put one in . It is another gauge of what is going on with the engine. No it has not given me any early warning,... I have been trouble free for 289 hrs ( knock on wood) with the (first) sensor mounted inline.

[Dorsal]

I think there may be some confusion on fittings vs senders/sensors. Senders can be susceptible to damage from excess vibration, fittings don't care.

Kmach, are you talking about a fuel pressure sensor or flow meter?

[Geowitz]

I think there may be some confusion on fittings vs senders/sensors. Senders can be susceptible to damage from excess vibration, fittings don't care.

Kmach, are you talking about a fuel pressure sensor or flow meter?

No confusion. I was implying that the sensor would be directly attached to whatever fitting was used and in the case of a flexible line with an inline fitting the vibrations would not be a problem. Where as if a sensor is directly attached to a hard line or manifold directly on the engine obviously it will transmit all vibration.

[GoingHawgWyld]

I mounted both my fuel pressure and fuel flow sensors inline with the fuel hoses. Both are supported only by the hoses which isolates vibration. Both are going strong after 300+ hours...

[jamesmil]

i also felt that the fuel pressure gage on the garmin g3x was not needed but i had it anyway so went ahead and installed it. as i was building time on the phase 1 i flew a long cruise flite in the box, at about 2.5hr i got a low pressure warning on the g3x. as the engine was running great i tended to think it was a bad reading but i pulled some power off anyway and the pressuer stablize so i decided to go back to home base and land to check it out, and i need a rest stop. after landing i did a full power run up and watched the fuel pressure slowly drop. the engine ran fine until the pressure droped to .5 lb. and then the engine started to shut down. after checking all the filters and hoses and finding nothing wrong i folded the right wing back and found some dummy:mad: "jamesmil" had pulled a zip tye to tite on the the vent line at the # 1 rib and restricted the air flow. without the fuel pressure gage to give me an indication of a problem i would have left the power at cruise until the engine started to shut down. might have been interesting.

[kmach]

I think there may be some confusion on fittings vs senders/sensors. Senders can be susceptible to damage from excess vibration, fittings don't care.

Kmach, are you talking about a fuel pressure sensor or flow meter?

Thanks for asking, after relooking at the post, it is about fuel Pressure senders.
I don't have one of those, all my comments are on a fuel flow sender , sorry about that.:o

[Dorsal]

I mounted both my fuel pressure and fuel flow sensors inline with the fuel hoses. Both are supported only by the hoses which isolates vibration. Both are going strong after 300+ hours...

Maybe I should have tried that but I was concerned that the Dynon sender was a bit big. My original install had the sender attached to an in line fitting but supported by Adel clamps to the manifold cross-over tube. I had thought this would provide enough isolation but after two failed units moved it back to the FW. They also have better, smaller and more expensive senders now.
Jamesmil, way to make good use of the information at hand, glad it worked out the way it did.

[kmach]

Anyone have a picture of the dynon pressure sensor hooked up ?

[Dorsal]

http://www.teamkitfox.com/Forums/picture.php?albumid=202&pictureid=2409

The Dynon sensor is attached to a distribution block on top and clamped to the crossover tube. I don't have a pick of it back on the FW but could take one tomorrow if that would be helpful.