Help! Metal in right wing tank

[JoeRuscito]

So I need some help thinking this through. About a week ago I sumped some metal from my right wing tank. Looked like metal filings (very small) and about enough to cover half the end of a pencil eraser. It’s not magnetic and looks like very shiny brass. I did not find it in the left tank and not in the header. I Stumped again and got very little more if anything.

Since then I’ve run the engine quite a bit. A couple flights in the pattern and balanced my prop. I did not find any more on any of those engine runs until yesterday. Same thing and amount came out of the right tank. This was just after refueling. I was suspect of the fuel but I have not found any in left tank and both were filled.

This time I may have found some in the header but I’m not sure if the cup was just contaminated from the right tank being sumped before.

any thoughts? I don’t know where this metal could be coming from. Thanks!

[bbs428]

Wow! If you flushed your tanks as recommended and I know you did, it has to be fuel contamination Joe. I mean how else can that metal get in there? My thoughts are that a fuel pump where you are refueling is starting to fail. Brass is common in fuel pumps. Why one tank and not the other? Who knows, really weird.
Fuel up elsewhere for a while and see if the contamination goes away. If it does you should notify the fbo. Just my 2c worth.

Fly safe!

[avidflyer]

Maybe you can refuel at the same pump, but run it through a Mister Funnel so it filters the fuel before it gets into the tank. Then you will maybe see the particles in the bottom of the funnel and know it's source for sure. JImChuk

[JoeRuscito]

I was and still am certainly suspect of the fuel and will talk with the fbo. Is there any chance it’s coming from the 912is fuel pumps? To your point Brett, that’s the only place that might have brass internally I’m not aware of.

[Dave S]

Joe,

Nasty deal....Jim Chuck's comment about using a filtering funnel of some sort should rule out or confirm the fuel source.

Curious, since I have a garden variety ULS and I could stand to learn a bit about the 912is - does the 912is pump fuel back to the wing tank? If so, does it discharge only to the one wing tank?

Have you had a chance to check the finger strainers in the fuel tank discharge - they are rather coarse, so I don't know if small brass particles would make it through?

[JoeRuscito]

The particles are way smaller than the finger strainers. And you are correct the return line from header only goes to right tank. In the case of the IS the fuel
pumps move way more fuel than the engine uses so you do tend to see more than just air return to the right tank. But that returning fuel would have gone through the 6 micron filter after the fuel pump assembly and prior to entering the engine/injectors after passing the injectors it goes through the fuel regulator and a check valve than back to the header.

[HighWing]

A thought. Do you routinely fuel the right tank first. If so, there might be a bit of residue that settles somewhere in the fuel pump system that only makes it into the first wing tank filled.

[JoeRuscito]

Great thought. I’ll keep that in mind but if I recall the left was first ok this last fill up.

[efwd]

Joe, I'm not sure if your having the same thing as I, But I have described particles much the same as you that I have found in my fuel samples. Mine is like translucent grains of sand. I posted here as well. I believe it was Ross who replied that he had the same stuff until he had about 100hrs on his plane. I just achieved 130hrs on mine and I might find a grain or two in at least one of the wing tanks each time I do a sample. I believe it is fiberglass from the tanks. I wouldn't describe mine as metallic like so I am not certain we have the same stuff. Something to consider. at ten hours I pulled the fuel filter and cut it open. I didn't find anything whatsoever in the fuel filter. You may recall one of my previous posts regarding fuel staining of the Oratex behind my fuel sample valve leak. This granular stuff is what lodged in the O-ring and caused the leak.

[GuppyWN]

Does your fuel return line go to the wing tank or header tank?