Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14

Thread: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

  1. #1
    N213RV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Jackson, MI
    Posts
    181

    Default Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Can someone tell me why we have to cut the sight gauge plates in 2 between the holes? Has anyone just installed them then attached the sight tubes and left the decal and backing plate a 1 piece assembly? Is it just due to limited access to install/remove the sight gauge tubes?

    Thoughts?

    Thanks!
    -Mike Kraus
    RV-4 built and sold :-(
    RV-10 built and flying
    KitFox SS7 built and flying and now on amphib floats!

  2. #2
    Senior Member War Eagle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Nampa Id
    Posts
    257

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    I don't know the specific design criteria but from my perspective it was for ease of installation.

    For me the install of the sight gauge plates and decal/placard came in the finishing touches of the build process. If I had put it in when the wings were built then I would have probably gone to great lengths to keep it from getting bunged up during the built process etc. and it would have taken extra work to do that.

    But hey, that's just my approach.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Garland, Texas
    Posts
    1,476

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Having a two piece panel makes it a lot easier to replace the sight gauge tube, remove the plate and then remove the hose an replace. I've already had to replace my sight gauge tubes once.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  4. #4
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Edgar Springs MO
    Posts
    1,841

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Now that's a good ideee , i ordered new sites when i ordered my wheel pants, i was going to have some glass tubes made and put a bead inside of the tube ( since i burn mogas and its almost the same color as the tubes) and I still might if i can find a bead that will float in fuel and not decompose , although I'm not as old as you's guy's its tough to see mogas in the tubes at times since it's not that purty blue , maybe the mogas makers could put some dye in it so when us mogas burners will know when we need some Mo' Gas ?
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  5. #5
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Edgar Springs MO
    Posts
    1,841

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Boy these " old guy's" are tough.. I thought for sure my red neckish inuendo's would put an air bubble in their fuel lines or get their landing gear tied in a knot...or at least stir a little prop dust But nope ... It's just like water off a turttle deck

    <---- meanders over to the back of the hangar like a tail wheel and waits
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  6. #6
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Goodyear, AZ
    Posts
    1,743

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyPirate View Post
    Boy these " old guy's" are tough..
    Well, I admit to being an old guy. In fact I have the hat to prove it. My favorite has the logo on the back saying, "The older i get, the better I was."

    With that said, I have a question having to do with the placard.

    Has anyone actually done a sequential fill to verify the numbers. The reason i ask is that I did back in the day and granted I had the original tanks, I found that with a slight bubble showing at the top of the horizontal (sight)tube I had nine gallons. I also found that with conventional gear, the fuel level on the gauge while resting in three point during run up was not the same a few minutes later when in level flight - by a gallon or more.

    And a quick glance at my airplane resting on it's new tailwheel lift - Close to nose gear attitude, I see that the filler neck is about a half inch below the crown of the tank so in that attitude "Filling" would be impossible.
    Lowell Fitt
    Goodyear, AZ


    My You Tube Channel

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    197

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Putting one plate 9with only the two holes in it) makes it impossible for you to close the nuts on the tank-seal..

    I did check the numbers on the plate: I had two different types, with different distance between the numbers on them (one is http://www.kitfox.eu/technical/kf4-related.html)
    And besides: we count in liters here.
    So just ask a guy to put in buckets of 10 liters of fuel, and put a mark on the tube...

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    wales,ny
    Posts
    710

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Quote Originally Posted by SkyPirate View Post
    Now that's a good ideee , i ordered new sites when i ordered my wheel pants, i was going to have some glass tubes made and put a bead inside of the tube ( since i burn mogas and its almost the same color as the tubes) and I still might if i can find a bead that will float in fuel and not decompose , although I'm not as old as you's guy's its tough to see mogas in the tubes at times since it's not that purty blue , maybe the mogas makers could put some dye in it so when us mogas burners will know when we need some Mo' Gas ?
    Hey Chase, I could never see the fuel level without a bunch of gyrations so I put a cork in it as they say. I found some small ball corks online that would fit in my clear tygon tubing , so I painted them with fuel proof paint and they work great at showing the level without those pesky gyrations. Bruce

  9. #9
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Edgar Springs MO
    Posts
    1,841

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    Lol on the hat Lowell And Cool on that Bruce, sounds like you have the solution, did you have to remove the wire inside of the tubing or did you drill a hole in the center of the cork and slide it on the wire?
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

  10. #10
    Senior Member SkyPirate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Edgar Springs MO
    Posts
    1,841

    Default Re: Sight Gauge Plate installation.... SS7

    OK you guys got my creative juices flowing..so this is your fault

    find some aluminum tubing that the site tubes can fit inside of ..thin wall and this would eliminate the wire stiffener so a cork float could be inserted
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Chase
    Model 5 OutBack
    912 UL

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •