Sight Gauge Tubing

[jrevens]

After reading about the issues with the fuel sight tubes, I did some research awhile back and bought some of the LP-1500. I played with it a little, with mixed results. It is a little stiffer and more prone to kinking than the C-210-A... it didn't make those 90 deg. bends nearly as well. I went so far as to make a form to contain the tubing & keep it from kinking while I heated it in the oven to see if I could get it to maintain it's shape. When I got it to a temperature that it would do that fairly well, it clouds up some, which may or may not be acceptable. I don't know what the heating might be doing to it's other properties. I couldn't get an answer from the distributor about whether it could/should be heat-formed or not. I ended up using the tubes that came in my kit, but I sure don't like the probability of having to replace them that often... there's got to be a better way.

[gregsgt]

I'm using the yellow tygon f4040a. Works great and lasts longer than the clear stuff.

[Dave S]

Greg has it spot on.........the 4040a version/formulation is specifically designed for use with fuels and lubricants......the 4040a is the "Mastercraft" brand of "tygon". There is an equivalent "Tygon" brand of "Tygon" (if that makes any sense) which is the same stuff as the 4040a mastercraft brand....they are both yellow. As mentioned...there is a "blue" type which also is intended for fuel.

I go back to my original, earlier response on this thread. Tygon is not tygon......there are hundreds of types and it is sold under multiple brands.......both the base material and incuded plasticizers are formulated differently to create the hundreds of different applications....specificatiuons and application data is also available with ihe site......jrevens managed to find the formulation which doesn't have a load of plasticizers in it - therefore it kinks easy and is hard to form although the lack of plasticizers will probably reduce the problem with the tubing getting dark.

For others who have worked as lab rats, you are probably familiar with the company Cole Parmer......it's a laboratory & industrial supply house.....www.coleparmer.com

On a lousy day for flying.....hit the site.....search on "tygon", and you can find a version of this stuff for just about any purpose you can think of....including the limited number of versions intended for fuel and lubricants. (disregard & don't be confused the gazillion types of tygon designed for peristaltic pumps)

Greg's got the right one.....it's not a perfect world and nothing will last forever; but the 4040a (and other brand equivalents of the same stuff) will out perform the others on longevity.

Dave S

[gregsgt]

I've built high performance outboard motors for years and I've always used the 4040a for the fuel connections to the carbs and I've never had to replace any of the lines. The clear tygon I could never get much more than a season out of.

I was a little worried about the visibility of the fuel through the yellow line but found that I can see the fuel level just fine. I use the same 4040a for the vent line from the header tank to the wing tank.

I don't know much about the other options out there but I've never had any complaints over all the years I've used the 4040a. It will easily bend around a radius too.