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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date:  12-15-2006
Number of Hours:  2.50
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Fuel tank construction

Tonight I finished up all of the prep work on the right fuel tank so that I can devote my Saturday afternoon to ProSealing. If all goes well, that should be the final ProSeal session on the fuel tanks. I started by measuring and cutting the fuel tank vent line. Once this was done, I deburred the ends and fed it through the bushings which I had previously installed in the ribs. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to notch the bushings to allow for the capacitance fuel sensing wires...so, out comes the vent line while I finish that task. Once that was done, it was a pretty simple matter of trimming, flaring, bending, etc., to get the vent line done.

Next I worked on the capacitance fuel system. Nothing too difficult here--mainly cutting and stripping wires, soldering connections, etc.

Finally, I decided to work on a mandatory service bulletin, SB 06-2-23, that requires safety wiring the flare nut shown in the photo. Apparently, in at least one instance, this nut had worked loose and caused fuel starvation. Not good. The challenge with this service bulletin is that I found out about it AFTER I had finished the left tank, so now I have to go back and remove the access cover plate from that tank in order to finish it up...and I thought I was done with the left tank!!

There is one other little detail that I found to be a bit of a challenge. The SB states "drill a hole in the AN818-6D coupling nut...to allow installation of safety wire." Simple enough. Unfortunately, the nut in question is small and not easily drilled. Basically, you have to get a bit that drills a hole large enough to accept .032 safety wire and yet small enough not to drill right through the threads on the nut...oh, and you have to do it at about a 70 deg angle to the surface. The bit I chose actually started to bend while I was drilling...then it broke...turns out it drilled better when it was shorter! I ended up getting a decent hole in the nut and didn't damage any threads, but I'm a bit baffled at the whole process.
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Flare nut with hole drilled for safety wire

Flare nut with hole drilled for safety wire

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Fuel tank vent detail

Fuel tank vent detail

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