I have two of the long capacitive fuel probes that mount in my wing tanks. These probes are a long slender aluminum tube and an NPT plug built into the terminal end. My wing skins and ribs are PVC foam and fiberglass sandwich, with an aluminum plate in the innermost rib for the NPT plug to seat in.
How does everyone else secure these things in a wing tank? I will listen to methods used in glass, metal, etc.
It seems to me that the probe will get bounced back and forth, and get worn away by the edge of the fiberglass in the ribs.
I have done some noodling here. The wing is still open, so I could secure the sendor at each rib with a dab of flox and fiberglass tape, but I am concerned that I will never be able to remove it then. Same is true of securing it to each rib with a clamp, as the insides of the tanks are inaccessible once closed. I could build a little bushing with a funnel shaped inner end out of micro, and accept the small amount of motion due to necessary clearance it would allow, but will that be durable?
I am thinking in terms of making little witch's hats out of fiberglass, slit the pointy end and open it to a diameter a little smaller than the probe, and then bond them to the ribs. When I install the sendor, the little witch's hats will guide the tip of the probe during installation, and will firmly support the probe once in place, while allowing removal later on if I ever need to pull it. Any drawbacks to this?
Billski
How does everyone else secure these things in a wing tank? I will listen to methods used in glass, metal, etc.
It seems to me that the probe will get bounced back and forth, and get worn away by the edge of the fiberglass in the ribs.
I have done some noodling here. The wing is still open, so I could secure the sendor at each rib with a dab of flox and fiberglass tape, but I am concerned that I will never be able to remove it then. Same is true of securing it to each rib with a clamp, as the insides of the tanks are inaccessible once closed. I could build a little bushing with a funnel shaped inner end out of micro, and accept the small amount of motion due to necessary clearance it would allow, but will that be durable?
I am thinking in terms of making little witch's hats out of fiberglass, slit the pointy end and open it to a diameter a little smaller than the probe, and then bond them to the ribs. When I install the sendor, the little witch's hats will guide the tip of the probe during installation, and will firmly support the probe once in place, while allowing removal later on if I ever need to pull it. Any drawbacks to this?
Billski
