Refuelling My CT

[gorilla]

Well, after 11 years of fantastic CTSW ownership and of humping 20-litre jerry cans up onto my cloth-covered wings, shaking a jiggle-tube up & down to get the fuel flowing and then waiting nearly 10 minutes for each can to empty, I have finally decided enough was enough!!

 

I did some research and found a great little 12-volt pump certified for pumping mogas, avgas, etc, with spark-proof fittings and wiring and earthing wires running through the hoses.  The pump is made in the good ol' US of A by a company called Fill-Rite.  It was a bit hard trying to find a UK importer and dealer but I managed it and purchased a complete kit (pump, hoses, wiring, nozzle) for £218 (including VAT) which I didn't think was a bad price.  I would imagine that in the States, you would pay a lot less than this.  The pump, wiring, fittings and dispensing nozzle are all first class quality and I'd highly recommend it to anyone thinking of buying one.

 

I bought the RD8 model which pumps 8 US gallons a minute - which is about 30 litres.  I have 20 litre cans which should equate to one being emptied in about 40 seconds.   In practice, with the can on the ground and having to pump the fuel up into my wing-tanks, each can emptys in exactly one minute flat.  This is brilliant.  Besides saving me shedfuls of time, it is just so convenient, too. 

 

I have a small motorcycle battery that I use for power but the other day, I decided to use the CT's battery via the emergency jump-start lead which sticks out underneath the engine cowling.  I emptied 6 x 20 litre full containers (6 minutes of pump running time) and then went and tried to start the engine.  It burst into life immediately with no difference in starter motor speed or power.

 

I made a bit of a mistake with the model I ordered as I chose the model with a flexible inlet hose rather than the model specifically designed with a rigid stainless tube for jerry cans.  The flexible rubber inlet hose was larger than I envisgaed and had a brass fitting on the end which wouldn't fit into any of my cans so I cut the fitting off but the hose was still too big in diameter.  I then found a length of stainless tubing which was a lovely tight push-fit inside the rubber hose.  I drilled a small hole about an inch from the end of the tube so that I wouldn't be sucking up the absolute dregs of fuel in my cans in case of contamination.  Job done!!

 

Paul (aka "Gorilla")

 

Here are some pictures of the pump in action - and of my lovely CT's interior!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Koerner]

Thanks for the tips Paul. That's a real nice looking airplane.

Mike Koerner

[CT4ME]

That is quite the rig, and looks like it will work well.  For the less ambitious, many of us have found that "Tuff Jugs" ease the burden of refueling considerably.  At 5gal, they're not TOO heavy, and the nozzle fits perfectly into the CT filler hole.  The weight of the jug opens the valve and all you have to do is stand there for 40 seconds while it empties.  No rag-covered wings needed, and, as a 6+ footer, I don't even have to stand on anything!

[Buckaroo]

I bought a Handy 30 gal tank and hand pump years ago for my toys. You can't beat Handy!

[gorilla]

Thanks Mike! 

[Trip]

I used something like this for a battery to run a Fil-Rite 13gpm pump.   My pump pulled 18 amps and my battery was rated at 20 amps.   Worked perfectly and you also have a tire inflator if you need it.      

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002X6VXL4/ref=psdc_318336011_t1_B0024GR0S8