Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#74390
When my instructor was going through the checks with me he also mentioned watching when you slosh a bit on the ground--fuel evaporates quicker than water. And if you get any on your hands it leaves a residue when it dries.
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By Timothy
#74425
I have asked sage advice about this before on the List and on PPRuNe, but no-one has ever given me a satisfactory explanation:

My aircraft lives in a hangar. It is very unusual that it is filled with fuel anywhere except Biggin, because most of my flights are two hours out, two hours back.

Every single time I check the drains I get half a sampler full of rust water out of the right gascolator, none out of the tank drains and I never get any water out of the left gascolator or drains. This behaviour is invariably the same.

Why?
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By Adam
#74439
The only time I've seen water in the fuel in the Mooney is when some Idiot doesn't put the fuel caps on properly (which is easy to do if you don't pay attention and equally easy to get right if you do)

Timothy's problem seems weird!
By Guest
#74441
In Timothy's position, I would be far more concerned that all my fuel samples contained rust water, than that they contained water.

Consistent Contamination of that sort in the drains is not a good sign. In a Baron of my acquaintance, a similar rust deposit turned out to be a sponge-like fuel-line seal breaking up through old age and allowing water and crud into the tank.

Real rust (as opposed to sponge masquerading as rust) would get my immediate attention.
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By AfricanEagle
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#74453
In my ignorance, regarding Timothy's problem, I agree with 2D.

There is something dying of old age in the right fuel tank :(

Something similar is happening to I-FFSV, but very slight :( :(

AE
By golden sky
#74490
Timothy
Only a possibility, but as you do a lot of clag flying check the integrety of the fuel filler cover flap carefully. It may be the foam robber seal has broken, particularly near the hinge, and may be letting water in to the affected tank during flight during flight. The filler cap itself has a vent hole and will let in water into the tank if it goes above the filler neck. As others have said, I believe the 'rust' is a colour caused by something probably not actually metallic.

I give the above information from the experience gained from a similar gasket fault on my Aztec, although it was snow and frost melt water accumulated while on the ground in my case.
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By poetpilot
#74585
Fact: Avgas and water separate immediately. You won't have to wait for the water to settle to the bottom.


Ah but if it's swirling around a bit after being filled, might it still be separated into distributed droplets rather than one big glob in the bottom?

I've seen the Archer-filler-cap-leaks water thing (2 testers full before it cleared) & I've seen the "rust" thing on the Jodel (gasket - plus we think the bits in the fuel made the engine cough once or twice on the day we discovered it - subsequently drained whole system and chucked the full tank of fuel away.

Never seen much water from a Cessna high wing though.

Citabria's clever - it has a low point run-off that's a separate pipe/drain from the main fuel feed line. Any gunge goes to the lowest point, away from the main line. Till it gets full of gunge of course...
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By poetpilot
#74630
Next aeroplane I buy with glass wings, I will take your advice Dear Ladies :lol:
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By Timothy
#74641
Well the derioration has been over a very long period...maybe two years or more I have had this problem.

Nonetheless, I will carry a sample proudly across to Singh and see what he says.

Thank you all for your advice, as always!