Fuel Filter Position ?

[Gt450s]

Hi Guys,

Another simple question.. Where should I put a fuel filter ?

Should i put it in the line between the main tank and the header tank or between the header tank and the carb

Cheers

M.

[Smoothound]

Don't use one on the heli fuel side but its worth putting one between pressure nipple and main tank to stop anything getting in from the exhaust. I just have a T piece to make fueling easier.

Filter your fuel before it goes into the heli, I have 2 in my pump line from the bottle.

[ChrisB]

ALWAYS put a fuel filter between the header and the carb and one in the pressure line to stop any crap in the exhaust getting blown into tank and causing a blockage

I NEVER run a heli without a fuel filter..Nitro degrades the fuel tube and bits of it go to gel and will block your carb...Fit fuel filter as close to carb as possible so the least amount of fueltube is left to the engine

The higher the nitro you use the quicker the pipe degrades

Weve all seen knackered clunklines etc,,these get it worse because they are immersed in fuel not just having it pass through

And dont leave fuel in your header and main tank when not using the heli

[Disc]

I use Fuel filters between the header and engine Carb

[3dbasher]

one on the pressure line is a good idea too as long as it doesn't restrict the backpressure, its stops any crap being blown into the tank from the exhaust

[Smoothound]

If your fuel lines are degrading then it's just **** poor maintenance, I've yet to replace one of mine that is in any way breaking up, degrading, jellifying or anything. I just replace on a regular basis as I do on my cars.

I guess if you want to fit and forget for a few years a filter might be worthwhile but why not just replace them regularly and filter your fuel off the heli instead of relying on filtering on board. If you get a shitty batch of fuel and the filter blocks its involuntary auto time which is fine for you 3D guys but not much help for a hovering/first gentle circuits newbie

I agree about the standard clunk lines they are poo on Raptors certainly but just use standard fuel tube and replace often.

[ChrisB]

I also replace fuel lines regularly as part of my routine maintenance..

I also have a filter on my fuel filler bottle,i just want a filter on the fuel line to engine as well...It doesnt do any harm and believe me,if i leave it for more than a month without cleaning it,youd be amazed at the crap thats still getting up to it..

Stick a filter in the carb line for good measure,it doesnt have a single drawback and its gotta help

[Raptorite]

I have to agree with Raptor here, I too filter the fuel from the bottle to the heli, have one on the pressure line from the exhaust to the main tank and have one from the header to the carb.

I have seen tiny little bits of plastic get sucked into filters just before the carb, as on older models with the metal clunk rattling round inside the tank it can rub off little pieces of plastic off the inside of the tank.

I have also seen little specs of congieled oil clog up filters, as even if you are careful to drain down the tanks completely between flying sessions, there is always a certain amount of residue left behind. This residue then creates little flakes of congieled oil much like tea leaves in a cup of tea, which have a habit of clogging up filters.

For these reasons and a few others, I always recommend people put filters in between the header and carb, even if they also filter the fuel everywhere else.

Cheers,
Pete.

[Gt450s]

I note and take all the advice, I will filter between pressure line/main tank and header/carb, filter when re-fueling and drain between flying days

Now thats an interesting point, because on my microlight and most other patrol powered aircraft It's recommended that we refuel after each flight. This is beacuse it takes away the airspace at the top of the tank and thus prevents condensation which would otherwise result in water in the fuel

FWIW I had an engine failure at 2500 ft QFE on my first flight in my new microlight and the cause turned out to be crud in the carb from when the engine was built, so even the experts get it wrong some times

Of couse, the microlight is stored an a cold hangar whereas models are generally stored in the warm/dry areas.

M