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T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:27 pm

Hi All,

I have a customer who wants the Delco/Thompson electric fuel pump installed in his T-6D, and I am finding scant information about the installation. Anybody have that mod on their T-6/SNJ/Harvard with a 337 and/or Field Approval?

Thanks,
cleaver

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:38 pm

The only one I knew of was in a T-6G owned by Jay Brentlinger. I would ask him why he wants it, if it is because he has a hard time building pressure with the wobble pump, replace the shaft packing, otherwise it sounds like a solution to a problem that does not exist.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:22 am

I may be wrong but I thought I had heard some very well respected T-6 operators say that they have the electric pump installed for backup in the rare case that the engine driven pump were to fail. If I understood their comments correctly, the engine won't suction feed and that the pilot (in a stock airplane) would have to work the wobble pump continuously until landing to maintain fuel pressure. Is that even close to correct?

Ken

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:29 am

Since the T-6 is not a gravity feed system, that is correct. Without the fuel pump there is no way to get the fuel from the tank and the carb is calibrated to run at pump pressure.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:20 am

Correct, Ken. Albeit, in my eyes the wobble buys you enough time to find a field or, if you're lucky, limp to a nearby airport. I don't think it is a viable option for prolonged flight to a semi-distant to distant airport. Stoney? If your problem was only a fuel pump failure, I could see the electric backup being as being helpful, but at what point does redundancy become too... redundant? Wonder what the setup adds in terms of weight?

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:28 am

What Ken said. Could you use a Duke pump? they are available pretty cheap. I would ask around the Red Star pilots association as this is a popular mod for CJ's and Yak -52's.
I would just wire in a duke pump and 337 it. -Robert

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:43 am

I've seen several with a standby pump, i may have a copy of a 337 someplace in my files.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:16 pm

The Dwellee's have it on one of their planes.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:28 pm

Taylor Stevenson wrote:Correct, Ken. Albeit, in my eyes the wobble buys you enough time to find a field or, if you're lucky, limp to a nearby airport. I don't think it is a viable option for prolonged flight to a semi-distant to distant airport. Stoney? If your problem was only a fuel pump failure, I could see the electric backup being as being helpful, but at what point does redundancy become too... redundant? Wonder what the setup adds in terms of weight?



That is exactly why the customer wants the electric pump. He had the engine-driven pump fail last year on a different T-6, and the wobble pump didn't get him home. He wants the redundancy.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:23 pm

I'm close to a T-6 owner who would be equally interested in this mod. If you guys would be kind enough to share part numbers, installation FYI, 337 samples, whatever, I know it would be much appreciated. If you'd rather not share here, please PM me.

Without hijacking the thread, we have previously discussed the use of more reliable fuel selector valves in place of the stock type. Has anyone 337'd this?

thanks for the input,
Ken

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 6:07 pm

Ken wrote:Without hijacking the thread, we have previously discussed the use of more reliable fuel selector valves in place of the stock type. Has anyone 337'd this?


I think I saw an ad somewhere (in the NATA magazine?) about a newly designed valve that is now on the market.

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Wed Jan 15, 2014 7:55 pm

My notes (from previous posts here on WiX) say:

Bela P. Havasreti

--------------------------------------------------------------

B-24 fail safe fuel selector valve
B-24 or DC-4 fuel selector valve supposedly
works with the T-6 monkey linkage stuff.

Stoney says NATA member Dan Springer is working
on an STC for the B-24 valve, he's in the directory.

From WiX:

The teflon cones for the Texans are illegal and extremely dangerous. I nearly lost my beautiful
SNJ-5 because a teflon cone had been substitured for the original cork seal by the previous owner.
The original cork seals are now virtually impossible to find.

An excellent alternative is the Thompson Products, Inc. part # TCB-14100-1. The functionality and
line arrangement are the same, and it's a permanent, lifetime replacement. It's slightly larger
than the original part, and will require a slightly modified aluminum mounting bracket. The valve
is machined, incorporating O-Rings instead of a cork cone. Approval for standard category Texans
should be very easy. I have ten (10) yellow tagged valves available.

Contact:
danp@pcmonline.com
Cell: (918) 630-6760

Re: T6 Electric Fuel Pump Installation

Thu Jan 16, 2014 10:36 am

Here is a couple of resources.

Wobble pump rebuilding S & T aircraft accessories 830.625.7923
They can yellow tag a wobble pump.




Fuel Selector CJ aviation 800.227.5772
I spoke to Charley this week. They have a new selector that is PMA direct replacement. 30 installed to date.
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