Fuel Drip Containment

Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

I'm getting ready to patch the asphalt under the drip and paint the hangar
floor. Since I can't stop the drip, I want to contain it safely. Anybody got
any thoughts on how to neutralize gasoline and contain the drip without being a
fire hazard?

One thought is to provide a bucket with a nonflammable liquid lighter than
gasoline. Let the gas drip into the bucket with a "blanket" of nonflammable
liquid on top of it. The problem is finding such a liquid.

Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.

Any ideas?

Jim



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

snip
Any ideas?

Jim

I used to use a coffee-can with a small wire hangar, hung from the overflow
pipe. If the drips were slow enough, it would evaporate before the can
filled......but not always....if I filled the tanks too agressively. So for
the last few years, I just gave up and now I do not fill the tanks
completely. I just got tired of the fuel dripping. I have not noticed any
significant amount of water from condensation (as the tanks are nearly
full).

Yes, I'd like a better solution too.

John Severyn

Hi Jim,

I have seen people hang an empty plastic oil bottle on the fuel vent to
catch the dripping fuel on Cessnas. Have you tried this? It shouldn't be too
much of a fire hazard and will save your hangar floor. Just make sure that
you drain the bottle regularly because the angle it sits on the vent, it
won't hold a whole quart of fuel. Using a GATT jar or some other filter, you
can reuse the fuel.

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

How about letting it drip into a fuel cell of the type used by NASCAR?

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

I'm getting ready to patch the asphalt under the drip and paint the hangar
floor. Since I can't stop the drip, I want to contain it safely. Anybody
got
any thoughts on how to neutralize gasoline and contain the drip without
being a
fire hazard?

One thought is to provide a bucket with a nonflammable liquid lighter than
gasoline. Let the gas drip into the bucket with a "blanket" of
nonflammable
liquid on top of it. The problem is finding such a liquid.

Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort
that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem
is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.

Any ideas?

Jim



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

("Jim Weir" wrote)
Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort
that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem
is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.


Pet store (or a garage sale) buy a lizard heating rock. $10.

Put the flat rock UNDER, maybe a large brownie pan, and insulate around the
rock.

We used a 2" thick piece of rigid pink insulation and cut out the shape of
the rock. Rock fit flush in the hole. Then we also put another piece of
rigid pink UNDER the rock, So now the rock/insulation layer is sandwiched
between a solid piece of 2" insulation on the bottom and the container on
top.

The rock should be upside-down in the insulation hole to mate up with the
bottom of whatever you're using as a drip pan.

Run a couple of bands of duct tape around the pink edges for that "finished"
look and you're all set.

For us it was an aquarium for the lizard (anole) brought home from school at
the end of the year, by the 3rd grade niece. Kept that sucker alive for 2
years.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/w...iles/anole.htm

You know, any small heating pad would work in this setup. I had a waterbed
heater that I kept for years after the bed had been thrown away. Used the
pad all the time. Gave the pad to my sister a while back, haven't seen it
since.

Or ...a can of yellow foam insulation is $2.95 - $3.95 ...and it's fun to
play with. Wear latex gloves because that stuff turns your hands black,
before it hardens.

Whatever you choose, just separate the heating thing from the thermal mass
pan thing.

Good luck.
--
Montblack
"Styled by the laws of nature.............Concorde"

"Jon Woellhaf" wrote in
news:Jrzmb.12980$9E1.63303@attbi_s52:

How about letting it drip into a fuel cell of the type used by NASCAR?

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel
vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything
I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it
down.

I'm getting ready to patch the asphalt under the drip and paint the
hangar floor. Since I can't stop the drip, I want to contain it
safely. Anybody
got
any thoughts on how to neutralize gasoline and contain the drip
without
being a
fire hazard?

One thought is to provide a bucket with a nonflammable liquid lighter
than gasoline. Let the gas drip into the bucket with a "blanket" of
nonflammable
liquid on top of it. The problem is finding such a liquid.

Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some
sort
that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The
problem
is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.

Any ideas?

Jim



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com




Battery mat or fiberglass mat in a cookie sheet. Lots of area for
evaporation.

On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 18:33:46 GMT, "Sven"
wrote:

Hi Jim,

I have seen people hang an empty plastic oil bottle on the fuel vent to
catch the dripping fuel on Cessnas. Have you tried this? It shouldn't be too
much of a fire hazard and will save your hangar floor. Just make sure that
you drain the bottle regularly because the angle it sits on the vent, it
won't hold a whole quart of fuel. Using a GATT jar or some other filter, you
can reuse the fuel.

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
.. .
Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent
when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I
know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

The RIGHT way to solve the problem is to go flying!!!!

Jim Weir writes:

Snarly Charlie, the 182, has the classic "Cessna drip" from the fuel vent when
the tanks are filled and the hangar gets warm. I've tried everything I know to
stop it, but all I can do with all the mechanical fixes is slow it down.

I'm getting ready to patch the asphalt under the drip and paint the hangar
floor. Since I can't stop the drip, I want to contain it safely. Anybody got
any thoughts on how to neutralize gasoline and contain the drip without being a
fire hazard?


There are asphalt mixes that resist gasoline "softening"... They
get used on fueling pads, etc. Ask a paving guru.

How about a bucket full of kitty litter?
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Jim Weir wrote:

Another thought is to put some sort of oven pan with a mat of some sort that
would let the gasoline evaporate slowly from under the mat. The problem is
finding a nonflammable mat that gasoline will not attack chemically.

My suggestion is to use one of the hot water heater overflow pans from Home
Depot (or the like) and fill it with a clay-based cat litter.

George Patterson
You can dress a hog in a tuxedo, but he still wants to roll in the mud.

Don't fill your plane before putting it away?

We turn the fuel valve off or turn it to left or right tank -- this seems to
mitigate the problem considerably, though I am not sure why it does this.